Sustainable Living
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4 Reasons Not to Use Plastic Cobwebs for your Halloween Decorations this year
Halloween can be such a fun holiday with it’s spooky and sometimes over the top decorations. I have family members that set up everything from skeletons to werewolves. The trouble with Halloween decorations is that some of them, like the plastic cobwebs that people put up in their yards, can be detrimental to our planet. Reasons not to use plastic cobwebs in your yard I understand how these plastic cobwebs can feel like a great addition or backdrop to a Halloween decorations display, but the environmental impact of a temporary decoration is worth considering before putting them up. Here are a few reasons not to use plastic cobwebs in your…
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Discovering Vancouver’s Zero Waste Ambassador Program
On my walks around Vancouver I had been seeing advertisements for becoming a Zero Waste Ambassador. It took a few weeks of walking by the same sign for me to be curious enough, but eventually I went to the website to see what it was all about. I think my initial thought when I saw the signage that it was going to be a meaningless promotion where you commit to doing a weekly zero waste task with no accountability or something like that. Instead, it is quite an intensive program designed as a way to divert waste to reusable and recyclable streams. What is Vancouver’s Zero Waste Ambassador Program? Vancouver’s…
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Fall kitchen reset: Save money and reduce food waste
Fall is a time when we start spending less time outside and I start looking around the house and making plans to declutter and reset. Settling into routines often involves spending more time cooking at home as we get ready for the colder months ahead. While a kitchen clear-out sounds more like something to be procrastinated than planned for, it’s one of those jobs that can have surprisingly useful results such as getting organized, rediscovering forgotten food, and saving money on groceries. It’s not necessary to spend the weekend on clearing out the kitchen – a few simple steps can make a big difference! Start with the pantry Begin with…
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Discovering Vancouver’s Tool Library and Where you can Find Your Own Local Tool Library
I was recently out for lunch in a new-to-me neighbourhood and stumbled across the Vancouver Tool Library. As I’d just been talking about some DIY renovations and tasks that would involve tools I don’t own, this was quite a welcome find! I wrote a couple of weeks ago about how my life has become more sustainable by moving to the city and a find like the Vancouver Tool Library is definitely another thing to add to that list. What is a Tool Library? A tool library is a similar concept to the book libraries we are familiar with. It is a place where you can borrow tools with a membership.…
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Sustainable Lifestyle Ideas for Starting Fresh as the Seasons Change
Heading towards the end of August, feeling the crispness to evening air, and seeing the occasional leaf change colour are all reminders that we’re about to head into a new season. Changing seasons can be a great time to reflect on how things are going and what we would like to bring into our new season. This can apply to every area of our life, even our sustainable lifestyle choices. Sustainable Lifestyle Motivations to take with you at the Change of Seasons If you are feeling reflective like I am, here are some thoughts and questions to consider as we embrace the incoming fall season. They may not feel explicitly…
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6 Ways our Lives Became More Sustainable by Moving to the City
To say I’ve had a major life change in the last month is an understatement. I recently bought my first home and moved right into downtown Vancouver. Major cities don’t come across as the most environmentally friendly places, but my life has become instantly more eco-friendly since moving here only a few weeks ago. Eco-Friendly Changes Resulting from our City Move While I knew there was going to be some immediate impact to our lifestyle moving to the middle of a city, I didn’t realize how immediate the sustainable lifestyle changes would be. Moving to a concrete jungle doesn’t scream sustainable lifestyle to me, but I was pleasantly surprised at…
