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Home > eco-friendly

eco-friendly

Made in Vancouver: Eco-Friendly Claims to Fame

David Suzuki catches some waves. Photo courtesy David Suzuki Foundation

David Suzuki catches some waves. Photo courtesy David Suzuki Foundation

By Sheri Radford

Here on the West Coast, we started working to protect the environment long before it was fashionable, and Vancouver has developed an action plan to be the world’s greenest city by 2020. Here are just a few of our eco-friendly claims to fame.

David Suzuki
Tireless local scientist, activist and broadcaster David Suzuki has been sounding the alarm about climate change for decades. In 1990, he teamed up with Tara Cullis to create the David Suzuki Foundation as a catalyst for social change in light of the world’s environmental problems. Its goals include protecting our climate, protecting and reconnecting with nature, building community and transforming the economy through efficient resource use. Sounds dry? Not when Suzuki is doing the talking. (more…)

Hot Shopping: Storage Solutions from Vancouver Label Studio Brovhn

Bins by Studio Brovhn

Small, modern-day apartments require plenty of extra storage, something not easily found in 500-sq-ft condos. Studio Brovhn, a buzz-worthy local label, offers a solution with bins (pictured), boxes and bags that collapse to the thickness of a magazine but are ready to hold items both big and small. The deets: offered in various sizes and colours (orange, white or grey), they’re both tear- and water-resistant, made from innovative material that’s finer than hair and fully recyclable, plus they weigh less than paper. Provide, on the edge of Gastown, carries these small-space must-haves, so there’s no longer an excuse for runaway piles.—Jennifer Patterson

Hot Shopping: Eco-Friendly Bags by Me & You

This nautical tote is by local company Me & You

Say good-bye to plastic and hello to stylish eco-friendly totes from Vancouver company Me & You. A bag from the new Vancouver Island–inspired collection makes an ideal souvenir. Available at www.meandyou.ca and Body Politic.—Sheri Radford

Eco-Friendly River Tour in Whistler

Photo courtesy Whistler Eco Tours

Get back to nature and learn about Whistler’s flora and fauna as you paddle down the River of Golden Dreams with Whistler Eco Tours (pictured). This earth-friendly company has been working with the Whistler Blackcomb resort to clean up the riverbanks—just one of the ways the resort is going green. Since 2000, Whistler Blackcomb has reduced waste by 60 per cent and, this year, it was named one of Canada’s greenest employers for the fourth year in a row. —Kristina Urquhart

Hot Dining: Cactus Club Cafe’s New, Sustainable Location

Cactus Club Cafe's English Bay location

The newest Cactus Club location is more than just a pretty face. Sure, the restaurant is situated right on the beach, offering a stunning view of English Bay, but it’s also eco-friendly, with its living roof, organic herb garden and plentiful bike racks. The green building has been constructed to meet LEED Gold Certification. So, as you take in the spectacular scenery while nibbling on divine dishes created by Iron Chef Rob Feenie, raise a glass to Vancouver-style sustainability.—Sheri Radford

Hot Entertainment: VanDusen Botanical Garden’s Green Design

VanDusen Botanical Garden's visitor centre. Photo by KK Law

From the top of its green roof to the depths of its geothermal energy system, the new visitor centre at VanDusen Botanical Garden is blazing a path in sustainable design. The building, with its eye-catching undulating roofline that resembles an orchid, uses green strategies such as rammed-earth walls, reclaimed lumber, on-site water capture and treatment, a photovoltaic system to generate electricity, and a giant skylight/solar chimney (pictured) that functions as a natural air conditioner. Designed to exceed LEED Platinum certification, the centre is also on track to be the fourth building in the world (and first in Canada) to meet the stringent Living Building Challenge (www.ilbi.org), which analyzes seven key components: site, water, energy, health, materials, equity and beauty. Even for those who don’t know anything about eco-friendly design, there’s no denying the building’s beauty. See it for yourself this month, and be sure to stop by on Plant Sale Day (Apr. 29), when admission to the garden is free. —Sheri Radford

Travellers Want To Be Greener But Is More Eco-Education Needed?

By SHANNON KELLY

Signs like these at hotels seem to encourage guests to conserve (Photo: Joelk75)

In the next year, 71 per cent of of the more than 700 U.S. travellers surveyed by TripAdvisor said they intend to make more eco-friendly choices than in the past. Forty-seven per cent said they were as eco-conscious on vacation as at home. (more…)

Hot Shopping: The Perfect Outfit for Travelling from Green Tree Eco Fashion

Soft, cozy, and easy to layer: ideal duds for the frequent flyer

Travelling has never looked so good, or felt so comfy! If you’re often on the road for business or pleasure, it can be challenging to find the right outfit. Green Tree Eco Fashion tackles this problem with a classic look that features three of their most popular and versatile basics: skinny “Yoga Jeans” by Montreal’s Second Denim Company ($114.99), a long black cami from Part Two ($24.99), and a reversible bamboo wrap (seen here in both short and long styles) by Ecoskin ($179.99). Top with a statement necklace and oversized tote to complete the look. With eco clothing for both men and women, you can feel good about purchases from this boutique, and never have to sacrifice style. 358 Richmond Rd., 613-695-8733.

 

8 Easy Green Travel Tips that Make a Difference

We’ve deemed April Earth Month at Where.ca, with a series of stories all about eco-friendly, sustainable travel. Go green!

By AMANDA HALM

#7 - Reduce paper waste by saving maps and other travel info to handheld devices.

Sustainable doesn’t have to be synonymous with sacrifice. Here are little things you can do to reduce your impact while on the road, in the sky or on the trails. (more…)

6 Incredibly Cool Eco-Friendly Travel Accessories

We’ve deemed April Earth Month at Where.ca, with a series of stories all about eco-friendly, sustainable travel. Go green!

By AMANDA HALM

1. JOOS Orange, 2. Baby Bobble water bottle, 3. Hadaki Lug Around Pod, 4. Iqua Sun, 5. LUSH shampoo bar, 6. Drop Bedol Water Alarm Clock

When planning your next adventure, whether it be a weekend trip or a ’round-the-world expedition, gear up with these six eco-conscious travel accessories and reduce those carbon footprints wherever you go. (more…)

Hot Dining: Going Green at Trafalgars Bistro

The GreenGood Composter at Trafalgars Bistro. Photo by KK Law

Kermit the Frog said it’s not easy being green, but Trafalgars Bistro and its bakery sibling Sweet Obsession would disagree. Thanks to their new GreenGood Composter (pictured), they no longer send any organic waste to the landfill. Instead, the high-tech composter converts food waste into garden-ready compost in just 24 hours. Of the businesses’ remaining garbage, 98 per cent is recycled. Going green, indeed.—Sheri Radford

Hot Dining: Five Greenest Tables

Sous-vide duck breast with balsamic reduction and mandarin-and-toasted-almond green salad, at Trafalgars. Photo by KK Law

Socially conscious diners find no shortage of eco-friendly options.
1 Laidback Trafalgars (pictured), a tasteful West Side bistro, along with its bakery sibling, Sweet Obsession, has almost completely eliminated garbage with a revolutionary in-house composter that makes garden-ready compost in just 24 hours.
2 More than just a pretty place, the upbeat Cactus Club Cafe chain employs sustainable policies across the board, from sourcing local ingredients to waste-water reduction.
3 The Observatory and more casual Altitudes Bistro, atop Grouse Mountain, use power from the resort’s own wind turbine and observation tower, the Eye of the Wind.
4 O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar adheres to Green Table, Ocean Wise and Get Local programs that put ethically raised local ingredients and carbon-neutral practices first.
5 The grandfather of regional seasonal cuisine for 27 years, Bishop’s continues to offer almost all organic, understated plates, delivered in an intimate, art-filled setting.—Tim Pawsey

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