First Onsite Property Restoration is advancing its environmental strategy by formally committing to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and expanding a series of carbon reduction and waste diversion programs across its Canadian operations.
The restoration firm, which operates within Canada’s building and construction industry - an industry responsible for about 30% of the country’s total emissions - is working to define measurable actions aligned with emissions reduction protocols.
As part of its efforts, First Onsite has retained the enterprise sustainability platform Watershed to quantify its carbon emissions and set near-term reduction goals that meet SBTi criteria.
Transitioning its vehicle fleet is one of the first operational steps. The company integrated 30 hybrid vehicles into its fleet in 2024 and plans to deploy another 40 in 2025. These replacements are intended to reduce emissions tied to transportation.
In parallel, First Onsite has introduced a recycling project in Surrey, British Columbia. The pilot includes a baler system to compact cardboard, plastics, and other recyclable materials. The recovered items are sold, and revenue is directed to internal sustainability initiatives.
According to the company, the Surrey branch diverted 41,000 kilograms of waste from landfills between August 2024 and the end of Q1 2025.
The branch reported a 34% diversion rate during the first quarter of this year, with recyclable materials tracked to the specific insurance claims and restoration jobs they originated from.
Beyond internal efforts, the company is also expanding its work with EcoClaim, a platform that tracks reductions in carbon emissions associated with insurance claim-related restoration work.
Twelve First Onsite branches are now integrated with the EcoClaim platform, with eight more scheduled to adopt the system by the end of 2025.
Materials redirected through the initiative include drywall, metal, wood, carpet padding, plastic, and cardboard—items commonly discarded during demolition and rebuilds. The system enables First Onsite to quantify the volume of waste sent to recycling centers rather than landfills.
According to Bill Moorman, senior vice president of Western Canada operations, the company is aligning its daily operations with sustainability goals and using data to assess environmental outcomes through platforms like EcoClaim.
“Through our partnership with EcoClaim and other strategic efforts, we are ensuring that environmental responsibility remains at the core of our operations,” said Moorman
First Onsite is also one of the founding members of the North American Green Council, an industry group organized through EcoClaim to serve as a collaborative platform for stakeholders in the property claims sector to address emissions collectively.
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