Vancouver Island-based cleantech company Ergo Eco Solutions has completed a pilot for its bio-based dust control and road stabilization product manufactured from locally recycled organic food, designed to reduce reliance on water-intensive dust suppression methods.
With more than 90% of British Columbia’s road network unpaved, many rural, industrial and resource-based communities continue to grapple with airborne dust that affects air quality, visibility, road safety and maintenance costs. Ergo’s solution is designed to deliver longer-lasting dust suppression, reducing the need for repeated water applications and associated truck trips.
The pilot project was led in partnership with the Malahat Nation at its eco-industrial business park, with a second test site hosted by PATH Developments in Colwood, B.C. The project received advisory services and funding support through the BC Fast Pilot program, delivered by Innovate BC and the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP).
“This pilot confirms that circular innovation can help solve one of B.C.’s most persistent infrastructure challenges,” said Brian Roberts, CEO of Ergo. “By transforming recycled organic food waste into a high-performance dust control product, we’re showing how communities can improve air quality, reduce water use, cut emissions, and turn local waste streams into practical, scalable infrastructure solutions.”
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The biodegradable product is designed to be mixed with minimal water and applied using standard dust-control equipment. Once applied, it bonds with dust particles to stabilize road surfaces and reduce airborne particulates.
During the pilot, the solution was applied to a 750-metre section of unpaved road within the Malahat Nation’s eco-industrial business park and compared with both water-only treatment and an untreated control section. According to the results, the product delivered 22% stronger dust suppression, longer-lasting performance and visibly improved road conditions.
When modeled across a full two-kilometre road section, the results suggest the solution could reduce water use by up to 99.5%, cut greenhouse gas emissions by 98.5%, lower operational costs by up to 65% and reduce overall road maintenance needs.
“The performance of Ergo’s dust control product exceeded our expectations,” said Lawrence Lampson, Operations Manager with Malahat Nelson Limited Partnership. “It provided highly effective dust suppression that lasted for months after application, significantly improving road conditions and visibility.
The pilot builds on a relationship between Ergo and the Malahat Nation established in 2020 and centred on sustainable innovation and land stewardship. The Nation is a strategic stakeholder with representation on Ergo’s board of directors, with operational support delivered through Malahat–Nelson Limited Partnership.
A second test site hosted by PATH Developments is further validating the product under active construction-site conditions. PATH, already a user of Ergo’s bio-based form-release products, is assessing the dust control solution as a way to improve on-site air quality and reduce truck traffic and water use.
The dust control product is manufactured from recycled organic food waste sourced from Vancouver Island restaurant partners, including Red Arrow in Duncan, Big Wheel Burger in Victoria and Longwood Brewpub in Nanaimo.
Ergo says the pilot represents a step toward building a place-based circular cleantech ecosystem that links local waste streams, Indigenous partnership and bio-manufacturing into a scalable infrastructure model. The company plans to continue working with municipalities, construction firms and industry partners to expand testing and deploy the solution on additional unpaved roads across the province.
