Wrap rage - how to reduce packaging for a more eco-friendly home

Choosing products with less packaging is a way to support companies that are more eco-minded.

Have you ever experienced “wrap rage”, that feeling of extreme frustration when trying to open a new purchase that is secured in the Fort Knox of packaging? It isn’t limited to those of us challenged to open the packages on children’s toys, all manner of products, edible and otherwise are heavily packaged – over packaged some might say – and it takes a good pair of kitchen scissors and a dose of patience to open them.

Shop outside the box for eco-friendly gift giving

Supporting local, independent shops is an enjoyable way to keep your Christmas shopping eco friendly. 

Uptown Saint John has a great ad campaign running right now. It’s called “Shop outside the box” which I think is a clever way to remind people that they can find unique gifts for family and friends at a variety of independent retailers in uptown Saint John.

I prefer to support local businesses throughout our region during the Holiday shopping season. I find that shopping in small, local stores keeps the joy in Holiday shopping, making it a pleasurable event rather than a chore.

Personal preference aside, buying local keeps four-times more of our shopping dollars in our communities, compared to shopping at chain stores. It’s a way to invest in our community and to grow our economy.

Shopping “outside the box” can have an eco slant too.

Considering the environment when you’re choosing gifts is a way to lower the carbon footprint of the Holidays while giving meaningful gifts that can be put to good use.

Gift certificates:

We love to give gift certificates to Imperial Theatre, Harbour Station events, or local restaurants. It’s a nice way to treat the recipient to a night out. Or you can make a donation to a local charity in someone’s name.

If you prefer to give something that’s more wrap able here are a few more ideas, large and small, that are fun, practical and ecofriendly.

• If you know someone who is a fan of good quality dark chocolate give them a stack of organic, fair trade chocolate bars wrapped with a pretty bow. This premium chocolate is pricier than your average bar so can be a sweet treat.

• For the coffee lover – a pound of best quality coffee beans and a handmade mug makes a great gift. (Java Moose and Beamer’s Creek coffee is roasted locally, Just Us! Coffee is roasted in Nova Scotia).

• A basket of specialty food is another unique gift that the recipient can put to good use, especially during the Holidays.  Markets and many specialty shops carry a great variety of gourmet products, homemade and otherwise. Or you could fill a basket with your own homemade treats.

• Almost everyone could use an eco-friendly electronics charger. The Green Zero charger uses zero stand-by power and shuts off the power supply to a device when it’s fully charged, so you don’t need to worry about wasting power when you recharge overnight.

• Soda Stream is a simple home system for carbonating tap water. It's a countertop gadget with CO2 cartridges that are refillable (at Sears, Staples). Carbonate to your liking -- lots of bubbles or few -- and nix the cans and bottles of mineral water and club soda. (It takes about three litres of water to create one litre of bottled water and about 250 ml of oil -- includes oil used to make the bottle and gas to ship the filled bottle.)

Whatever gifts you choose to give, considering the impact your shopping can have on your community, and the environment, is another way to make your shopping, and the Holiday season, meaningful.

Why GMO labeling is good for consumers

There have been no clinical studies to determine if GMOs are even safe for human consumption. GMO labeling let's consumers decide if they want to take that risk.

Do you find yourself reading food labels more often, curious to see what is, or isn’t, in some of the packaged food in your cupboard? There’s a general trend towards label reading because people want to know what’s in their food, and why wouldn’t we?

This food trend is at the heart of a battle being waged south of the border about GMO labeling of foods, the results of which have the potential to impact our grocery stores too. Although GMO labelling is non-existent in Canada, momentum in the U.S. could influence legislation here.

In the meantime Health Canada considers GMO foods safe for human consumption.

Never mind that 64 other countries around the world restrict or ban GMOs. It begs the question: What do they know that we don’t?

Reasons why you should test your home for radon

I have been wondering why radon isn’t on the radar of New Brunswickers. According to a Health Canada study released in 2012, New Brunswick homes have the highest radon levels in the country yet you don’t hear much about it.

But across the border in Maine, my brother routinely tests clients’ homes for radon because public awareness of the dangers of the gas in homes is high.

That 2012 Health Canada study found that almost 25% of the New Brunswick homes participating in the cross-Canada study had radon levels above the Health Canada guidelines of 200 Bq/m3. When the data was sifted by population the study concluded that 20% of New Brunswickers live in homes with radon concentrations above the Health Canada guidelines.

What’s the worry?

• Exposure to radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer.
• It’s estimated that 10% of lung cancer deaths in NB are associated with radon exposure.
• If you’re a smoker and live in a home with radon concentrations are higher than the Health Canada guidelines the odds are not in your favour.
• If you’re not a smoker but are exposed to a high level of radon your lifetime lung cancer risk is 1 in 20.

Is beef fed growth hormones safe to eat? Likely not.

Did you know Canadian beef cattle are fed growth hormones? Six growth hormones approved by Health Canada are used by the beef industry to help beef cattle grow bigger faster. Administering hormones (three natural and three synthetic) allows the beef industry to raise beef more cheaply and helps to keep beef prices low for consumers.

But is cheap beef worth it?

Raising the bar - why fair trade organic chocolate is good for you and the planet



Chocolate certified fair trade and organic has environmental and social benefits.

I love good chocolate, intensely-flavoured dark bars in particular. I keep the cupboard stocked with what my kids call “Mommy chocolate” and dole it out a couple of squares at a time. I buy 70 percent or higher cocoa content and consider it a health food as much as I do a treat since there is a lot about dark chocolate that is good for you, and a little bit goes a long way.

I do wonder about what makes chocolate “good.” There is a social and environmental cost to cocoa bean farming and those effects are worsening as the world’s appetite for chocolate continues to grow. According to Mars Chocolate, the demand for cocoa will outstrip global supply (by one million tons) by 2012. Canadians eat, on average, 5.5 kg of chocolate per person each year (Source: Fair Trade Canada).

8 tips to improve indoor air quality

It used to be that cooking aromas made their way from the kitchen to our bedroom. It was kind of nice if I was baking molasses cookies but not so great if I cooked haddock for supper. I knew that inhaling cooking fumes wasn’t great so last winter we installed a new range hood that vents to the outside and now our bedroom just smells like our dog.

Cooking fumes are just one of the many issues with indoor air quality that most of us live with, without understanding the consequences.

Are new clothes toxic? 4 tips to avoid chemical residue

New clothes are coated with a variety of chemicals to keep them looking crisp.

Late August is likely one of the busiest clothes shopping times of the year. It’s a tradition in many households to get a pile of new back-to-school clothes and even people who aren’t heading to school get in the shopping mode as we approach a new season.

Before you dress your kids, and yourself, in your brand new, never-been-washed clothes, you might like to toss everything in the wash first. And then put them through the wash again. And then again.

Here’s why...

Green routine – 7 healthy habits for you and the planet

7 healthy habits for you and the planet:

September is a good time to start new habits. Because a sense of routine resumes after Labour Day you might be able to slide some healthy changes into your everyday routine without much trouble. If you’re open to this notion, here is a September checklist to consider:

Zero trash goal - know your local recycling guidelines



You might be surprised what can and can't go in the recycling bin. Learn your local do's and don't so you're recycling everything possible.

The curbside recycling discussion has been on the table for a few years now in Rothesay but only recently have discussions turned to the idea of a regional curbside recycling strategy.

As the Fundy Solid Waste Commission contemplates a $4-million investment to replace the roadside blue bins it makes sense to see where municipalities in the region stand on curbside recycling programs.

Being able to put recyclables to the curb every two weeks should improve recycling participation, which has leveled off over the past couple of years.

Aim for zero curbside trash and you'll get pretty close

Recycling can cut your household trash nearly in half and composting can knock off another 40%. Curbside recycling can do wonders for recycling participation.