Green Deal

February 25th, 2011

Green Deal 101 – Composting

Did you know that kitchen waste makes up some 30% of household waste in Canada? Or that the methane created when these organics decompose in a landfill can be 20 times as potent a greenhouse gas as CO2? The good news is, organics are not really garbage. Most of this waste can be easily converted to rich, healthy soil. That’s composting. And it’s one of the best things you can do to cut waste and regenerate the soil.

If you have a back yard, or even a balcony, it’s relatively easy to get a composter going. Many municipalities sell them and some have special seasonal discounts. Composting right in the kitchen is also possible with a worm composter, but it takes a bit more dedication and care.

The composting process is pretty straightforward. You put in uncooked fruit and vegetable peelings, grass clippings, leaves, stale bread, eggshells, teabags, straw, coffee grounds and even dryer lint. Bacteria, fungi, microorganisms and worms turn it all into a dark, earthy, soil-like substance that actually smells rather fresh.

It’s important for a compost pile to have the right combination of ingredients and that it contain the right level of moisture. There are some good resources online where you can get specific information on compost content and maintenance.

Some municipalities , including most of Lower Mainland Vancouver, even have pick-up programs for compost, along with yard waste. Here is a link to information on the Vancouver program.
London Drugs also has some products that make composting a lot handier, like the Bag to Earth cellulose-lined compostable paper bags (a great choice for municipal programs) and the SureClose Food Scraps Container.

So whether you do it yourself or use a local municipal program, it’s a good idea to dig into composting.

Where to find out more:

City of Vancouver Food Scraps Collection Program
‘Here’s the Dirt’ PDF on composting from Metro Vancouver
‘Here’s the Dirt’ PDF on WORM composting from Metro Vancouver
Winter composting in Calgary
City of Saskatoon Composting

February 16th, 2011

Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, LED lights, recycling and other bright ideas.

By now you may have heard that the government is phasing out the old incandescent light bulb. In fact, retailers can no longer buy incandescents 75 watts and higher to stock shelves. That leaves most of us looking at Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL’s) or LED bulbs as a replacement. So what IS a CFL anyway? How does it differ from LED? What about recycling old bulbs, and the mercury content? We set out to answer these questions with another Green Deal video. (Spoiler alert: Yes you CAN recycle CFL’s at London Drugs!)

If you want to know more, here are a few links to some online information:
GE has a great FAQ page on CFL’s:
http://www.gelighting.com/na/home_lighting/ask_us/faq_compact.htm
Here’s an info page from Health Canada, including information on how to clean up a broken CFL: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/prod/cfl-afc-eng.php

February 7th, 2011

This cup can make every coffee you drink greener.

I often wonder why more plastic products aren’t made with recycled material. So when I see a product on the London Drugs shelves that is not only made from 100% recycled plastic, but contains 25% post-consumer waste and is STILL certified as food-grade, I have to tip my hat.
Such is the promise of the Sustain® coffee mug by Aladdin. The simple and recyclable paper-wrap label promises to ‘Add a little green to my morning’, then explains, in clear terms, the benefits of this cup: fully recyclable where #5 plastic is collected (Nice that they make the distinction, as not all municipalities make it easy to bring in that particular plastic); BPA Free; and a link to the aladdinsustain website to find out more.
Unfortunately, as of publication time, that web site seems to be unavailable. I did some digging on the main Aladdin website and found a page describing their ECYCLE® plastic. Not much more to be learned there (I really wanted to find out where they source their post-consumer recycled plastic stock) but they did post an address to send your cup for recycling when you are done with it. That info could have been printed on the cup itself for easier reference, but the thought still counts.
In all, a decent recycled product and one that other plastic manufacturers could learn from.
Stay tuned for updates on the plastic source. In the meantime, grab a coffee.

January 14th, 2011

Join our Mobile Device / Phone Photo Contest

London Drugs – Campbell River will be hosting its first ever Mobile Devices Photo Contest!

This contest is for anyone who has access to ANY mobile device (phone, PDA, iPod, etc.) that has the capability to capture still photographs.

The rules are simple, capture as many cool, captivating and memorable images with your mobile device as possible then submit a maximum of 5 entries per person via twitter. Submissions will begin being accepted on Friday, January 14th.

You are only allowed to send un-edited images or images that were edited with software/Apps available for use on your mobile device. Remember, a solid image will stand out regardless of how cool the effect is you have applied with any App.

All submissions must be sent to our @LDCampbellRiver account and include the hash tag: #LDMobilePhoto no later than midnight, January 21st, 2011.

The week following we will put all the entries in front of a panel of judges that is comprised of some of our photo lab staff, along with 3 photo industry professionals.

The winning photo will receive a ‘to be announced’ prize.

January 14th, 2011

5 Resolutions for a greener New Year

The turkey is gone, and you’re working the stuffing off at the gym. So while you are in that righteous resolving mood, why not set a few green intentions while you’re at it?

1. Go for the short-term pain / long-term gain of rechargeable batteries
The price looks steeper at the till, but get out the calculator and rechargeables win every time.
Until January 31 2011, Energizer rechargeables are on sale at London Drugs for $14.99 / 4-pack. Compare this to 8 single-use batteries at say, $13.99. According to my C+ high-school math, that means each rechargeable costs $3.75 and each single-use is about $1.75. So if you recharge them just 3 times you are ahead of the game. Recharge them 10 times and your per-battery-use cost is reduced by over 400%.

2. Set up a Recycling Zone at home.
Choose a drawer, cupboard or part of a closet and print out & post the London Drugs list of recyclables somewhere nearby. Then store up your recyclables, from batteries to compact fluorescent bulbs to cel phones, and bring them in on your next visit to London Drugs. And remember, if you buy electronics or small appliances at London Drugs, you can bring back your old ones for free recycling with your receipt.

3. Bring Back the Pack
You can bring back packaging on everything you buy at London Drugs. So do it! Put the packaging, (including the dreaded Styrofoam!) with your receipt in your Recycling Zone and drop it off at Customer Service next time you visit the store.

4. Compost your organic waste
In my region (Metro Vancouver), a recent study showed organics, such as food scraps, accounted for 40% of residential waste. As this organic waste degrades in landfills, it generates methane – a powerful greenhouse gas which traps
about 20 times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. But if this same waste is put into a backyard or kitchen composter, it can easily be turned into rich fertilizer. It does take a little more effort to keep uncooked food scraps separate and feed them to your pet worms, but products like the Sure-Close food scrap container help a lot. Contact your local municipality and see if they offer organic waste pickup or have deals on composters for homeowners.

5. Learn a bit about the Supply Chain for products you buy.
The Supply Chain is a system of organizations, technology, activities and resources involved in moving a product from supplier to customer. And the choices made here can have a huge impact. For instance, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive (RoHS) is a European standard that restricts the use of six chemicals in the manufacture of electronics: Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Hexavalent chromium, Polybrominated biphenyls and Polybrominated diphenyl ether. London Drugs’ electronics buyers work very hard to make sure as many of the electronics they sell as possible are RoHS compliant. So look for ingredients. Surf the web. Ask at the store. You don’t need to go for a PhD, but the Supply Chain can be important to your health as well as that of the planet.

Above all, remember that sustainability is a journey. Every little bit you do helps, so take the steps you can, feel good about them, and make each year a little greener than the last.

That’s the real Green Deal!

December 20th, 2010

What do you get at the last minute for the person who has everything green?

Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate
These bars are so stylish you don’t even need to wrap them. Try the mint-filled bar for a classic festive flavour, or the 85% cocoa version for the true dark chocolate connoisseur. If you can’t decide, go for the Mini Bar Collection. One bar a month for the whole year. Or 12 hours of outright green gluttony.

Fair Trade, Organic Coffee
London Drugs has a great selection of certified brands – Saltspring, Ethical Bean, Farmers First, Kicking Horse – from decaf to high-test. Not sure what the difference is with Fair Trade? Check out our video on Ethical Bean.

Batteries Included
Whoever is on your list, chances are they have something that runs on batteries. Rechargeables are definitely the way to go. Do the math and you’ll see that they really are much cheaper than disposables (as long as you don’t accidentally dispose of them, of course) and newer technology means they last a long time and power even high-energy devices like digital cameras. Remember you can bring old rechargeables and regular alkaline cells back to us for responsible recycling.

The Tea Room Organic Green Earl Grey Tea Infused Dark Chocolate
Organic tea is nice. Organic tea-infused chocolate is luxurious. The flavour is delicate and different. Perfect for the tea-lover on your list who is probably tired of getting nothing but teas.

Que Pasa Organic Corn Tortilla Chips
Okay, this is actually more of a holiday snack idea. These Que Pasa Tortilla Chips are really good, certified organic and are cooked in non-GMO pressed canola oil. They even come in a festive red corn version that will look great on the table next to the green holly centerpiece. And what the heck – you could give them as a gift… a big crunchy gift.

Planet Earth DVD
This is an amazing 4-disc series, shot in HD, available in DVD or Blu-ray 550 minutes of some of the most amazing scenery and animals our planet has to offer, narrated by David Attenborough. It’s the green equivalent of watching football all Christmas day.

Panasonic VIERA 58-Inch 1080P Plasma TV
Perhaps not as green as a pair of organic cotton fair-trade boxer briefs, but even the most ardent environmentalist would be secretly happy to see this behemoth flat box under the tree. The Panasonic VIERA 58-Inch mercury and lead-free screen panel lasts up to 100,000 hours. (That’s 10,917 straight viewings of the entire Planet Earth DVD set) And of course, since you bought it from London Drugs, your green giftee can bring back all the packaging, including styrofoam, and even their old fat-screen for free responsible recycling. Just make sure you give them the receipt to show at customer service. You can always black out the price if you want to keep this 58″ gift discreet.

December 10th, 2010

A great case for protecting your notebook while helping build a village in Guatemala.

We posted a Green Deal video a while back about the great fair-trade organic coffee from Ethical Bean. Now, just in time for Christmas, they have branched out with beautiful hand-made cases from Guatemala – perfect for iPads, notebooks or just toting around.
It all started when Ethical Bean founder & President Lloyd Bernhardt was shopping in a local market on one of his frequent trips to Guatemala, and noticed a hand-crafted case that was a perfect fit for his iPad. He realized it would be a great product with which to raise money for Project Somos, a village Ethical Bean is helping to build for abandoned and orphaned children. Bernhardt and his team are hoping to raise $1.2 Million, which will eventually fund a self-sufficient village with a school, organic gardens, and coffee testing and roasting facilities to help provide income.
The bags themselves are delightfully colourful and sturdy. The handmade texture is a great contrast to the high tech feel of the iPad, and each is made at a women’s co-op near Tectan Guatemala, with no sweat-shop labour.
Of course, these are available at London Drugs. So for the tech-savvy person with a heart-of-gold on your list, why not pick up one of these handy totes and spread a little more warmth to the season.

December 1st, 2010

Pack it a bit greener this Christmas.

So you’ve shopped London Drugs for some fair trade, organic and local goodies for your family, and what the heck; maybe some fun techno gadgets as well. (Life’s a balance, after all) Now you’re looking for a greener choice to protect your treasures until they arrive at their appointed hearth.
One option is to pack them in a Hilroy Biodegradable Bubble Envelope. On the paper side, it’s made of FSC-certified 60% recycled fiber that contains 50% post-consumer waste material. Inside, the oh-so-fun-to-pop bubblewrap is made from oxo-biodegradable plastic, which is designed to break down after its usable lifespan. (It will begin to degrade in as little as 24 months, according to the manufacturer – you can read more on oxo-biodegradable plastics on Wikipedia) As an added bonus, these envelopes are also a product of Canada, which means your shipping package hasn’t already been shipped from overseas.
Choose from 4”x 8”, 6”x10” and 8.5”x12” sizes depending on how naughty or nice your recipients have been. Be sure to let them know they have 24 months to send you something back or pop all the bubbles.

November 24th, 2010

Thanks to granola-eaters, New World is sending $4000 to help Flood victims in Pakistan.

A few months back, we asked you to stock up during New World Granola’s Pakistan Flood Relief program. (See the original video blog here) As a result, the 50¢ a bag that manufacturer New World Natural Foods set aside for the Red Cross came to a tidy $4000. That’s a nice way for a lot of people to help a little and have it really add up. Thanks, Green Deal fans!

November 19th, 2010

Lead in reusable shopping bags? Getting to the bottom of the issue.

According to recent news stories, certain reusable shopping bags have been found to contain lead, some in levels higher than government standards.
The bags in question were the type with full-coverage printed graphics, not the single-colour style used by London Drugs, but this is obviously an issue worth looking into. London Drugs has contacted their bag supplier and asked them to report back on what, if any, heavy metals are present. They have also sent out a sample of the bags to a local lab for independent testing.
It should be noted that the main concerns about lead content in packaging relate to their eventual disposal in landfills more than human contact. Yet lead is quite common, and can be found throughout the environment in soil, indoor and outdoor air, water, consumer products and food. In fact, Health Canada goes on to say, “”Zero-lead” content limits for consumer products are not realistic because trace amounts of lead are found everywhere in the natural and human environments.”
So stay tuned for any updates, we’ll be watching the bag situation as it unfolds.
And that’s the real Green Deal.

Green Deal 101 – Composting

Compact Fluorescent Bulbs, LED lights, recycling and other bright ideas.

This cup can make every coffee you drink greener.

Join our Mobile Device / Phone Photo Contest

5 Resolutions for a greener New Year

What do you get at the last minute for the person who has everything green?

A great case for protecting your notebook while helping build a village in Guatemala.

Pack it a bit greener this Christmas.

Thanks to granola-eaters, New World is sending $4000 to help Flood victims in Pakistan.

Lead in reusable shopping bags? Getting to the bottom of the issue.

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