Environmental

The Brick Goes Green

At The Brick, environmental sustainability is something we practice every day. Like saving you more, going green is one of our obsessions.

We first implemented our Project Green strategy in 2007. This project was intended to have an immediate and positive impact on the environment, as well as set the stage for future initiatives that would allow The Brick to become a leader in environmental sustainability. We strive to take advantage of every opportunity to help maintain our planet for future generations.

Project Green aligns directly with our core values: by keeping our waste in check, we can keep costs low and continue to offer green prices on household products, as well as continue to be a strong community partner and global citizen.

In 2023 The Brick’s corporate office and distribution centers diverted 85% of our company waste. Distribution centres alone diverted 92% of waste!

What does 85% mean?

In 2023, The Brick recycled:

  • 2,572.64 tons of paper and cardboard
  • 335.33 tons of plastic film
  • 323.14 tons of styrofoam
  • 2275.43 tons of mattresses
  • 1490.38 tons of wood (pallets & scrap wood)
  • 6.78 tons of metal

This means we saved:

  • 82,501 trees
  • 19,024,181 gallons of water
  • 11,844,253 KW Hours of electricity
  • 12,064 cubic yards of landfill airspace
  • 21,485 tons of greenhouse gas emissions
Brick Goes Green

What does The Brick Recycle?

Through a mix of our own machinery, third-party partners and government programs, The Brick recycles the vast majority of our product packaging. Each of our distribution centres has a dedicated Green Zone where recyclables are processed, stored and shipped. We continue to adopt new ways to reuse or repurpose even more materials every year.

The Brick recycles:

  • Cardboard
  • Upholstery
  • Mattresses
  • Plastic
  • Expanded polystyrene (StyrofoamTM)
  • Pallet and wood products
  • Appliances
  • Electronics
  • Paper
  • Office Waste
What does The Brick Recycle?
Other Initiatives
High-Efficiency Lighting Upgrades

High-Efficiency Lighting Upgrades

In each new major renovation or construction project The Brick has recently completed, we've installed energy management systems to optimize our heat and electricity consumption. In all other locations, we use programmable thermostats to keep energy costs low. Future plans include stalling higher-efficiency HVAC units into our facilities.

Fleet Improvements

Fleet Improvements

By replacing older delivery and service trucks with newer and more efficient models, we've been able to reduce our environmental impact. Approximately 50% of our fleet is less than four years old, while the remainder has been on the road for less than eight years.

Reducing Energy Use

Reducing Energy Use

The Brick has upgraded the lighting in nearly 50 of our locations, dramatically reducing our energy consumption. We've replaced at least a portion of the lighting with high-efficiency upgrades in each of our distribution centres, including all of the lighting in the Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg locations. This new lighting consumes less energy, gives off better quality lighting and requires less maintenance.


National Tree Day 2023

The Brick is committed to sustainability. We believe it’s important to reduce our footprint on the environment, nurture and protect renewable resources, give back to the communities that support us, and engage with our community members. That's why The Brick was a proud sponsor of 2023 National Tree Day, participating in one of the spotlight events that took place in Edmonton's Cavanagh community.

Awards & Recognition

Since the roll-out of Project Green, The Brick has been recognized by many of Canada's environmental agencies.

Recycle Quebec granted us with their second highest accreditation for recycling in March 2016, and The Recycling Council of Ontario gave us a Gold Awards in 2013. Plus, our Mississauga distribution centre was profiled in the Canadian Retailer Magazine for achievements in sustainability.

It's a true honour to be recognized for something so closely tied to our core values, which each and every one of our Brick team members contribute toward on a daily basis.

Awards & Recognition