“Nothing left behind except sustainable solutions,” is the bold mission statement of , a program of
Founder Jack Diamond and his sons started the business from a small butcher shop in Vancouver, which he grew into multiple locations, and then into B.C.’s largest meatpacking operations. Gordon Diamond succeeded his father in 1979 and proceeded to build what has become the largest independent rendering company in western Canada with expanded facilities in Vancouver, plus additional facilities in Calgary, Chilliwack, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Nanaimo, and Saskatoon.
Diamond’s ultimate goal? “Finding an efficient solution for this waste while creating value.” Thus, West Coast Reduction Ltd. was created in 1964.
“He noticed there was a need to get rid of products that couldn’t be sold to humans for consumption and that ended up in the landfill, so he built up this network of operations – wanting nothing left behind,” says Derek Quan, Head of Redux Services on the ‘silent industry’ the company has been involved in since its inception.
Fast forward to 2010, and a much-needed division of the umbrella company was formed, named Redux, which is built on four unique services that keep tonnes of animal and food waste, plus thousands of litres of used cooking oil and grease, from being dumped in landfills annually across western Canada.
The first service involves Redux’s philosophy of useful collection and upcycling of used cooking oil from food processors, restaurants, and commercial kitchens. “We collect waste, process it to make sure it is safe and compliant, then use it for animal feed and renewable energy,” explains Quan.
The second service is commercial grease trap cleaning, which intercepts grease between drains and our sewer systems before it causes clogging in our waterways.
The third service is the collection of unusable bones and fat, which is transformed into ingredients used in all sorts of products.
The fourth and newest service deals with pre-consumer food waste from food processors and grocery stores.
“The goal is to divert waste from the landfill,” Quan says. “It’s shocking how much food goes to waste before it even reaches the consumer, whether it has been labeled incorrectly or has small imperfections. We use the EPA food waste hierarchy, which starts off by reducing waste at the source level. If it is safe, we try to find an option to feed humans with it, like through charities. If that is not possible then we work to feed it to animals, use it as a feedstock, or work with partners for composting.”
A large part of Redux’s business was impacted during the pandemic when restaurants closed, and as the company is not government-funded, but a family-run business with over 500 employees..
“Back in March of 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our CEO Barry Glotman took me into his office and reiterated how important it was that we protect our people, keep the team busy, and avoid layoffs like all the others in our industry,” says Quan. “We treat every single team member like family. It is truly refreshing to see how much Gordon and Barry really care.”
The same family-style approach applies to their clients with nurtured relationships, mutual respect, and a solution-focused approach to everything. Redux has had success aligning on a corporate level with head offices of brands that treat environmental and sustainability topics seriously. Streamlining this process with these clients has allowed for seamless adoption in multiple services.
“Word of mouth has always been our path to growth,” says Quan. “For the longest time, Redux was very quiet in the back of house at restaurants, collecting used cooking oil, animal by-products, and cleaning out grease trap interceptors. It’s dirty work, but we have a reputation for doing things the right way, and we take pride in our service and even all the little things like the level of cleanliness of our trucks.”
With the health of our planet always paramount, where does Redux go from here? Quan keeps it simple, stating the brand’s stance - “what else can we do to add value to the world and get us even closer to our mission of Nothing Left Behind?”
Redux, a West Coast Reduction Ltd. program, is featured in the 2021 Environmental Excellence in B.C. magazine.
