Posts filed under 'Eco-Action'

Goodbye Tim!

Have I told you about my Tim Horton’s boycott?

Like many Canadians, this (American) institution has been part of my life for years. Many a road trip has been kicked off by a large double - double and a walnut crunch. Heck, 13 years ago when I got married, my wife and I lived in different cities. At 4:30 a.m. every Monday morning, it was always “Tim” who rode shotgun on the 3+ hour drive on the 401 to get me home to Toronto.

No more, I’m afraid.

Thanks to my friends at the Creemore Coffee Company and a new Cuisinart coffeemaker (from Tweed & Hickory, in Port Perry), I make fabulous fair-trade, organic coffee every morning at home. Great home brewed coffee plus my (Roughrider Green) Planetary Designs travel mug and I’m ready to hit the road.

Then there is the garbage issue and this really gets me.

With the hundreds of millions of dollars that pour into Tim Horton’s every year, why can’t they make even a token effort to reduce waste?

When I bring my travel mug into the restaurant, they prepare my coffee in a throwaway paper cup (using a plastic stir-stick or straw) before they pour it into my stainless steel mug. THEN they try and give me another clean paper cup so I can “roll up the rim”. When I refuse the paper cup, they either try to push it on me or look at me as if I’m a freak.

The ecological footprint of this one single transaction is massive. Multiple that by tens of thousands like it every day.

Imagine if Canada’s largest coffee chain made a real commitment to a greener planet. Imagine organic, fair-trade coffee and tea on the menu. Imagine aggressively promoting the reduction of waste and encouraging customers to “lug-a-mug”. Imagine replacing all the paper cups with compostable cups, and using only ancient forest-friendly napkins and paper products. Imagine sourcing products and materials through local suppliers.

What a difference that would make.

Interestingly enough, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of fabulous, independent coffee shops across the country that satisfy many, if not all, of these criteria.

Two such shops right here in Port Perry are working hard to provide a greener alternative — Queen Beans Coffee House (next to P’lovers in Queen Street Commons) and For the Love of Jo. (BTW, around the corner from P’lovers in Halifax, there is a great coffee shop called “Steve-erinos”. I felt at home!!)

Catch ya’ later, Tim!

-Steve


Add comment June 28, 2008

My Soon to be Healthier Home

My family and I are moving to a new home very soon! And with every new home, comes decorating and all that jazz. New hopes, new excitements, newly renewed goals and what have you.

As I go room by room, preparing for a larger home, there is a lot of items I NEED to get. And as we are hitting that stage in our lives, I am trying to make healthier investments in our home.

I have a few rooms that need work and thus have a long shopping list.

Of course, I sit on my stool here at the store, crunching the numbers associated with many of our products here at P’lovers.

Would you like a gander at my shopping list for inspiration for your own home?

The amount of research I have done is borderline ridiculous.

So lets take a look at the bathroom and baby’s bedroom and after months of research the choices I have made.

Bathroom

Hemp Shower Curtain:

I have been shocked to discover that along with matresses, our shower curtains are one of the WORST offenders of emitting toxins into our home. And not those ‘theoritical’ toxins. BIG TIME. The Canadian government is ACTUALLY exploring a ban on PVC vinyl shower curtains. Ikea phased them out 11 years ago and Japan well on the way in their process to ban ready use of PVC.

This has frugal me shaking in my boots. I can’t rationalize myself to keep within my extremely meager budget on this one. Its honestly frightening. I have spent many a minute now recalling all the times I opened a new vinyl shower curtain with its funky pattern and the ensuing dizziness, headache and annoying smell. HELLLOOOOOOOO…earth to self: THAT WAS IT POISONING ME!!! SERIOUSLY! Again, the price tag on the BEAUTIFUL hemp curtain  we have on inventory is certainly looking sweeter and sweeter the more I plug along looking for a different options. To me, its looking like the only option I am willing to select, considering the accessible market choices.

Bath Mat

One of the first things I purchased once we committed to the new home! Mmmm….an OhsoSoft Bamboo bathmat in Straw. LOVELY. Easy to wash and maintain and insanely soft.

Noting beyond my small bathroom shopping list, P’lovers carries a WHOLE selection of bathroom textiles, soaps etc.

Childs Bedroom

Yikes. Don’t get me started. This is a terrible terribly difficult shopping list for me. I have spent countless hours on this one alone, prior to the baby being born all the way to him now approaching two years old.

Mattress Options

Sigh. Besides our shower curtains, our mattresses are the most toxic offenders to our health. Honestly,  we spend SO much time in our beds, and here they are quite literally poisoning us..this upsets me tremendously. Especially now that we are transitioning our son from being a baby to being a kid and moving him into his own room.

Looking at the healthy mattress choices on the market…unfortunately, as much as I want to give myself over, I can’t feasibly find a mattress within our budget within the current market selection available to us in the Region.

So I am left improvising and creating the healthiest bed for my son.

We decided a barrier is what we needed. A good quality barrier between his skin, airways and the toxic chemicals added to standard mattress fibres. (notably the fire retardant material)

I have put on special order, a twin sized wool pile Snugsleep mattress overlay.

It is carded wool that has been shorn from the sheep and rewoven into a mesh. Its machine washable and provides wicking, a soft surface and a natural fibre barrier. Wool is also a natural flame retardant and acceptable within Canadian product laws as an alternative to the terrible chemicals proven to poison us.

I do believe the child will have to wrestle ME out of HIS bed. I can hardly wait till it arrives.

Bedding

Next I have eyed the Snugsleep Wool Duvet. Available in all sizes including a twin, I believe this will be our ethical and safe choice for a blanket for him. Not too hot for warmer months and just warm enough for cold days. Although….we have just begun carrying bamboo filled duvets which has me wrestling with my choices.

Paired with a Bamboo Duvet cover, he’ll have a nice cozy healthy within budget that will allow me to sleep without nightmares.

Neglecting of course to mention all of the adult bedroom options including kapok and buckwheat pillows.

So thankfully, two rooms in which a lot of time is spent; two rooms which could be the most toxic in our home are safely under control and within my budget.

Note: for more in depth exploration of a Healthy Home, please be sure to take a look at the P’lovers extensive collection of books that cover all aspects of this topic.

-Colleen


Add comment June 26, 2008

greenwashing??!!

Recently at a staff meeting we were discussing greenwashing. It got me thinking…and that can be a dangerous thing; Jude thinking.

It brought me to this point on a dull Monday morning, what exactly is greenwashing and who is guilty of practising it?

Greenwashing, the act of painting a ‘green facade’ on something to prevent us from seeing what is underneath. It allows companies and corporations to portray themselves as environmentally conscious and responsible. It is put in place to fool us, to pull the wool (or organic cotton) over our eyes.

And I hate to admit; but it works, it works because we get tired of thinking all the time and trying so hard to sort out what is good and what is not, what we can consume and what we can’t, what we can wear, what we can’t, what we can clean with and what will cause us irreversible damage. I am here to help…

How are we able to tell if a green company’s promises are true?

  • -the claims are vague and are not backed up with facts. “natural” “environmentally friendly” “good for the planet”
  • -the product is billed as having ‘NO environmental impact’, this is pretty much impossible.
  • -the company might just state that by purchasing their product you are ’saving the earth’.
  • -the claims are not verified by a third party.
  • -the green products represent a very miniscule portion of the comany’s business.
  • -the company does not respond to enquiries regarding their green-ness.

So, basically we come back to Buyer Beware! We have to be aware of what we are buying, we must pay due diligence before we put our money down on the counter.

Last week a young man entered the store and approached the counter to purchase an Efforts Hemp T Shirt. Before he completed the transaction he asked some important questions about the product: where it was made and how it was transported to P’Lovers and he then asked to see the company’s website. I was pleased to answer his questions and told him it was great to have customers who care, who have that need to know what they are buying and from whom. He left the store with T Shirt in hand (he refused a bag!) and I was left with a good feeling, he went the extra mile as I did as well.

I can assure the consumer at P’Lovers that we pay close attention so that you don’t have to, but if you have any questions or curiousity about the origin or ingredients in our products, please ask, we love to chat and share our knowledge.

-Jude

Editors Note: Check out the Six Sins of Green Washing by TerraChoice for further exploration of this topic!

We also encourage customers to help educate us by referring us to resources and sharing thoughts on our products!


Add comment May 16, 2008

SPRING is HERE!

Woot!  Spring makes me wanna pppAArty. Brings out the ol’ college girl in me I think. Makes one lust for lazy sunny days on a patio, sunning in the backyard or strolling the shops. Port Perry is definitely bustling the past few days of sun and warmth.

We’ve propped the door at P’lovers. In wafts the customer from the street…..as well as the smoke.
BLECH.

And so sadly, with Spring comes the stink…of cigarettes.

And the butts.

Speaking of butts….there’s a certain restaurant gracing our lovely Port Perry waterfront. Whilst out for our evening walk the other night, I saw a sight that made me want to vomit. Seriously!

The ground on the other side of the patio ‘fence’ was COVERED, I mean INCHES COVERED in stanky butts. INCHES.  As though the sky had fallen and brought down a hellfire of wiggly little cigarettes worms.  It is truly repulsing…and borderline fascinating….perhaps we can make it a tourist attraction…..cause it’s definitely a sight to behold..

As the smoker tosses their butt to the ground, I IMPLORE them: SEE that you are littering.

Contrary to unfounded beliefs of the littering smoker or the marketing cig companies: cigarette filters ARE not biodegradable. It is hypothesized that it will take 12 years for a butt to break down.

So where are they going then? How are we not swimming in a sea of butts as we wade the sidewalks? (except for the exceptional ‘feast’ for the eyes outside our local watering hole)

They get swept up, they roll down the hill and into the lake. They blow in the wind to the grassy patches.

Where subsequently, my young child playing for his first summer in the park, thinks it’s something fun to either nibble upon or roll in his fingers.

Or if having landed in the lake, the fishes (what fishes are alive in our beloved lake) think it’s the edible kind of yummy worm to nibble upon.

Or all of the toxins that the smoker made the conscious decision to introduce into their body, as the hopefully informed adult they are: letches into the ground, into the water…affecting the rest of us, who have made the educated and conscious decision to not include cigarettes in our lives and family.

Smoke responsibly, take control of your litter.

-Colleen 

Some resources:

ButtsOut Canada

CigaretteLitter.org

 


Add comment April 21, 2008

green’wash’,-wôsh’


Green-wash (green’wash’, -wôsh’) – verb: the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

Simply that..that’s ALL I gotta say. Reflect on that for a bit.

“Six Sins of Greenwashing” A Study of Environmental Marketing in North American Markets (TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, November 2007)

-Colleen

Editor’s Note: Definitely take a few moments to read the TerraChoice study - it will be time well spent.  Then let us know what you think.  Is this even an issue?  Are there examples of greenwashing that drive you crazy?  What do you think of, say, Hybrid SUVs?  Ethanol gas?  Wal-Mart’s “we are so green” commercials?  We’d love to hear from you!


Add comment April 16, 2008

The Truth is Only Skin Deep

Hazard T.svg

Personal Reflection
Ever see that Young and the Restless storyline featuring a scandel with poisonness dangerous chemicals in a face cream being sold from Jabbot Cosmetics? And someone died and was horribly disfigured etc etc.

Perhaps this isn’t too far from the truth in real life!

I came across a fantastic resource a few months ago: The Cosmetics Database c/o Skin Deep. I think its worth a gander. Skin Deep provides the skinny on MANY, MANY products and their ingredients. I’ve shared below the press release signaling Skin Deep’s re-launch.

A comprehensive resource in listing ingredients that are often hard to find on purpose, for many of our once beloved products. It’s getting harder and harder these days to tell what’s what and manufacturers are hinging on that.

-Colleen

(more…)


Add comment April 15, 2008

Lovin’ that Frog!

Bullfrog Power

I find it staggering that in 2008, a large percentage of the power we use in Ontario comes from coal-fired generating stations. Yes, that’s right, coal — the same stuff used to power steam locomotives over a century ago!

One of the challenges of running any business, and in particular a planet-friendly business like P’lovers is managing energy usage. We take measures to conserve as much as we can, however, in reality, it simply takes a lot of energy to run a business. (I try to minimize my heart palpitations by keeping the steam locomotive analogy out of my mind as much as possible.)

When building your own off-grid renewable system is not an option, then Bullfrog Power is most definitely the solution. P’lovers home office has been Bullfrog Powered for a couple of years, however, our retail store only hopped on the lillypad this month.

Bullfrog has a beautifully simple business model. Customers pay a small premium to invest in power from clean, emissions-free sources like wind power and low-impact water power instead of environmentally damaging sources like coal, oil, gas, or nuclear.

The switch was easy, seamless, and surprisingly inexpensive. Since P’lovers is part of Queen Street Commons, a shared-use facility, I had always assumed it would be difficult to transition to Bullfrog.

Boy, was I wrong. I already have an accurate calculation of our energy use compared to the whole building. All my Bullfrog contact needed was our recent hydro bills and that simple energy use calculation. Within a few hours, I had a quote in my inbox for slightly less than $17/month.

I was astounded! For such a trivial sum, I could offset every killowatt of energy we use with clean, green, renewable energy! Not only is Bullfrog an amazing investment in the future of our planet, but it is also buying me piece-of-mind. That, is a pretty good purchase as far as I’m concerned!

-Steve

(Editors Note: The Ontario Clean Air Alliance has been campaigning for years to eliminate coal from our energy supply mix. Visit their website for a wealth of excellent information on the topic.)


Add comment April 4, 2008

Actions:Values

“A value is an ambiguous concept that governs human behaviour.”

“Personal values are implicitly related to choice; they guide decisions by allowing for an individual’s choices to be compared to each choice’s associated values.” -Wiki

Why bother discovering what your values are?

When we bring our values and beliefs to our conscious attention (focus) we are apt to live them within our life. Clearly defined values system will also enable us to make clear definitions, providing choices.

Steps to Living your Values

1. Make a master list of world values: Rhyme off as many values you think people might have. This is the time to look Outward. What do you see other people believing in? (i.e. integrity, work ethic, spirituality, health, focus, love, independence, etc…) Here is a master list of values if you’re struggling with this step. I encourage you to read them each over and think of what this means to someone with this value and how it manifests within our world.

2. Select 10 value words that are intrinsic to YOUR life. What off this list are things that you value in life?

3. From your Personal List, select your Top 5 of your 10.

4. Create value statements: Values statements are your personal mission statement, including the value that you honour.  (i.e. I live a path of spirituality and connectivity to others.) What does this value you have selected look like in your life? How would you like it to look? Why is this important to you? Why did you select this off the list?

5. Walk the talk: Now that we have clearly defined our personal values, we may use them when navigating our daily lives. With each small decision or large decision, we can use our values to help guide us. (i.e. whether to work late this evening, or head straight home to the family, bringing a travel mug to the coffee shop or taking a paper to-go cup. Composting or combining our kitchen waste. Shopping at the Dollar Store vs. a small downtown business.)

Approaching life with conscious intention and mindfulness of my personal beliefs/values. 

A personal reflection:
Before having my baby, I created my parenting manifesto. No word of a lie. I wrote down our values that we wished to raise our unborn child with. I wrote out the steps I wished to take and how I would like to raise him.

After he was born, as we were challenged with the reality of raising a child and the ensuing emotional rollercoaster, I am/was able to step back occasionally and ask myself: does this fit my parenting values? And yes: I am like the bamboo and flex and bend when I need to, but I have a compass in which to select my direction. And approach my parenting with mindfulness and intention.

For light exploration into your own values systems, I recommend the following books available from the P’lovers Eco-Bookshelf as a starter:

List Your Self
List Your Self: Listmaking as the
Way to Self-Discovery (Segalove)

Everyday Blessings 
Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work
of Mindful Parenting (Kabat-Zinn)

-Colleen

We have a TON of books that will facilitate a path of choice.


Add comment March 31, 2008

Be The Change!

The message is a strong one, probably something that you have heard before.*  You can take it very literally or in a metaphorical sense, but either way, being the change is something we should all do.  In the world, we are seeing a lot of negative changes taking place, from global warming to the violence in our cities.  The only thing that will help the current state of the earth is for people to take charge and change it in a positive way. 

Be the Change is a message that shows up on one of P’lovers new products, organic cotton/bamboo T-shirts from me to we.  Me to we [responsible style] is a new social enterprise that is committed to provide ethically manufactured goods made with organic materials.  The company is sweatshop free and domestically produces all its products. All their shirts are made with 100% certified organic cotton and bamboo.  In addition to all those positve aspects, they also give 50% of their profits to their charity partner, Free the Children.  This organization supports development projects in rural and impoverish areas across the world. And on top of all of that, the shirts are very, very comfortable!

I had been eyeing them for a while until the other day I finally bought one.  I wear it around the store as well as when I am out and about.  Whenever I have it on, someone always comments on it.  It seems it’s a great conversation starter.  Just the other day I was wearing it in the store and two customers came up to me and we started to talk about how the generation of today is going to change the world. They shared their views on lots of issues and I found it to be very interesting.  They said that the youth today is going to change the world and clean up the mess it’s in.  The shirt makes people think, which is bringing world issues into the public’s consciousness.

Be the Change T-shirts are as influencial as they are comfortable.  They send the message that everyone can change the world and make it a better place.

-Lisa

*Editor’s note: an abbreviation of Gandhi’s famous quote  ”We must be the change we wish to see in the world.”   


Add comment March 31, 2008

Building Community

A Personal Reflection

My family moved to Port from Toronto  in June ‘07.  We had visited enough that we knew much of the community, but until we moved here, we did not truly understand what Downtown Port Perry is all about.

I am really pleased with our decision to build our family here. I feel safe here. We know pretty much everyone: and in a good way.

In raising children, I firmly believe in the concept ‘it takes a village’.  I love that when we walk the main street, I can give a nod to the old boys, the ladies say “oh, he’s getting so big”! The younger folk, squeal at the baby and make him laugh. And if I’m really needing help and insight into motherhood, theres always someone who I can chat with and get some input.

In my darkest (or lightest) hours of being a mother, when I encourage myself to take our daily walk, I lurch to Queen Beans Coffee House in Queen Street Commons and poofffff, all my troubles melt away. We joke that its turning into baby central here. Looking around though, I see persons of all ages, dynamic and what have you. We are all welcome and unite here at the Queen Street Commons. 

-Colleen

How to Build Community
By the Syracuse Cultural Workers

Turn off your TV*Leave your house
Know your neighbours
Look up when you are walking
Greet people*Sit on your stoop
Plant Flowers
Use your library*Play together
Buy from local merchants
Share what you have
Help a lost dog
Take children to the park
Garden Together
Support Neighborhood Schools
Fix it even if you didn’t break it
Have Pot Lucks*Honour Elders
Pick Up Litter* Read Stories Aloud
Dance in the Street
Talk to the Mail Carrier
Listen to the Birds* Put up a Swing
Help Carry Something Heavy
Barter For Your Goods
Start A Tradition*Ask A Question
Hire Young People for Odd Jobs
Organize a Block Party
Bake Extra and Share
Ask For Help When You Need It
Open Your Shades*Sing Together
Share Your Skills
Take Back the Night
Turn Up The Music
Turn Down The Music
Listen Before You react with Anger
Mediate A Conflict
Seek To Understand
Learn From New And
Uncomfortable Angles
Know That No One is Silent
Though Many Are Not Heard
Work To Change This


Add comment March 30, 2008

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