Victoria has penned a new bylaw which will require buildings to be deconstructed, not demolished, in an effort to reduce construction waste in the municipality.

The city says that Victoria creates between 10,000 and 20,000 tonnes of waste through construction and demolition projects each year.

Beginning next year, old properties will need to be deconstructed, and not demolished, in order to divert waste away from landfills.

Deconstruction involves taking apart a building piece by piece, in the reverse order that it was built, according to the city. This allows crews to salvage materials as they deconstruct the property, which can include materials such as old growth lumber, which was commonly used in homes until the 1960s, according to the municipality.

“There are significant economic, social and environmental benefits to reusing salvaged building materials, all of which help Victoria to become a resilient community,” said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps in a release Friday.

“With our landfill filling up, lumber shortages sweeping across the country, and the economic impacts of COVID-19, we are taking advantage of the value in our existing resources and starting the shift to a circular economy,” she said.

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