Living plastic free – ever thought about it? Is it possible? Young Canadian entrepreneurs have stepped up, and now your bathroom, laundry room and kitchen as well as the rest of your house can be free from plastic containers; even much of your food no longer needs to be wrapped in plastics.
Here is a list of On-line companies; all Canadian in production and design; and no plastic containers.
BIRCH BABE: Canadian made skin care. Two locations in Victoria to buy their products. See Store Locator on their website.
THE BARE HOME: Home Care Products; no Store Locator STARS for selling samples to try the product out before buying larger amounts.
CHANGE TOOTHPASTE: Bamboo and non-plastic toothbrushes and accessories. No Store Locator.
Etee (Everything Touches Everything Else): Hair; Bath and Body products; Dental; Dishwashing and
Food Storeage. No Store Locator
GOOD JUJU: Skin and Hair Care; Laundry. Store Locator. 9 stores in Victoria selling some of their products.
MYNI: Personal products; Household cleaning; Babies and Kids products plus spray bottles made from Wheat Grass. Store Locator with 4 Victoria locations selling some of their products.
NORWEX CANADA: A Norwegian company selling cleaning cloths (micro fibre); high quality. Sell through consultants and you can find them through the website.
OLA BAMBOO: Bamboo toothbrushes including a Philip’s Sonicare electric toothbrush and replacement heads. No Store Locator
OLD SOUL SOAP: As it says SOAP plus a few other other items.
TANIT BOTANICALS: Body and Toothcare; all packaging biodegradeable in the garbage or compost.
THE UNSCENTED COMPANY: no scents - some plastic containers.
Remember – businesses will bring in what you want to buy. Speak to grocery store managers about what you want to see on the shelves; put in requests for the store to supply products that are free of plastic packaging. When one voice becomes two; two becomes four until they cannot ignore the call of hundreds of people asking for change.
RIDDING YOUR KITCHEN & FOODS OF PLASTICS:
Replace plastic vegetable bags with cotton or net bags
Use either regular bowls; pyrex storage containers but don’t use the plastic lids or empty food such as pickle jars to store leftovers. Replace those lids with tin foil; beeswax covers, or fabric ones. See my samples.
Use fabric bags; Use old washable fabrics to make your own such as using old blue jeans to make bags; buy them from places like The Root Cellar. The other big grocery stores sell bags that are made of plastic and while they are multiple use they are still plastic. .
When buying from the deli ask them to wrap the meat or cheese in paper – no plastic bags.; Save On Foods uses butcher paper in their deli.
Wrap sandwiches in bags made of paper; wrap in beeswax heets or cloth sandwich bags (these are lined with a rubber type of material to keep food fresh as are the fabric bowl covers. Put snacks in these sandwich bags.
Windows and Mirrors: Use Norwex Glass cloth – Use only hot water and these cloths and you will see a huge difference with the use of only water and no chemicals or plastic. They are truly amazing.
ECO FRIENDLY BUSINESSES IN VICTORIA:
ZERO WASTE EMPORIUM: 1728 Douglas Street
It is a bring your own or borrow containers to put your product in. They take on-line orders and deliver orders.
THE GOOD PLANET: 764 Fort Street
Eco friendly products from lunch kits; water bottles, mattresses and pillows; vege bags; always
bringing in new products. Fun place to nose around in – never know what you will find. Knowledgeable and personable staff.
NEZZA NATURALS: Hillside Mall
Personal, Skin and Hair Care; all containers are either glass or aluminum.
NOT RECOMMENED FOR PEOPLE WITH PEANUT OR NUT ALLERGIES as some products
contain exotic oils that are processed in plant also processing peanuts and nuts. I found the staff very knowledgeable and willing to go the extra mile with customer service.
List of Victoria Stores that sell some items from Birch Babe; Good Juju; Myni and Tanit:
Fijian Sun; 411 Conway Road Westcoast Refill; 1319 Broad Street
The Good Planet; 764 Fort Street Market on Yates
Mother Nature’s Market; 240 Cook Streeet Nicholas Randall
Ash Refillery; 101 – 200 Cook Street
Bell General; 846 Fort Street
Errant Empire
Lifestyle Markets
Luna Collective
- Merle Campbell
Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash