When Ian Wallace founded Dispenser Amenities Inc., he embarked on a mission to change the way people think about disposables in hospitality bathrooms. Now, over 20 years later and having realized that dream, he is delighted to take part in another sustainable development project, this time from his seat on the Board of Directors at the trend setting Canadian property development company, Sifton Properties Limited.
Announced last spring as a collaboration between Sifton Properties and Sun 2 Earth Technologies (S2E), the planned community, West 5, will be Ontario’s first net zero community. As a net zero community, West 5 will include 2000 residential units, 400,000 square feet of commercial and retail space, and will generate all of the power necessary to sustain the community. This will be achieved through a combination of generating energy using solar panels, conserving energy with efficient design and appliances, and storing or repurposing excess energy to discourage energy waste. Salt free roads, rainwater collection, and greywater systems, are some of the other notable environmentally friendly systems planned for West 5.
Last year, Dispenser Amenities featured sustainable community developments in our newsletter story, “Digital Ecopolis” spotlighting two similar projects located in Spain and South Korea. We are elated to see this movement spread to our hometown London, Ontario, Canada and to have our company President sitting on the Board of Directors.
“It makes sense for everybody”, says Ian Wallace. “When I first introduced our sustainable shower amenities dispenser system to the hospitality industry about 20 years ago, it made sense and started to be adopted by Hotel industry pioneers because it works, both environmentally and financially. The exact same applies for housing. People are realizing that waste and inefficiencies are detrimental for themselves and the planet. An investment today, to build things with sustainability in mind, will pay off for us all in the long run. Investors, home owners and commercial tenants will see their return on investment improve as energy-wise building methods become more prevalent and more cost-effective”.