Author: Sandra Maki

Making my own Greek style yogurt

April 3, 2018 Off

As we move forward in this project, the challenges in terms of reducing our packaging are increasing.  At this point, most of the things that we are buy are in bulk or from specialty stores (butcher, cheese shop, bakery).  The only items being bought with packaging are:  pasta (in a cardboard box; recyclable), vegetable oil…

By Sandra Maki

Soap Making 101

March 29, 2018 Off

As part of this zero waste journey, I am experimenting.  Today, I took a soap making class.  I registered for the class in January when I wasn’t sure that I could find un-packaged soap.   Now I know that I can buy “naked” soap at the bulk store! I took the three-hour class at Noblessence on St-Denis…

By Sandra Maki

Not So Zero Waste Travel to Costa Rica

March 21, 2018 Off

Let’s be honest, travel is not a zero waste activity.   But as committed as I am to the cause, I still need to have fun. Our first foray into zero waste travel was during the recent March school break.  Our family of four headed to beautiful Costa Rica, which is nestled between Nicaragua and Panama,…

By Sandra Maki

On the Way to Zero Waste: The 5 Rs

March 12, 2018 Off

I recently had the privilege of talking about the 5 Rs of waste management at my workplace.  Our company, like many other companies, is interested in achieving “zero waste”  as it represents cost savings and shows the company is  a responsible corporate citizen.  I wanted to share the key points raised during this presentation as…

By Sandra Maki

Making my own toothpaste

February 13, 2018 Off

With Valentine’s Day upon us, having fresh breath is critical but I still want to reduce my packaging (of course).  This week, I decided to try to make my own toothpaste.  I found lots of recipes on line with varying levels of complexity.   I want something simple to make so that I will continue to…

By Sandra Maki