MISSISSAUGA, ON, June 10, 2025 – First Onsite Property Restoration, Canada’s leader in disaster restoration, announces that it has committed to the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) and is taking significant strides around sustainability and environmental stewardship with new initiatives aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and increasing waste diversion.
Canada’s building and construction industry is responsible for approximately 30 per cent of the country’s total emissions1. As a sub-sector of the construction industry, the restoration industry is embracing better sustainability practices and setting environmental commitments and measuring its impact in GHG reductions. First Onsite is an early adopter and is doing its part to lead the industry by committing to environmental responsibility.
First Onsite carbon-reduction and green initiatives
- Emissions measurement: The company has retained Watershed, a world-leading enterprise sustainability platform, to establish its baseline carbon footprint and set near-term targets for carbon reductions. With Watershed’s support, First Onsite will work to set a science-based emission reduction target aligned with the SBTi’s target-setting criteria this year.
- Fleet electrification: The transition to hybrid vehicles began for the company in 2024, with the addition of 30 hybrid vehicles into the First Onsite fleet. Another 40 hybrid vehicles are on order and will be introduced into the fleet in 2025 to further reduce emissions.
- Recycling infrastructure: A new test project in Surrey, B.C. includes the acquisition of a baler to compact and recycle various waste materials, allowing the company to sell back recycled products such as cardboard, paper, and plastics and to reinvest those funds into sustainability programs.
Waste diversion to recycling centres
First Onsite has partnered with EcoClaim, a platform designed to measure reductions in carbon emissions related to insurance claims.
First Onsite successfully piloted EcoClaim in 2024 at select branches to track and measure claims-related building materials that were diverted away from landfills. Twelve branches are currently active on the platform, with an additional eight locations planned for implementation this year, totaling 20 branches using the platform across the country by the end of 2025.
Through this initiative, First Onsite is diverting substantial amounts of construction and demolition waste from landfills – including drywall, wood, metal, plastic, cardboard, and carpet padding.
“We are dedicated to creating lasting change within our industry by adopting sustainable practices and setting measurable targets,” said Bill Moorman, Senior Vice President, Western Canada Operations at
First Onsite. “Through our partnership with EcoClaim and other strategic efforts, we are ensuring that environmental responsibility remains at the core of our operations.”
A standout example of success comes from the company’s Surrey, British Columbia, pilot project, which demonstrated impressive waste diversion:
- Since the beginning of the pilot project (August 2024) and through Q1 2025, First Onsite’s Surrey branch diverted an impressive 41,000 KG of waste from landfills. This can be tracked back to the specific job and insurance company associated with the claim.
- In Q1 of 2025, First Onsite’s Surrey branch achieved a 34 per cent diversion rate, meaning that over one-third of the demolition materials from insurance claims and restoration projects were diverted away from landfills into recycling centres.
North American Green Council
First Onsite is a founding member of the North American Green Council, a new industry body aimed at tackling carbon emissions across the property claims supply chain. The Green Council is being incubated by EcoClaim and will function as a collaborative, non-partisan platform for the entire claims ecosystem.
Looking ahead
First Onsite is committed to integrating sustainability at every level of its operations. Momentum is growing and its employees are finding more purpose in the work the company is doing.
“These initiatives are just the beginning,” said Andrew Platt, Regional Operations Manager, British Columbia, at First Onsite. “As we expand and enhance our sustainability programs, we remain focused on delivering a measurable impact through environmentally responsible business practices, and to lead by example within the restoration industry.”
To learn more about First Onsite’s sustainability efforts, visit https://firstonsite.ca/sustainability/.
1 https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/innovative-solutions-canada/en/low-carbon-construction-materials
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