My Favourite Green Things for 2020 #shopsmall #YEGlocal
The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on EVERYONE, but it has been particularly tough for small business owners. When people are trying to avoid going out to shop, it becomes all too easy to order from Amazon or other online retailers that have lots of different stuff in one place.
It has been very encouraging to see that support for small and local businesses has been a consistent message through this pandemic. I hope that you will join me in shopping small, and shopping local (these favourites are Edmonton-based).
Not only are these shops and brands small, locally owned businesses, they are also passionate about the environment. I am thrilled that my community has makers and innovators with zero-waste lifestyles in mind.
I switched to bar soaps many years ago, after the realization that liquid soaps in plastic bottles were contributing to so much waste. (Yes, you can potentially recycle them, but did you know that "only nine per cent of the 3.2 million tonnes of plastic waste Canadians produce each year is recycled"? - stat from Circular Economy Month Canada.)
When I started looking into bar soaps, I wanted to make sure that there weren't any funky ingredients, since I have sensitive skin, and also because I try to avoid toxic chemicals as much as possible. I found that many soaps are made with palm oil, which is a controversial ingredient in the eco-conscious sphere because of the deforestation issues surrounding it.
When I got the opportunity to try Soap So Co. and meet the owners, I was really grateful that one of the very first things they told me was that they only use SUSTAINABLY GROWN and ETHICALLY SOURCED palm oil (by RSPO standards). I also love their paper only packaging. What's most amazing is that these soaps are beautiful works of art. I never thought I'd get so excited about looking at a bar of soap. Seriously. I now always have a fresh one on the bathroom countertop because just looking at it makes me feel good!
Soap So Co. uses essential oils or fragrance oils (only phthalate free fragrances) in their products, and every one I've tried smells amazing. I'm pretty picky about fragrances as well, because I get sick from strong chemical fragrances like those in typical cleaning products. I find that Soap So Co. soaps smell lovely, but are not overpowering. And most importantly, they are sooooo nice for our skin!! Luxurious and moisturizing, not drying out at all. Cherry Almond and Sunsets are my favourites, Transcend is my husband's, and Lavender Dream is my daughter's.
Side note: They do also offer liquid soap options and guess what - they come in GLASS containers! No plastic!! LOVE!!!
You can find Soap So Co. products around Edmonton at the Bountiful Farmers Market (open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays), Re:Plenish, Good Goods Co, Majesty and Friends, The Makers Keep, and many other local shops.
Plastic-free haircare was something I started getting into about 2 years ago, and when I first heard about Jack59, I was already happy with using the few brands I typically purchased. I kept hearing people rave about Jack59 though, and since they are a local Edmonton brand, I thought I should give them a try to see if they were better than what I was using. And WOW. They are so much better than what I was using!! I was shocked at the difference!!
It's awesome that they carry bars for all different kinds of hair - and they really are different! My daughter has super thick hair and the Citrus Shine bars work the best for her. I have found that her long thick hair is WAY easier to brush now that she's switched (and now she can actually brush her own hair - she used to complain because it hurt, and I would have to brush it through many tears), and we no longer have to use loads of hair detangler. I have fine hair and I was finding that the other bars I tried would end up leaving build up in my hair. I have now been using the Amplify bars, and my hair is sooooo much better! My husband, who has never used conditioner, uses the Jacked 3 in 1 bar (which can be used on the whole body and for shaving!).
I really appreciate that Jack59 walks the talk in terms of zero waste - no excessive packaging, and any packaging that is used is paper. If I buy straight from them online and do local pickup, I receive my bars in a paper bag with no other packaging. To me, this speaks volumes about their zero waste mission!
I have definitely become a Jack59 convert and won't use any other hair bars!
You can find Jack59 products around Edmonton at the Bountiful Farmers Market (open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays), Re:Plenish, The Makers Keep, Earth's General Store, and many other local shops.
When I found out about Re:Plenish opening in Edmonton, I was SOOOO excited. In case you're not familiar with it, it is a zero waste refillery and retail shop, located in the Ritchie area of Edmonton. They stock some of my favourite zero waste brands like PLANTiful Apothecary, Soap So Co., and Jack59, AND they have many liquid refillable products as well! The store encourages you to bring in your clean containers (can be ANY containers!) to refill, and carry lovely glass containers you can buy as well. I have gotten so many different things from here, including sunscreen, body lotion, dishwasher tabs, Swedish dish cloths, dishwashing cloths, bamboo bandages, bubble tea silicone straws and lids - and there is so much more! It's so exciting that there are so many zero waste products in one stop, and they are always bringing in new products.
They are open for in-store customers, but they offer delivery and curb-side pickup as well!
I've written a few posts about how much I love LAMOSE water bottles - they are the only totally plastic-free bottles I know of! They started out in Edmonton and are now based out of Calgary, but when they were still in Edmonton I had many personalized water bottles made for family!
Since they started out, LAMOSE has branched out beyond just water bottles (which are pretty amazing already. They keep cold drinks cold for 24 hours and hot drinks hot for 12 hours. And they contain ZERO plastic, just stainless steel and silicone!). You can also get insulated mugs and tumblers, and now even thermoses! I love that they have different sizes so you can get the size that's right for you.
And of course, the most fun part - you can personalize your LAMOSE product HOWEVER YOU WANT! You can get a simple name engraved, a logo, a drawing, or even a photograph! The customer service is so excellent - they send you an image of what your product will look like, and tweak it so it's perfect BEFORE doing the engraving. If you get the chance to visit them in person, you can even watch the engraving!
These are truly amazing quality products - all of my LAMOSE bottles still look gorgeous and brand new.
You can visit them online, or in-person at SouthCentre Mall in Calgary, AB.