Articles from:October 2019

• Doing More to Waste Less

  Thursday, October 31, 2019 | By Amanda Smits

  Blog Contributor: Nolan Kelly

  

  People have vowed to ditch single-use plastics by purchasing reusable alternatives. While scrapping plastic straws is a great start, it is important to remember that these popular issues are just some of the ways to help curb single-use plastic waste. Taking the extra steps necessary when it comes to producing less waste may not be as trendy as ditching the straw, but they are just as or more important. One of the biggest contributors to people’s waste generation daily, is the coffee cup. In today’s society it has become all too convenient for people to not think twice about throwing away the single use coffee cups. However, there is a very simple and obvious solution to this issue, buy a reusable coffee cup! Like the reusable water bottle, this alternative immediately cuts back on one’s waste footprint. This option often comes with 10 cent incentives from coffee serving franchises as well, so it is a win-win.

  Limiting waste and being a more eco-conscious consumer plays a big role at the grocery store. By now it is common knowledge to bring reusable grocery bags and not rely on the plastic bags they provide.  Which is a step in the right direction but certainly not the only way to limit waste at the grocery store. As a consumer it is important to recognize what style of packaging a product has and try to choose the items that do not use packaging that is unnecessary. Avoiding plastic produce bags can also easily be avoided by bringing your own reusable produce bags to minimize the amount of plastic you use every single trip.

  There are simple everyday choices that people can make including to refuse single use plastics from restaurants or stores, supporting brands and companies that work to reduce their waste, and always having an emphasis on reducing and reusing before needing to recycle. Although many of these actions may seem small, they all add up. One step that I have taken in the last year to reduce my own footprint is to bring a cutlery kit with me everywhere I go. It has a little fork, spoon, and knife all in one and fits perfectly in my bag for when I’m on the go or at school. This means that even when I am out, I have the power to avoid using single use plastic items. These everyday choices to reduce waste and become a more conscious consumer can have a big impact on an individual’s waste footprint and encourage others to make positive changes to their lifestyle as well.

  Categories: Sustainability at Brock, Waste

• How to Move Towards Zero-Waste Grocery Shopping 

  Sunday, October 20, 2019 | By eharper

  

  Blog Contributor: Erica Harper 

  2019 was the year of exposing plastic waste and its effect on our environment all over the world.  Social media was littered with pictures and videos of shorelines and even animals covered in Ziplock or grocery bags, plastic bottles, six pack rings, straws and bottle caps to name a few.  Further, a report that was introduced at the World Economic Forum in January 2016 by Ellen MacArthur (British environmentalist) states that there will be more plastic than fish (by weight) by 2050.  Not surprisingly, much of the plastic seen abroad and on Canadian shorelines come from food packaging and grocery bags.  A simple way to eliminate this incredible amount of waste is to go grocery shopping in a zero-waste fashion because plastic-free packaging is in style! 

   Although the zero-waste “movement” can be daunting when you first look into it, it’s actually a lot easier than it seems when you have the right tools to be successful.  This blog post aims to be a guide to all things zero-waste and bulk shopping.  

   First things first, you need the right tools before you go out and make your first zero-waste trip: 

  • Reusable grocery bags 
  • Reusable produce bags (often overlooked, but very important!) 
  • Bulk containers such as mason jars  

   That’s it!  These three items will make your life much simpler and you’ll wonder why you’ve never tried this before.  Now, let’s go into a bit more detail. 

  Reusable grocery bags are pretty common in many Canadians’ lives, but there is still a percentage of people who either forget to bring them or do not bother with them whatsoever.  My tip is to keep bags in your car, in your purse and at the front door of your house or apartment so that you never forget them.  They are usually inexpensive and can be bought at most grocery stores or on sites like Amazon.  

  Reusable produce bags are a complete game changer.  They are usually made out of mesh or fabric and allow you to easily complete the produce part of your grocery trip without purchasing plastic.  Of course, there are exceptions and some fruits and vegetables come pre-wrapped in plastic (I’m looking at you, cucumbers!) but the important part is to do your best.  The zero-waste lifestyle is all about doing what you can with the stores and situations that you are presented with because there is only so much you can control as a shopper.   

  Bulk containers, such as mason jars, are great for purchasing all your pantry staples at stores like BulkBarn.  If you’ve never shopped in bulk before, this store will make you feel like a kid in a candy store.  Make sure to bring your containers to the checkout first to be weighed (the weight will be reduced from total cost at the end of your shopping spree).  Then take a stroll through the aisles and choose from a variety of nuts, rice, oats, baking mixes, chocolate, candy, health foods and even nut butters.  Don’t forget to have a running list of the codes corresponding to each food item on your phone so that the employees checking you out can charge you accordingly.  Lastly, a great benefit of shopping in bulk is that you tend to save money and have less food waste because you buy exactly what you need instead of a pre-packaged amount. 

  As you can see, moving towards zero-waste grocery shopping doesn’t have to be overwhelming – it can actually be quite exciting!  Hopefully you feel inspired to begin eliminating unnecessary plastic from your grocery shopping routine and are looking forward to learning more about reducing waste in your life.  Please remember to be patient with yourself and to do your best whenever possible because moving towards being “zero-waste” is not about being perfect!  

  Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ocean-plastic-liberals-fact-check-1.5212632 

   

  Categories: Food, Purchasing, Student Contributor, Sustainability, Waste

• The Climate Strike: A Student’s Perspective

  Thursday, October 03, 2019 | By eharper

  

  Blog Contributor: Erica Harper

  Photo: Master of Sustainability students taking part in St.Catharines Climate Strike on Friday, September 27, 2019.

  Global Week for the Future took place from September 20^th-27^th internationally and featured strikes and marches around the globe to bring awareness to the climate crisis.  The attendees included people from all ages who came in impressive numbers to show their disapproval with the direction in which citizens, governments and corporations have taken our planet.  Most had signs made from recycled pizza boxes and Amazon packages with slogans such as “There is no planet B” and Greta Thunberg’s famous “How dare you?” line.  Reading the signs was entertaining, intriguing and sometimes disturbing, but what really captivated me were the speeches at the St. Catharines strike.

  This was my first march, protest or strike of any kind and I truly did not know what to expect, but I was excited to be attending with peers from my cohort in the Master of Sustainability program.  On Friday morning we took our signs and made our way downtown to the St. Catharines library and were surprised by the number of people who came to rally together.  It was a well-organized event with wonderful speeches from Indigenous women, community leaders, young students and people who felt compelled to speak up in the moment.  With each speech that was delivered, I got more and more emotional about the challenges that we and future generations will face.  That being said, the main message throughout the day was to look inwardly and do what you can in your own life to make small differences each and every day.

  Although it can be quite overwhelming, climate strikes are an opportunity to have our voices heard by politicians and large organizations to prioritize our planet in their various agendas.  That being said, a system change unfortunately takes longer than a personal change and it is important to self-reflect and see what we can alter in our personal lives to make our planet a greener place.

  After my experience at my first Climate Strike, I am even more motivated to learn as much as possible about Sustainability Science to make my positive mark on this planet.

  Tags: Climate Strike
  Categories: Climate Strike, Student Contributor, Study Sustainability at Brock, Sustainability at Brock