Green Deal

April 22nd, 2017

Recycling Over Lunch at CanWel Building Materials Vancouver

The London Drugs What’s the Green Deal team was proud to be invited to speak at a local Lunch & Learn event focused on recycling, held in the National Office of Canwel Building Materials. The event started with a presentation on office recycling by Cascades Recovery, designed to increase knowledge and diversion rates. (Cascades is also a major London Drugs Recycling Partner) Green Deal blogger Lorne Craig then talked with the group about home recycling, showcasing all the recyclables listed on the greendeal.ca website that can be taken back to any London Drugs store.
Then participants broke into teams and faced the Waste Sorting Challenge, diverting a select batch of ‘trash’ into the appropriate streams within a two minute deadline.
Everyone was a winner, as all attendees left with a London Drugs Big Green RecycleBag for their efforts. Not to mention a fresh appreciation for the possibilities of home and office recycling.
Way to go Team CanWel! YOU are the REAL Green Deal!

April 21st, 2017

London Drugs Reaches Battery Collection Milestone – Over 300,000 kg Recycled with Call2Recycle®!

It’s an amazing save! London Drugs, in partnership with Call2Recycle®, has now diverted over 300,000 kg of batteries from landfill since 2000. That’s the equivalent weight of 1.7 million hockey pucks. London Drugs is the first Western Canada-based retailer in the Call2Recycle program to reach this recycling milestone.

Seventeen years ago, London Drugs began offering the Call2Recycle battery take-back program to its customers in its stores throughout Western Canada. Originally accepting only rechargeable batteries, the program expanded to include single-use batteries (such as AA, AAA, 9v, etc.) in 2010 in BC and in 2012 to the rest of western Canada. London Drugs now averages about 50,000 kg of batteries collected annually.

“We are committed to offering sustainable options for our customers — not only through the products we sell, but also by providing solutions for the proper end-of-life management for those products,” says Maury McCausland, London Drugs Retail Operations Sustainability Specialist. “Offering an in-store battery recycling program to our customers aligns with our overall environmental commitment to ensure we are lessening our impact on our planet and in our communities.”

“Since our program launched in Canada 20 years ago, we have successfully collected and recycled over 13.5 million kilograms of batteries,” said Joe Zenobio, president of Call2Recycle Canada, Inc. “Without the commitment to responsible recycling from collection partners like London Drugs, this accomplishment wouldn’t be possible.”

And it wouldn’t be possible without YOU bringing in those old batteries. So save them up, bring them to your local London Drugs and let’s keep piling on the numbers.

For more information on London Drugs recycling, visit https://greendeal.ca/recycling

March 16th, 2017

Prince George hosts London Drugs’ first Recycling Round-Up of 2017 on Earth Day, April 22nd.

If you’ve got an old TV, small appliance or other unwanted electronics cluttering up your home, and you live in Prince George, better mark your calendar for Earth Day, April 22nd. From 10am to 3pm, the London Drugs location at Parkwood Place will be hopping with a free recycling drop-off event for the whole family.

“You can drop off a huge variety of recyclables at London Drugs all year long,” says Manager Christian Schenk, “But Earth Day is an extra special time to get the word out there and get people recycling, especially as we get ready for spring cleaning season.”

Schenk says they are focusing on electronics and small appliances for this year’s event, but you can also bring back a whole range of other recyclables. See the full list below:

Electrical and Electronic goods (TVs, VCRs, computers, monitors, printers etc)
Small Appliances (purchased at London Drugs)
Styrofoam, plastic and cardboard packaging from our products
Cell phones, PDA and rechargeable batteries
Alkaline Batteries
Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFL’s) and fluorescent light tubes up to 4-foot lengths
Disposable cameras
Ink jet cartridges
Laser cartridges
Metal film canisters
Plastic bags
Pop bottles and cans (BC only)
Insurance plastic folders
Laser cartridges

If you want to know more about the London Drugs Recycling Round-Up, drop by the store or give them a call at (250) 561-0011.

For more information on London Drugs recycling, visit greendeal.ca.

March 15th, 2017

Love single serve coffee, but hate the waste? Melitta introduces the world’s first certified 100% compostable single serve coffee pods.

If you crave the taste and convenience of single serve coffee (K-Cups) you aren’t alone. By some estimates, 12 BILLION of them will be sold this year – enough to circle the earth around 13 times! Until now, that meant a lot of waste that was difficult, if not impossible to recycle. But now, thanks to Melitta and Canadian researchers at the University of Guelph’s Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre, a solution is at hand!

PurPod100™ cups are the world’s first single-serve coffee cups* that have been certified 100% compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI).

That means, according to the Melitta website, that “testing shows the pod can break down completely in as little as 5 weeks” That doesn’t necessarily mean every local compost program will accept them. Municipalities and other composting facility operators have their own guidelines for what they accept as being compostable. But many DO automatically accept items that are Certified 100% Compostable by BPI. And testing is underway to see how well the pods break down in home compost situations.

Even with those caveats, the development of a certified compostable coffee pod is big news. But it’s really still all about enjoying great tasting coffee! So if you have been avoiding your Kuerig because you feel bad about pod waste, just pick up some great tasting Melitta pods at London Drugs, compost your leftover pods and you’ll sleep better no matter how many cups you brew.

All Melitta single serve coffee pod varieties at London Drugs feature the new PurPod100™ compostable cup.

*PurPod100™ cups are designed to work with Kuerig 2.0 brewers, and it should be noted that they will work best if the brewer is regularly cleaned and de-scaled.

The new Melitta compostable pods are almost entirely made of plant based material, and the ring is actually made from coffee chaff – a byproduct that is usually wasted!

March 1st, 2017

Daylight Savings BACON! An easy way to remember to check your smoke alarms and recycle those old batteries at London Drugs.

People like bacon a lot more than they like maintaining smoke alarms. So at daylight savings time, while we spring ahead, think BACON and remember to 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)

Then, treat yourself to… BACON! (Extra crispy!)

January 31st, 2017

5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know You Could Recycle at London Drugs

You probably recycle the basics. But there are some things you might not have thought of that you can get out of your closets and keep out of the landfill. Check out this video of one of our new Recycling Centres surprising a few shoppers at our Cambie St. Store in Vancouver. Then check the list below to see what YOU can recycle on your next trip to London Drugs.

1. Smoke Alarms – After a while they stop working. Or maybe you upgrade to newer technology. Whatever the reason, if you end up with an old smoke alarm IT SHOULD NEVER GO IN THE LANDFILL! Smoke alarms actually contain very small amounts of radioactive material, and this should always be recycled responsibly. Bring it to your local LD store and we’ll take care of it.

2. Your Old Vacuum Cleaner – When it no longer sucks, bring it to London Drugs. Our recycling partner breaks the units down and recycles them responsibly. In fact, London Drugs takes back any kind of small appliance with a cord. (Here’s me getting rid of an old clunker and buying a sweet new Dyson!)

3. Microwave Ovens – Yes, London Drugs takes these appliances, too. No, it probably WON’T get picked up if you just leave it in the alley.

4. Old VHS Tapes – When that old copy of Gone With The Wind is finally toast, bring it to London Drugs. We make sure old media finds a new life as waste-to-energy instead of taking up landfill space. (Limits per customer per visit may apply – ask at your local LD store) Bring in the old VHS player too, if you like. We recycle all sorts of electronics as well.

5. Cords, Cables and Chargers – Who doesn’t have a drawer containing some old, unidentified electronic spaghetti? It all contains copper, plastic and electronic components that can be recovered. Bring it on.

Find out more at greendeal.ca – You can recycle all sorts of stuff at London Drugs without making an extra trip to the depot.

December 13th, 2016

The 12 Green Days of Christmas

Brought to you by the holiday’s most famous countdown song, London Drugs and What’s the Green Deal proudly present this Greener Christmas Carol. You know how it goes… come on, sing along!

12 Organic Chocolates Green & Blacks is one of the tastiest ways to say you care for that green person on your list. This 12-pack includes classic flavours like Milk Chocolate, 70% Cacao Dark, Almond, Hazelnut & Currant and more… all Certified Organic and Fair Trade.

11 Beeswax Lipsticks OK, this great line of lipsticks actually comes in 14 colours, but we needed SOMETHING for number 11 ! These Burt’s Bees lipsticks are made with 100% naturally moisturizing ingredients like moringa and raspberry seed oils, their packaging is completely recyclable and the container is even made with 60% post-consumer-waste recycled content. That’s worth a kiss.

10 LED Lights Gone are the electricity-sucking holiday lights of old… at least they should be! LED technology uses 80-90% less energy, while lasting WAY longer. The Apex Outdoor Sparkle Orbs look (and run) cool. Remember, you can recycle your old light sets for free at your local London Drugs!

9 Green Pens Writing Onyx & Green makes a whole line of more eco-friendly office and school supplies, and when it comes to pens you can take your pick. Made from recycled plastic bottles, sustainable bamboo, recycled aluminum, or recycled milk cartons. Green list made & checked twice.

8 Organic Coffees Earth’s Choice. Commercial Drive. Kicking Horse. Ethical Bean. For the coffee lover in your life, London Drugs has a great selection that’s Certified Organic and Fair Trade and comes with 100% local character.

7 Plugs Unplugging The TreeFrog Smart Power Bar 7 saves electricity by automatically shutting off selected plugs (like your printer and monitor) when you shut off your computer. Duh! Smart green gift!

6 Brushes Brushing EcoTools cosmetics brushes are made with recycled aluminum and bamboo. Beautifully soft on resources. And your face.

5 Great Green Toys!!! (Made with recycled plastic……) Green Toys are made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic. (#5 Polypropylene from recycled milk jugs) and packaged in recycled (and recyclable) cardboard cartons printed with soy inks. They also contain no glues, screws or paint. Every pound of recycled milk jugs used to create a Green Toys product saves enough energy to power 3,000 AAA batteries, a TV for 3 weeks or a laptop computer for a whole month. Oh, and they are really fun to go ‘vroom’ with.

4 Batteries Charging When batteries aren’t included, give the gift that keeps giving. Rechargeables are better for the planet and your pocketbook (We’ve done the math!) Try the Energizer Pro Charger with 4AA’s – it even shows you the charging stages so you know where your holiday energy level is at.

3 Reusable Boxes Give a gift that stores itself! Wrap your present in one of these classy reusable storage boxes with a big red ribbon. Extra green points if you choose a classy seagrass basket made with natural materials.

2 Organic Syrups Sweet gift ideas that work on pancakes, oatmeal or even in your coffee. London Naturals Organic Syrup for the classic Canadian maple experience or Wild Tusker Coconut Syrup, made from 100% pure coconut sap collected from organically grown coconut plantations in Sri Lanka.

And a place where you recycle for free…. Your local London Drugs store will take back all sorts of electronics, small appliances, plastic bags, batteries, light bulbs, and more. (Even broken holiday lights!) We will even take back packaging from any purchase you make in our stores with our Bring Back the Pack program. Find out more at greendeal.ca

However you choose to celebrate YOUR holidays, here’s hoping it’s a wonderful time filled with love, laughter and joy. That’s the REAL Green Deal.

November 28th, 2016

London Drugs Celebrates #BCBuyLocal Week with Local BC and Western Canadian Products.

As a proud Western Canadian Owned Company (Based in Richmond BC) London Drugs knows the value of a strong, local economy. So this week we take extra care to focus on products made right here by our neighbours and friends. Here are just a few of them, from companies large and small. Whether you live in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba, we hope you will share these local success stories and help spread the word.

Nature’s Path This company is an international success story, growing to become North America’s largest organic cereal maker. Much production is done south of the border now, but the company started here and is still headquartered in Richmond, BC.

And don’t forget Que Pasa Tortilla Chips, (also brought to you by Natures Path), these chips are organic, delicious and made in a zero waste plant right in Delta BC.

Love Child Organics How about a BC company started by two new parents in Whistler? Can you GET any more local than that? Love Child has a great line of baby foods, and they work hard to produce in Canada and use North American ingredients wherever possible.

Holy Crap! From Dragon’s Den to commercial success, we are proud to have this organic, non-GMO star on our shelves. You just have to try it.

Hippie Foods Another made-in-BC granola success story, this great brand comes from Left Coast Naturals, in Burnaby.

New World Organics From a small organic food store in East Vancouver, this local business continues to grow. You can buy their delicious granola in 908g packs, saving both packaging and money. It’s one of the best granola Green Deals in our store!

Locally Roasted Coffee! Your London Drugs coffee section is a virtual tour of amazing local roasters: Earth’s Choice, Ethical Bean, Salt Spring, Kicking Horse, Commercial Drive, Pacific Coffee… with all these fair trade and organic options, you don’t have to go any further. (And for Green Deal hunters, there’s almost always something on sale!)

Fresh is Best Tortilla Chips One of the tastiest products to ever come out of Kamloops, BC.

Hardbite Chips Farmer-owned and farmer-grown, Hardbite operates BC’s only potato chip manufacturing plant. This company is so local they even have BC scenes on their packaging.

Bremner’s Juice Family owned right down the way in Delta, BC. This line of pure juices is just that – no additives, no sugar… just fruit!

Adwood Pine Crate Here’s a great product made from BC wood by a BC company – its sustainable, durable and looks terrific, whether you leave it unfinished or decorate it with your own local artistic touches.

Local Music There are some amazing bands right here in Western Canada – from 54-40’s CD of love songs (Delta, BC) to Alberta’s Jann Arden to Saskatchewan’s Northern Pikes. And you can get their music right here at London Drugs. We even have Vancouver’s Black Mountain on Vinyl in our amazing record section!

Manitoba Harvest Manitoban Mike Fata started this company back in 1998, and now they are the world’s largest manufacturer to grow, make, and sell their own line of hemp food products.

London Orchard Honey Made from pure Manitoba honey, manufactured by Manitoba bees.

Do YOU have a local product you’d like us to feature, or carry on our shelves? Let us know!

November 22nd, 2016

HP Named 2017 Sustainable Vendor Partner of the Year, for Ink Cartridge Recycling and More.

We have SO many great GreenDeal vendors at London Drugs, it’s always a near-impossible choice to pick just one to recognize. But HP has really gone above and beyond in the electronics sustainability world.

The Best Ink Cartridge Recycling Program

HP has developed a mechanized process to disassemble their ink cartridges and recycle the material, so that plastic from every HP cartridge returned gets included in new cartridges. Watch the video below as London Drugs Computers Merchandise Manager Cedric Tetzel explains how the program works.

Design for Recycling and ‘Closing the Loop’.

HP puts extra effort into the design of their electronics, so that they use recycled plastic in their manufacture, and are easier to disassemble and recycle at the end of their usable life. 48% of new commercial desktop products contained greater than 10% post-consumer recycled plastic content.

HP does a great job of measuring and reducing their impact world-wide.

The company has already achieved their goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from operations by 20% by 2020, (compared to 2010) They also scored 100/A for the second consecutive year in the CDP Climate disclosure and performance scores – the highest possible rating. HP scored a ‘Perfect 10’ for corporate social responsibility in The Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 for 2016. They also have initiatives to benefit communities, workers and reduce deforestation.

Congratulations, HP – you are the REAL Green Deal!

November 16th, 2016

Kidseat Recyclers visit London Drugs in Saskatoon November 19 and 20 – Saskatoon residents can recycle their children’s car seat this weekend at both locations!

London Drugs in Saskatoon will be hosting a children’s car seat recycling event with Kidseat Recyclers at both locations. On November 19 and 20 between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. residents can bring their used and expired children’s car seat for proper recycling to London Drugs.

“We are excited to be working with Kidseat Recyclers as companies like this align with our core values of providing customers with the best in terms of services,” said Andy MacDonald, London Drugs store manager. “I encourage everyone to bring their old and expired seats to our locations this weekend. We are also raising awareness of our Green Deal program while providing residents with this opportunity to recycle their children’s car seats.”

The weekend program aligns with London Drugs commitment to recycling through their What’s the Green Deal? program. The program is an extensive recycling and sustainability commitment carried through all London Drugs stores.

“London Drugs has been instrumental in helping us bring this service to other cities and I am happy to be bringing this to Saskatoon,” says Melanie Risdon-Betcher, owner and director of Kidseat Recyclers Inc. “Without recycling, thousands of pounds of plastic and metal will hit Saskatchewan landfills every year. That’s mountains of car seats. We are looking forward to helping Saskatoon residents keep car seats out of the landfills for the first time ever at our upcoming roundup.”

There is a $10 levy to recycle children’s car seats and London Drugs will be giving a $5 gift card for every car seat recycled. Please strip material from car seat before recycling. For further information about the What’s the Green Deal? visit www.greendeal.ca. Full information about Kidseat Recyclers can be found on their website.

Kidseat Recyclers is Canada’s first car seat recycling company, servicing Alberta and beyond since 2010. To date, Kidseat has diverted nearly 52-thousand lbs. of plastic and metal from our landfills (5766seats). With over 14-thousand children born in Saskatchewan every year, the amount of car seats hitting our landfills is staggering. Their goal is to expand and offer car seat recycling across Canada.

Recycling Over Lunch at CanWel Building Materials Vancouver

London Drugs Reaches Battery Collection Milestone – Over 300,000 kg Recycled with Call2Recycle®!

Prince George hosts London Drugs’ first Recycling Round-Up of 2017 on Earth Day, April 22nd.

Love single serve coffee, but hate the waste? Melitta introduces the world’s first certified 100% compostable single serve coffee pods.

Daylight Savings BACON! An easy way to remember to check your smoke alarms and recycle those old batteries at London Drugs.

5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know You Could Recycle at London Drugs

The 12 Green Days of Christmas

London Drugs Celebrates #BCBuyLocal Week with Local BC and Western Canadian Products.

HP Named 2017 Sustainable Vendor Partner of the Year, for Ink Cartridge Recycling and More.

Kidseat Recyclers visit London Drugs in Saskatoon November 19 and 20 – Saskatoon residents can recycle their children’s car seat this weekend at both locations!

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