In our urban neighbourhood, it’s piled up in a and strewn about everywhere.    It’s mainly discarded fast food coffee cups (Tim Hortons around here), water bottles and small plastic bags filled with trash that people have either thrown out of their car window or perhaps it’s blown out of their trash cans on garbage day.

Either way… it’s a mess and I’m sure that 60-80% is recyclable.  There are teams of people that go out and pick up this trash in the Spring but it’s mainly just thrown in the landfill and not recycled.   I was wondering if there was a way to tax or put a ‘recycle value’ on the most common offenders.  Much like beer bottles, if we could put a deposit on coffee cups and water bottles, there would be a whole underground economy of people picking them up and recycling them.

Forgive my tangent here.. but if there was a dispensor beside the standard coffee shop where you could put the used coffee cups and get a coupon back in exchange.. then collect 50 coupons for a free coffee or donut etc. etc.  It may work.

Afterall, a bag of 100 coffee cups is a HUGE bag of waste.. whereas if the coffee cups are stacked just as they are when delivered, it would take up a lot less space in the landfill.

I’ll have to finish this tangent when I have the time…   Enjoy the spring.   Try not to focus on the garbage outside tooo much.

Wilkins Ice Shelf is a flat-topped shelf that has an area of thousands of square kilometers, jutting 20 meters (65 ft) out of the sea off the Antarctic Peninsula.

But it is held together only by an ever-thinning 40-km (25-mile) strip of ice that has eroded to an hour-glass shape just 500 meters wide at its narrowest. In 1950’s, the strip was almost 100 km wide.

Scientists state that the shelf could collapse anytime now.  This is the ‘warm’ season for Antartica.

The Wilkins once covered 16,000 sq km (6,000 sq miles). It has lost a third of its area but is still about the size of Jamaica or the U.S. state of Connecticut. Once the strip breaks up, the sea is likely to sweep away much of the remaining ice.

For those that have seen the movie ‘The Day After Tomorrow’, it’s a worrisome  thought.

Int the last 50 years,nine other shelves have receded or collapsed around the Antarctic peninsula. Quiteoften abruptly like the Larsen A in 1995 or the Larsen B in 2002. The trend is widely blamed on climate change caused by heat-trapping gases from burning fossil fuels

It seems that todays society has made shopping into a sport.  Malls are the size of small towns, designed to handle 10’s of 1000’s of cars.  Shopping carts can hold complete dishwashers!

Our house has quite a bit of ‘new’ products but only when we need the warranty.    A lot of the kids gear is used as they out-grow it SO FAST!  That includes toys, clothes, bedding, dressers etc. etc.   We visit sites like FreeCycle.org, Craigslist, Kijiji, eBay and more.

Bartering is big amongst my wifes ‘mommy group’ where she’s 1 of 300 mothers who are local and meetup to swap baby clothes and toys.   It’s a fun event.

Schools also have toy swaps, or at least they used to when I was a kid.   When my boys reach that age, we’ll see if the school has one, if not, we’ll start it.

so by swapping, recycling and keeping an eye open for deals, you really are helping the environment and in some ways, stimulating the local ecoonmy by putting cash back into the parents hands.

It’s a good circle to be part of.

They have a small kids section that my 2yr old son likes to explore.   One item that caught my eye right away was this little truck that looked like it was made of plastic but as I looked at it more, I thought that it might have been wood.  Plus when I looked at the box, I noticed that it didn’t take batteries.   You pushed it up and down which activated a .. something.. that powered the device.   The little driver had a mini-usb port on the bottom and when plugged into the vehicle, his helmet light shone.

It was so damn cool.   The company that made it is called Sprigwood Toys.  I thought that they may have been in Canada but the website states that they are in Colorado.

Keep your eyes open for where this company may go.. it’s pretty damn cool!

They are leading the way with the Dodge EV which promises 0-60 mph in under 5 seconds.    That’s quick!

What’s not so quick is having to wait till 2010 before I caninvest in one of these.   I want a solid 4X4 now and the Jeep name is known for it’s capabilities.

Here are 10 businesses where you can do both.   I’ll split them up over multiple posts as it will take a while to read (and to write).

1. Eco-Friendly Furniture.  This one is close to my heart.  My Dad has been doing this for years, He started by helping people re-finish their antiques.   Basically, he would recover the old hardware, strip the furniture (not using an eco-friendly stripper I imagine but setting a good precedent), and repair any broken or missing pieces and re-finish it.   It was pretty profitable and kept him amused.   It reached the point when he was booked and just couldn’t keep up.

This is a service that requires a bit of skill but is a great part-time business to get started with and build yourself up a client base.

Another option is to recycle old discarded furniture and with using a bit of imagination, you can create your own design.   Take old windows and make table tops, use disposed chairs and create the legs and foundation for the table, shatter some coloured glass and use morter to create a mosaic underneath the old glass window.

Now for the hard part.   Selling it.   This takes a bit of work.   You can approach various retailers with your artwork or even venture into one of a kind craft shows in your neighbourhood.

This is an example of a designer who started using cardboard to create their eco-friendly designs.

Another designer, Peter Danko, uses similar methods.

Required:

Capital: $10,000 +(covers salary and tools)

Skills: basic tool knowledge and willingness to learn

IF furniture isn’t your thing, then try….

2. Green Cleaning Services.   This, like the option above, is another family business.   My Father-in-Law has a carpet cleaning business that uses all natural products.

Carpet cleaning isn’t just all there is to being an eco-friendly cleaner.   It starts with being aware of what chemicals other companies use so that you know what you’re competing against.

A good way to get a head start on the competition is knowing your (future) clients.   For example, Proctor & Gamble try to only use GREEN certified cleaners and services.   Another client would be a LEED building, these are buildings that are built using GREEN technologies.   Chances are that they will listen to you a bit more attentively then they would to your competition.

A good place to start is with that competition so you can at least get your hands dirty (no pun intended) in the business.   There is a skillset required in this business and not just anyone can jump into it.

Required:

Capital: $5000 + (salary + equipment)

Skills: Start working for someone part time or practice with friends and family to get acquainted to the skillset required.

Stay tuned for the next batch.

At first glance the “Recycle” from INF Import isn’t much to look at, but then we figured that’s kind of the point.  What better way to hide all your most precious and/or illicit data than in a totally bland enclosure that looks like something that chipped off your wall in the last earthquake? — which isn’t far off seeing as how it’s composed of recycled newspaper.   It’s available from 512MB to 16GB in storage size.

Look under your kitchen sink: Your kitchen sink as well as cupboard full of poisons. Wasp spray, oven cleaner, waxes and polishes—the place is full of chemicals that display the words clearly poison, danger, warning, or caution. Small amounts of the poisons drift from, and leak out of bottles and spray bottles, which then waft around the kitchen. Household poisonings are one of the highest threats to the health of children. Remove toxic products. Replace all hazardous products with safer versions in the future. No chemicals wafting into your household; safer environment for kids.

Reduce your use of non-renewable resources: avoid products with potentially harmful ingredients such as sponges with antibacterial ingredients; reuse old shirts as rags and more. Use cloth rags instead of paper towels to save trees. Save money!

Recycle smarter: After grouping what you want to discard, think of how and where to recycle these products or donate them for reuse. A way to recycle smart is to buy items made from recycled content and with limited packaging.

Clean out your storage: Throw the items you are not using anymore and organise them in different groups. Then decide on priority what to do them accordingly

Use less water: Saving water is important because it is a limited resource, either by taking short showers or putting a bottle in your toilet tank. You can also reuse water around the house, such as using cooking water for plants, which may provide nutrients to the plant.

Start composting: Composting is a great way to reduce your waste and help your garden at the same time. Most food scraps and biodegrade material like cardboard, which may produce nutrient-rich fertiliser, can be easily used.

Invest in energy-efficient appliances: Try and start replacing older appliances in your home with more energy-efficient ones. This may reduce energy output and save money on electricity bill.

Plant a tree: The original carbon offset. Planting a tree can not only reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, but can also provide shade for your home. This may even help in reducing energy costs and will provide fruits that you won’t have to buy at the store.

But what you can get them won’t cost you nearly as much and will last a lifetime.  Plus, if you look around, it may be a one-of-a-kind gift that cannot be replicated.

My Father was into recycling household items and building what he called Art.   In one instance, he went from yard sale to yard sale collecting corkscrews.  By the end of the summer, he had a collection from every generation and country and created this box frame for it that housed them all on display.   I didn’t think much of it at first but he sold it in his ‘odds and ends’ store for a hundred dollars.   It wasn’t just corkscrews that he did this with but with fishing lures, antique keys, tools, coasters and a variety of other things.

Perhaps he was ahead of his time.   Now, recycled gifts seem to be making a comeback.  There is a store in Toronto called Ex-Toggery that offers recycled clothing and not just vintage wear but some high quality pieces.   Look at ebay and how they make their money, mainly from people selling unused items. Another is PreLoved in Toronto.

What’s next..?  Companies like GreenFeet are offering a variety of Earth Friendly gifts at reasonable prices.  Some individuals have taken odd parts and created new applications for them and all you have to do is goto your local farmers market.  One item I saw was a old car brake and axle that supported a beautiful piece of driftwood fastened to it and made it into a small table.  It was unique, priced right and no new materials were used in it’s creation.

So think Green when you see the white stuff falling.   Get started now and create a unique holiday experience for your closest friends and family.

More recycled and eco-friendly stores to choose from:

3Tree Apparel Inc. (British Columbia)
Made entirely in North America, this company has 100 percent organic cotton briefs. Contact 604-839-3873.

Alchemy Goods
Makes bags made out of recycled materials such as inner tubes and car straps. Check out their waterproof Haversack model. For more info:

Bueno Style! (Vancouver)
They make organic cotton boy-cut panties silk-screened with fruity designs and catchy phrases. For more info: 

Chacos
This sandal company gives customers discounts for trading in old pairs, which are then “recycled” and sent to the indigenous of India and Nepal. For more info:

Edun
Nude spelt backwards, this line started by U2’s Bono and his wife Ali, is aimed at the socially conscious. It is made in Africa and other developing countries, and is incorporating organic farming and organic fibres into its fashionable lines. Available at Holt Renfrew. For more info:

Ecoganik
Using only organic or eco-friendly fabrics, they create beautiful flowing dresses and skirts so you don’t have to sacrifice style for your morals. For more info:

Ecoist
Handmade brightly coloured bags made out of recycled materials such as candy wrappers, recycled movie billboards, and confetti will make sure you stand out in a crowd. For more info: 

Ecosandals
This non-profit organization currently employs Kenyans to make sandals out of recycled tires providing fair job opportunities and waste reduction locally. For more info: 

Fig Kids
This kids line by BC’s Twice Shy features quality organic wear for babies and children. For more info:

Grace & Cello (Montreal)
Features eco-friendly jeans made with organic cotton and bamboo, as well as outfits made with hemp and recycled wool. For more info: 

HER Design Handbags
Made with hemp canvas and tree tap, this company has bags for men and women that take their designs from nature, and are even naturally waterproofed. For more info:

Katharine Hamnett
This British designer creates organic “statement tees” making her messages about the environment and politics clear. For more info:

Lela Designs (BC)
This B.C. clothing line features ladies golf wear made out of bamboo and anti-microbial and naturally sweat – wicking materials. For more info: 

Living Planet
Campy chic silkscreened T-shirts printed on organic cotton using eco-friendly methods. For more info:

Love, Deming Clothing Company (Vancouver)
Uses eco-friendly fabrics such as bamboo, soy, hemp, yak wool and silk to make formal business wear and even funky leggings. For more info:

Mountain Equipment Co-op (Canadian)
This outdoors store sells many organic brands such as Sportif and Patagonia providing practical organic sportswear for spending time in nature. For more info:

Not Just Pretty
This B.C. store carries designers such as Blue Canoe, and Twice Shy who use organic cottons, and Mala Kuji who makes soft soy tanks. For more info:

On & On Ecolo Chic
Based in Montreal this shop can transform your old items into a whole new style by reworking it with their own raw materials. You can also donate your used clothes to help them create their new fashions. For more info:

Preloved
This Queen St. West boutique in Toronto creates one-of-a-kind reworked vintage items such as their cute summer dresses and blazers. For more info:

Sage Creek
With a variety of organic baby clothing, check out their adorable Zen yoga collection for your little ones. 

Second Clothing
Produced solely in North America, they have begun producing organic lines of their derriere-flattering jeans and other garments. For more info:

Splaff Flops
“Make good use of bad rubbish” with these sandals created from recycled tires and hemp. For more info:

Susan Harris Design
This Toronto designer became known for her use of recycled materials and “cut-outs” of texts and images sewn onto her items making unique frocks and tops. For more info:

Terra Plana
Using chrome free leathers and recycled materials such as old car seats and recycled soles, these shoes are amazingly chic, with styles from high-heeled boots to skate shoes. For more info:

Twice Shy
Proving that “sustainability can be sexy”, they have organic cotton t-shirts with designs silk-screened by featured artists each month. For more info: 

Twigg & hottie
This Canadian shop is home to Marzio Fiorini’s 100% recycled rubber henna inspired jewelry, as well as many other trendsetting designers.