ecociao !
TRY DIY . Cleaners made from common ingredients like vinegar , baking soda and lemon are effective , affordable and avoid swamping our waterways with toxic materials . Vita Health Fresh Market ’ s website lists recipes for cleaning solutions and sells the supplies needed to make them . ■ myvita . ca
BUY BIODEGRADABLE . Ensure those suds going down the drain ( and into our rivers , lakes and oceans ) are safe . Humboldt ’ s Legacy sells several lines of biodegradable cleaning supplies , shampoos and hand soaps , and offers the option to refill bottles onsite . ■ humboldtslegacy . com
USE COTTON OR HEMP RAGS . Microfibre cloths are a major part of plastic pollution . When washed , they release tiny synthetic fibres into the waterways which accumulate in the food chain and end up on our plates . Repurpose old T-shirts or buy a cotton cleaning rag from 8 O ’ Clock Crafts .
■ Find at forkstradingcompany . com
DECLUTTER AND DONATE . Go one step beyond tidying up and recycle or donate what ' s lying around unused . Mother Earth Recycling offers
mattress , box spring and electronic waste pickup and drop off from homes and businesses . Bring old batteries and light bulbs to IKEA for free recyling and , if you buy a new IKEA mattress , the Swedish store will arrange to pick up and recycle your old one . The Manitoba Association for Resource Recovery Corp ’ s 76 EcoCentres collect used oil and filters . ■ motherearthrecycling . ca ; ikea . com / ca / en ; usedoilrecycling . com / en / mb
STOP LITTERING . Cigarettes are the most littered item on Earth , leaching toxins and accounting for almost 38 per cent of all collected litter . Sadly , disposable masks discarded on the sidewalk are rivalling that number . Plastic bottles won ’ t decompose for one million years but can be recycled in 8-10 weeks . Recycle Everywhere makes it convenient to do our part , providing bins for bottles in public spaces , free educational programing and even an app that rewards recycling with cash prizes .
■ recycleeverywhere . ca
Photography : Courtesy recycleeverywhere . ca , IKEA
REPAIR YOUR CLOTHES . Sew the button back on , replace the zipper , darn the socks and hem the pants ! Not handy with a needle and thread ? Find both a cobbler and a tailor to patch things up . S . A . Stitch Palace mends and alters wedding dresses , formal wear , jeans , jackets and even swimwear . The Leather Patch has been repairing shoes and leather goods like luxury handbags and belts since 1929 . ■ stitchpalace . ca ; 415 Academy Rd .
BUY BULK AND PACKAGE-FREE . Consider how much plastic comes with each shopping spree . BYOC ( bring your own container ) to stock up on hair and body products and home cleaning solutions from Refill Zerowaste Market . Opt out of pantry plastic too by refilling Frescolio bottles with gourmet olive oil and vinegar and Wolseley Kombucha growlers with bubbles on tap . ■ refillmarket . ca ; frescolio . ca ; wolseleykombucha . com
SCOUT OUT SECOND-HAND . Treasures at a bargain await in thrift and consignment stores . Habitat for Humanity ReStores accept building products to resell at reduced prices , saving 1.5 million pounds of reusable materials from landfills . Redeemed Consignment provides a curated collection of premium gently or never worn apparel .
■ habitat . mb . ca / en / restore ; shopredeemed . ca
ciao ! / may / jun / two thousand twenty-one 19