Green Deal

December 17th, 2018

Claudia’s Last-Minute Green Gift Guide

If, like Claudia, you have left a few holiday gifts until the last minute, and you have a green stocking to stuff, take heart. Here is a quick list of products that are a bit more sustainable and quick to pick up at your local London Drugs.

Eco-Tools Beauty Kits – With brush handles made from sustainable bamboo, packaging made from tree-free paper and a recyclable and reusable storage tin, the Warm Winter Glow Beauty Kit is a great gift for the sustainable fashionista. $19.99

Physicians Formula Non-Toxic Glamour Set – Featuring Organic Wear® 100% Natural Origin Makeup, 80% Organic Tinted Moisturizer and 70% Organic Mascara that is 100% free of harsh chemicals, parabens, synthetic preservatives, GMO’s and synthetic fragrances. It’s also cruelty-free.

Marathon Mechanical Clock – The ultimate analog gift for your hipster friends. 100% human-powered (wind-up) and grid-failure resistant. And it’s got a loud alarm. When it goes off, you WILL wake up. Comes in low-tech black or classic white.

Caprina Goat’s Milk Soap – These soaps are made with traditional saponification to gently cleanse skin. Produced from the milk of eccentric goats from a Canadian family-owned company in Ville St-Laurent Quebec.

Guardians of the Galaxy Chia Pet – OK, any Chia Pet is green, but the one that looks like Groot is, well… GROOT! Cardboard box, pottery head, seeds and fun. All sustainable, recyclable and green. (There is one piece of plastic in the box, but you can Bring Back the Pack so that’s recycled, too) Pick up in-store.

Organic Chocolate
London Drugs has a great selection of organic and Fair Trade chocolate sure to tempt any tree-hugging taste buds.

Green & Black’s – A Green Deal holiday classic. Organic, fair trade and available in a range of delicious varieties.

Pacari – This premium brand promises ‘organic chocolate from tree to bar’. USDA Organic, Vegan, Beyond Fair Trade and B-Corp Certified.

Zazubean – Certified Fair Trade, USDA Organic, not to mention vegan and Kosher. Also some of the best chocolate names in the business. (Nutbar, anyone?)

Theobroma – Certified organic, Fair Trade and Gluten-Free, by Quebec Chocolatier Vigneault. Nice stocking-stuffer stick size.

Green Magazines – The holidays are a great time to curl up with some sustainable reading, from healing herbs to vegan foods to solar heating plans. And they’re all recyclable (or burnable in a wood stove for heat) Visit the magazine section at your local London Drugs and browse for your special green someone. Fill out the subscription card for a gift that gives all year long. Pick up in-store.

Organic Coffee
For a true coffee aficionado, London Drugs has a great selection of organic and fair trade options.

Ethical Bean Coffee – Roasted in Vancouver, you can actually scan the code on each bag to see details on the origin and roast. Certified organic and fair trade.

Salt Spring Coffee – Orgainic and Fair Trade, they also support coffee farmers and communities with their Fair to Farmer Fund.

Commercial Drive Coffee – Here’s a local roast with a genuine East Van Vibe for the true hipster on your list. Certified Carbon Friendly and USDA Organic.

Kicking Horse Coffee – Roasted in the Kootenays for extra mountain flavour, this organic & Fair Trade blend is also available in a decorator tin just in time for the holidays.

Traditional Medicinals Organic Teas – A great gift for the long, cold winter season. Certified Canada Organic and available in a variety of flavours.

Stainless Steel Water Bottle Sustainable Gift

London Drugs Stainless Steel Double-Wall Water Bottle – Keeps drinks hot or cold for hours. Durable, stylish and ultimately recyclable.

PurEarth Eco Yoga Mat – Non Toxic, Latex, PVC & Chloride Free. Named one of Outside Magazine’s 12 Best Yoga Mats.

Burt’s Bees – A great green company. Even though they are owned by Clorox, this brand continues to impress with innovative natural products, low-waste packaging (check out their lipstick!) and a zero waste manufacturing facility.
Choose from lip balms, gift sets and even pet products.

Energizer Rechargeable Batteries and Charger – This is a green gift we recommend every year, because it keeps on giving. In fact, not only can you save money in the long run, you’ll also cut your battery waste by up to 75%

Wrap It All Up Sustainably!

London Drugs Seagrass Basket – It’s the gift box you can reuse all year long. Hand made from 100% natural materials. Comes in several sizes.

Adwood Pine Crate – Made from sustainably managed forests in BC, these crates look naturally good the way they are, and are also perfect for painting and decorating.

Be sure to let your giftees know that they can BRING BACK the PACK (including Styrofoam) from any London Drugs gifts, recycle old electronics and small appliances when they get new ones, and recycle beyond the Blue Box at their local store all year long.

Here’s to a Sustainable and Happy Holidays for all from your Green Deal Elves at London Drugs.

December 4th, 2018

Uncle Jack’s Top 10 things you should RECYCLE, not RE-GIFT.

As a reformed re-gifter, Uncle Jack knows it can be tempting to repurpose stuff that may be lying around. So here are his top 10 things you should ALWAYS recycle – by bringing them to your local London Drugs!

Old Televisions –Tube style TVs are heavy – that’s because the tubes contain lead. So always bring them in for responsible recycling. Just go to the customer service desk at your local London Drugs and they will let you know where to drop them off in the store. You can also bring in any broken or unwanted flat screens and computer monitors.

Computers – Besides being slow and outdated, old computers can still contain valuable data, even after you erase the drive. Recycle them at your London Drugs computer department and we make sure the drives are destroyed before they leave the store, and all electronics are processed into raw materials in Canada before shipping.

Printers – Just because it may still work, doesn’t mean its gift worthy. Bring your old printer,scanner or fax to the London Drugs computer department and our recycling elves will take care of it.

Cell Phones – These devices can also carry data, and contain valuable materials that should be repurposed. Drop them off, along with all extra cords and chargers, at your local London Drugs.

Your Old Stereo – From the outdated amplifier to the cassette deck that never did work that well, all old audio equipment can be recycled at London Drugs. How does that sound?

Small Appliances – Your hair dryer from 1986 and that blender that doesn’t crush ice any more make bad gifts, but good recycling. Any small appliance with a cord can be dropped off at London Drugs.

Light Bulbs – These would make strange stocking stuffers, indeed. Better to recycle all incandescents, CFLs, LEDs, and even fluorescent tubes up to 4 feet long, at – you guessed it – London Drugs. Oh, and we take Christmas lights, too.

Batteries – Maybe they work, a little bit. Maybe not. In any case, old batteries should NOT be included under the tree. Recycle them with us, along with button-style batteries, rechargeables, and even camera and computer batteries.

Smoke Alarms – OK, even Uncle Jack at his worst would not have re-gifted one of these. But we should mention that smoke alarms actually contain a tiny bit of radioactive material, and need to be disposed of properly. With us.

Styrofoam – No one wants a squeaky surprise in their stocking. Bring all your household styrofoam, from egg cartons to packaging to meat tray (rinsed!) and we will have it recycled into styrene plastic that can be used again.

Want to see what else you can recycle at London Drugs? Visit greendeal.ca to learn more.

November 2nd, 2018

This Daylight Savings, think BACON! Time to check your smoke alarms and recycle your old batteries at London Drugs.

People like bacon a lot more than maintaining smoke alarms! So at daylight savings time, while we fall back, think BACON! Test your smoke detectors, change the batteries and recycle at London Drugs. Not only does your local LD store take back all types of alkaline and rechargeable batteries, we can also safely recycle your old smoke alarm if it fails the test. (This is especially important as smoke alarms can actually contain small amounts of radioactive material)

So sleep in, then… have BACON! (Extra crispy!)

October 26th, 2018

August 10th, 2018

Sunscreen Safety – 5 Things You Need to Know

Sunscreen is one of those things we are supposed to apply liberally to our arms, legs, face and kids. … so what’s actually IN it? How does it work? Are some sunscreens ‘greener’ than others? Here’s a little summertime reading for anyone planning to protect themselves from the sun.

1. How sunscreen works: There are 2 types:

MINERAL sunscreen creates a layer of particles (zinc or titanium oxide) that deflect the sun’s rays.
• Effective immediately
• Does not degrade from UV exposure
• Does not penetrate the skin
• Also effective against UVA rays
• Safe for use in coral areas

CHEMICAL sunscreen uses compounds that absorb the sun’s rays and turn them into non-damaging wavelengths.
• Easy to apply, non-whitening
• Requires wait time to be effective
• Chemicals can penetrate skin
Chemicals degrade when exposed to UV
May harm coral reefs

2. Chemical Sunscreen Ingredients
Chemical sunscreens typically contain a combination of two to six of the following active ingredients:
oxybenzone
octinoxate
octisalate
octocrylene
homosalate
avobenzone

Recently, concerns have been raised about long-term safety of some of these ingredients, particularly oxybenzone (benzophenone-3 ) which, in addition to sun protection, acts as a penetration enhancer. This chemical has been linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cellular damage.
(Oxybenzone is present in over 500 other North American cosmetic items.) (1)

Watch the Spray!
Spray sunscreens have increased in popularity, but some experts don’t recommend them, because of the hazard of inhaling chemicals and particles. (2)

3.Look for Broad Spectrum Protection
The suns rays come in different lengths, and it’s a good idea to protect against them all.

UVA radiation
• Goes deeper into the skin (dermis).
• Causes premature aging and wrinkles.
• Causes tanning.

UVB radiation
• Affects the skin’s surface (epidermis).
• Contributes most to burning of skin.
• Damages your eyes. (5)

4. Is Higher SPF Better?

People assume that they get twice as much protection from SPF 100 sunscreen as from SPF 50. In reality, the extra protection may be negligible. Used correctly, sunscreen with SPF values in the range of 30 to 50 will offer adequate protection, even for people most sensitive to sunburn. (6)

UV protection does not follow a linear relationship, meaning that if you apply half of the recommended amount you get LESS than half of the labeled SPF protection.

5. Protect ecosystems and coral too – with biodegradable and Reef Safe options

25 to 60 million bottles worth of sunscreen wash off into coral reef areas each year, and researchers have found that common sunscreen chemicals can be toxic to coral health. (3)
Now Hawaii has passed a law that will ban the sale of sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate. Sunscreens with titanium oxide or zinc oxide, (natural mineral ingredients), have not been found harmful to corals. (4) If you are swimming in nature, choose one of these options.

Great Green Sunscreen Options
London Drugs is pleased to offer a range of sunscreen options. Here are some choices that protect as sustainably as possible:

Attitude Mineral Sunscreens
Mineral- based protection: Non-nano Zinc Oxide
Ecologo Certified™
Vegan, not tested on animals
UVA, UVB protection
Made in Canada

Aveeno Mineral & Aveeno Baby
Mineral based protection
UVA, UVB protection

Badger Sunscreens
Non-Nano Zinc Oxide Mineral Protection
Biodegradable
87% organic ingredients
UVA, UVB protection

Boo Bamboo Natural Sunscreen
Active ingredient: Zinc Oxide, Titanium Oxide
UVA, UVB protection
Made in Canada

Goddess Garden
Certified organic
Non-Nano, Reef Safe, Non-GMO, Biodegradable
Vegan, Cruelty Free, Paraben and Phthalate Free
UVA, UVB protection

Green Beaver
Non-nano zinc oxide and titanium oxide mineral protection
100% natural, biodegradable and reef friendly
Made in Canada
UVA, UVB protection

Neutrogena Sheer Zinc
Active ingredient: Zinc Oxide
UVA, UVB protection

LEARN MORE at greendeal.ca
Blogs, videos, articles & products to help you live a little greener.

Sources:

(1) Source: London Drugs Health Blog 2014 – http://healthblog.londondrugs.com/suncare-update-2014
(2) Source: Environmental Working Group Sunscreen Report 2017 – http://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/executive-summary/#.WW_md4qQxE5
(3) Environmental Working Group – Do the Chemicals in your sunscreen damage fragile coral reefs? – http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2016/07/do-chemicals-your-sunscreen-damage-fragile-coral-reefs#.WW_vvIqQxE4
(4) US National Park Service Bulletin – Protect Yourself, Protect the Reef! – https://cdhc.noaa.gov/_docs/Site%20Bulletin_Sunscreen_final.pdf
(5) Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation -http://www.canadianskincancerfoundation.com/sun-screen.html
(6) Environmental Working Group – What’s wrong with high SPF? – http://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/whats-wrong-with-high-spf/#.WW_054qQxE4

July 7th, 2018

Don’t just toss it! The London Drugs Recycling Zone is a Winner at Surrey Canada Day.

At one of BC’s biggest free family Canada Day events, folks had a chance to learn more about recycling and win some great prizes with the ‘Don’t Just Toss It’ game at London Drugs Recycling Zone. Canadians of all ages lined up to test their accuracy and see just how many recyclables they can bring back to their local store.

The London Drugs team, including Tammy Pearce and Terry Goodman, (pictured) helped handle the lineups and questions from people interested in reducing their waste.

London Drugs was also the sponsor of recycling stations set up all around the grounds, where employees from Green Chair recycling helped event goers separate their waste, diverting plastics, compost, containers and more from landfill.

Happy Canada Day to all, and thanks to everyone who went the extra mile to learn more about recycling and divert their event waste.

We hope to see you again at an event near you!

June 30th, 2018

Some Great Green Canadian Products For Your Canada Day

When July 1st arrives in all of its red and white splendour, Canadians have a lot to celebrate. Including some innovative and sustainable products that are designed and manufactured by companies right in our own back yard. Here are just a few of our favourites:

Que Pasa Organic Tortilla Chips and Salsa Made in sunny Delta BC, these chips are made from organic corn, ground with volcanic mill stones. Their salsa varieties are the perfect complement, for a weekend at the cabin or a party on your apartment balcony.

Nature’s Path Organic Cereals and Granola From humble roots, this BC-based company is now North America’s largest organic cereal producer. And they remain committed to the principles of organic farming, respect for the land and reducing waste. From Organic Steel Cut Oats to Love Crunch granola (with dark chocolate!) there are too many varieties to list here. Just pick one and dig in.

Earth Group Coffee The Earth Group is based in Edmonton Alberta, and through a worldwide agreement with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) donates 100% of their profits to WFP to fund school meal programs. That’s a coffee that’s pretty nice to wake up to.

London Orchards Pure HoneyAs a proud Canadian company ourselves, we are pleased to offer you this 100% Canadian honey, made by 100% Canadian bees. True Source Certified through the supply chain to the country of origin and the beekeeper that harvested the honey from the beehive.

London Naturals Organic Syrup What could be more Canadian, eh?

Green Beaver Shampoo, Toothpaste, Deodorant, Lip Balm and Sunscreen This family owned company created the first Canadian organic mineral sunscreen with the help of the National Research Council and is dedicated to using certified organic Canadian ingredients in their whole product line. And there’s a beaver on every label.

Bag-to-Earth Waste Bags Collect your food scraps right with these 100% Canadian, 100% Compostable bags. They contain no plastic, so they are compatible with the most municipal collection systems.

Nellie’s All Natural Products From their home base in North Vancouver, Nellie’s has been making biodegradable, non-toxic natural-ingredient based laundry and household cleaning products since before green was cool.

Sugar Sheet Copy Paper This forest-free ‘paper’ is the best alternative to not printing at all. Made from residue waste of sugar cane, this enterprise was started by a printing company in New Westminster, BC. Saving trees – now THAT’S the real Green Canadian Deal.

April 25th, 2018

London Drugs Saskatchewan Recognized for Waste Minimization – Congratulations!

It was a very rewarding evening for the hard working representatives of our four Saskatchewan stores, as they accepted the 2017 Saskatchewan Waste Minimization Award in the Corporation category.

At the award podium were Greg Hern – HR Manager, Environment from SaskTel, John Van Koll – London Drugs Store Manager, Sheandra Stewart – London Drugs Store Manager, and Dustin Duncan – Saskatchewan Minister of Environment.

Winning this award was no small feat. In 2017, Saskatchewan London Drugs stores diverted 455,753 lbs. of waste from landfill, including; 29,093 lbs. of electronics; 13,603 lbs of batteries; 54,039 lbs. of small appliances; 32,493 lbs of food donations; and 14,047 lbs of organic waste.

“I’m honoured to accept this award from the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction council.” said Sheandra Stewart, “I’m so proud tonight for London Drugs to be recognized for all we do at our stores and corporately, for the betterment of our planet, our staff and our customers.”

London Drugs has a long history in Saskatchewan and remains committed to our continued journey toward sustainability by reducing waste and providing greener shopping and product options for our customers.

On behalf of the roughly 350 people working and serving to bring an exceptional shopping experience to Regina or Saskatoon every day, we say congratulations, and thanks – you are the real Green Deal!

April 22nd, 2018

London Drugs Prince George Racks up the Pounds at the Recycling Tour on Earth Day 2018.

As the snows recede and things begin to green up in northern BC, London Drugs Store Manager Christian Schenk welcomed Prince George recyclers to celebrate Earth Day with their annual Recycling Tour event.

Christian and the Prince George London Drugs team have been running this event since 2014, and this years results show the citizens of Prince George are pitching in.

“We received two full recycle boxes of batteries, two full cages of electronics, Styrofoam, cardboard and more,” says Schenk, “Everyone was quite impressed and thankful for our recycling efforts.”

Christian and the Prince George store team are also walking the talk themselves, with a red-hot 97.76% waste diversion rate.

Way to go, Prince George! You are the REAL Green Deal!

April 21st, 2018

Nanaimo Recycles BIG TIME at the Recycling Tour on Earth Day Weekend

Maybe it was the spring cleaning feeling in the air, or the excitement of Earth Day, but whatever the reason, the citizens of Nanaimo came out in force to support the London Drugs Recycling Tour on April 21st.

“It was a spectacular turnout,” Says London Drugs Retail Sustainability Specialist Maury McCausland, “We received 5 big cages full of electronics, 8 skids of Styrofoam and 10 skids of soft plastic. ”That’s all good, usable material that may otherwise have ended up in regional landfills, so it’s a win-win when it gets recycled right.”

Thanks to everyone who came out! If you want to gather up your own recycling, the Recycling Tour continues throughout the spring and summer with events in Courtenay, Campbell River, Squamish, Gibsons, Richmond, Surrey, Airdrie, Burnaby, Calgary and Lethbridge.

Click here for all the details.

And remember – you don’t have to wait for a special day to recycle at your local London Drugs. Here’s a list of the materials you can bring back to your local store any day.

Claudia’s Last-Minute Green Gift Guide

Uncle Jack’s Top 10 things you should RECYCLE, not RE-GIFT.

This Daylight Savings, think BACON! Time to check your smoke alarms and recycle your old batteries at London Drugs.

Sunscreen Safety – 5 Things You Need to Know

Don’t just toss it! The London Drugs Recycling Zone is a Winner at Surrey Canada Day.

Some Great Green Canadian Products For Your Canada Day

London Drugs Saskatchewan Recognized for Waste Minimization – Congratulations!

London Drugs Prince George Racks up the Pounds at the Recycling Tour on Earth Day 2018.

Nanaimo Recycles BIG TIME at the Recycling Tour on Earth Day Weekend

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