Welcome back to Sustainable Saturday! We hope you all had a wonderful week and that the changes in the weather lately haven’t been getting you down. We can’t wait for the wonderful days of warm sunshine and clear blue skies ahead. We also can’t be the only ones who are excited for all the outdoor farmer’s markets!
Today we are going to be sharing some of our favourite tips with you, dear reader, on being a better consumer! What does this mean? Well, it’s all the little ways that you can adapt your life to a more eco-friendly style while giving back to our planet (happy belated Earth day!). Grab some ice tea, and get ready to read our Top 5 list of the week!
Plants Over Animals:
Lettuce Veg Out
Reducing your meat consumption by even ONE day a week could have an impact (I try to avoid meat on Fridays!). But if you really want to give yourself and the planet a boost, experts agree that one great way to do this is to simply not eat animal products! Easier said than done if you’re a regular meat eater, but here’s a tip: start small and take baby steps! Switching to plant-based foods is a great way to do this. The above image shows a Plant-Based Burger Recipe from Lettuce Veg Out– showing rave reviews and serves 8 burger patties! Looks delicious!
Look for B-Corp:
Although companies don’t always have it, finding that B Corp Certification is an extra cherry on top in terms of demonstrating high environmental initiative! An assessment is required for anyone looking to gain B Corp as well as passing a risk review. And no one gets to skip out, there are no shortcuts! Multinational corporations also have a requirement to meet baseline standards. These companies are then legally required to be transparent about considering the impacts of their decisions on their workers, consumers and the environment.
Buy Secondhand:
Fast Fashion is largely to blame for the mass quantities of production and waste in the environment every year. The damaging effects include microplastic fibers in oceans, endangered marine life and more. A way to stop contributing to this mess is to simply buy second hand! Get yourself on over to your local vintage or second hand stores to not only reduce your carbon footprint as a customer, but find yourself some fashionable pieces for less!
This goes both ways, you know. If you have old or unused clothes, donate them! One man’s ‘trash’ is another’s treasure.
Beeswax Beeswax Beeswax!
Siempre Eco ($5.00)
Beeswax is a natural wax created by honey bees! Siempre Eco’s Beeswax Wraps are a great alternative to cling wraps. Don’t believe us? Our wraps are made with 100% organic and sustainably sourced beeswax, pine resin and jojoba oil, with the base cloth is 100% organic cotton (also locally sourced!). Both beeswax and pine resin have anti-bacterial properties so you don't have to worry about your food going stale any faster than using normal cling wrap.
The Beeswax Bar itself can be used to rejuvenate your beeswax wraps after their life cycle is over or to make new wraps using your own fabric!
1 bar makes = 2 large wraps or 4 medium wraps or 5 small wraps.
Pay Attention to Packaging:
The Canadian Government can back us up on this one! Paying attention to the packaging you receive, have and use doesn’t take much time and can have a bigger impact than you expected! Paper and plastic wrapped items can be later recycled, repurposed or composted, however not all types of plastic can be composted or recycled, so be aware of what you’re purchasing! If you want to take it a step further, consider buying from brands who also pay attention to the type of packaging they sell their products in. (Pssst: Siempre Eco does!)
