Update on Zero Waste Dental Care
April 4, 2021Your average commercial toothpaste has a few issues. One, it is filled if a plastic tube made with multiple layers of different plastics, making it impossible to recycle it. Second, even though toothpaste is rinse only, commercial toothpastes often contain a range of chemicals such as fluoride, triclosan, carrageenan, sodium lauryl sulphate that are not…
Sustainable Socks
March 1, 2021In 2020, some of my socks and tights actually had so many holes that they could no longer be repaired. While I always go for second hand items when I can, socks and underwear are more of a challenge. Therefore, where to find socks, or more specifically, sustainable socks? And what does sustainable actually mean for…
New year, new goal: Low Buy Challenge
February 1, 2021How have you been coping with the COVID pandemic? I admit that I have been having a hard time and my 2020 consumption reflects that. Retail therapy, even secondhand, is not good for the environment. I ended up buying 27 items of clothing, including two linen dresses, three cashmere sweaters, two pairs of jeans, two…
Slow Furniture: Interview with Mireille Granger
January 12, 2021While most of you are already aware of the negative effects of fast fashion on the environment, have you considered the impact of its equally evil sister, fast furniture? Much like fast fashion, fast furniture is mass produced, low cost and generally poor quality, which means it ends up in landfill more quickly. Like many…
My Slow Journey to Minimalism
November 22, 2020While I have embraced zero waste living, my journey to minimalism has been a little bit more of a challenge. Just like for my clothes, my greatest fear is that I won’t have enough. I think that owning extra of things is like a security blanket for me. Having more brings me comfort. Also,…
Sustainable Online Shopping
September 13, 2020Did you know that there are approximately 100 billion garments produced each year? Since there are only about 8 billion people on the planet, this means that there are far too many garments being made. Since fashion is the number two most polluting industry for the environment, the best thing that we can do as…
Reducing Waste in a COVID 19 World
June 30, 2020COVID 19 is part of our daily reality and it will be for a while. It has certainly changed the way we live and work. We have to physically distance and wash our hands all the time. We have to wear masks when we know that we will be within 2 m of other people.…
Zero Waste in the Time of COVID-19
March 23, 2020I couldn’t help but make a not so veiled reference to Gabriel Garcia Marquez. With COVID-19 upon us, life has changed in many ways, especially for someone buying things in bulk. On March 5th, Bulk Barn stopped accepting containers. I went to Bulk Barn on the 6th and was given the announcement. The woman behind…
New Bulk Stores I am loving
February 23, 2020You know that old expression, when one door closes, another opens? Well it came to mind when I went to my favorite shop to buy olive oil, Joie d’Olives in Pointe Claire village and found that it was closing. I came home empty handed but with the resolve to look for a place to buy…
Homemade Candles
February 3, 2020Like my friend Sandy used to say, I am turning into a pyromaniac in my old age. I love candles! Nothing compares to the soft and soothing lighting emanating from a freshly lit candle, particularly during the cold and dark winter months. I have been buying my candles from Ikea but while the price has…