Buy smart

Buy smart

If you stop buying products that contain powerful greenhouse gases (high GWP gases), you can reduce your impact and you'll be doing something smart for the environment. You can do this by simply not using or using less air conditioning (in the car, at home or work), refrigerators (if you have more than one), foam products (styrofoam cups/containers, foam packaging, foam based home insulation, etc.) and aerosols (hairspray, shaving cream, etc.)

Buying smart also means buying used! Used items not only do you not add any new emissions caused by transporting manufactured goods from the point of production, you also stop the emissions that would have been caused by the manufacturing and packaging of this newly made item.

Eco-fashion, the fashion industry's answer to help combat climate change?

There is a strong relationship between fashion and climate change, the fashion industry has a direct impact on our environment. The billion dollar fashion and apparel industry is the one of the largest polluters of our clean water supply. The fashion industry uses extensive amounts of the Earth's natural resources, such as water (second largest industry user of water) cotton and other raw materials. Approximately 8,000 synthetic chemicals are used throughout the globe to turn raw materials into the textiles that are used to make our clothes and accessories.

Read time: 10 mins

Tags: 

Composting and buying local in the winter, is that even possible?

March can be a ruthless month in Canada. Days are short, ice is everywhere, and sometimes even when there are hints of spring, there seems to be a sudden flash blizzard with no warning. Dreaming about the sun and fresh air is a daily activity and warm weather just doesn’t seem close enough. Some say the best way to fight the winter blues is to get cozy inside with some comfort food.

Read time: 5 mins

Tags: 

Examining the Carbon Footprint of Coffee

Everyday, millions of Americans start their day off with a nice hot cup of coffee, and oftentimes that once cup can turn to three or four throughout the course of the day. In 2014 Americans on average consumed more than nine pounds of coffee per person, and compared to some European nations that’s not even impressive… But when we add it all up just how much does that one, two, or three cups of coffee everyday affect your personal carbon footprint?

Read time: 10 mins

Tags: 

Join the Mug Movement! Say No to Disposable Coffee Cups

Annually, over 500 billion disposable cups are being manufactured across the globe. Canada and the US are major culprits for this manufacturing mayhem. It was estimated that in the United States alone, 58 billion disposable cups are discarded to the landfill each year. This number may be hard to visualize at first, but think about it. How many hot beverages do you buy a week on average? And what are you drinking them in?

Read time: 7 mins

Tags: 

A Very Veggie Valentine’s - Love Your Planet and Your Partner

Whether you like it or not, the commercialized ‘Day of Love’ is soon to be upon us. Valentine’s Day does not hold the same sentiments it once did. There are many religious stories about the origins of Saint Valentine that mainly stem from the rituals practiced by Romans in order to ensure fertility. The romantic element to Valentine’s Day arose hundreds of years later in France and England where February 14th was commonly believed to be the first day of birds’ mating season.

Read time: 4 mins

Tags: 

Days without meat: the non-vegetarian initiative that convinced 86,000 people to skip meat

Dagen Zonder Vlees

As a Flemish girl, I was taught that a decent meal had to have potatoes, vegetables and meat. But in 2011, another Flemish girl turned my ideas about food upside down. This year, over 86,000 people are following her by eating less meat for 40 days. Meet Dagen Zonder Vlees, a booming Belgian initiative.

Read time: 8 mins

Tags: 

Pages

S'abonner à RSS - Buy smart