Tuesday 8 October 2019

Reuse Ideas for the Kitchen


September is the perfect month for establishing new routines and getting into a groove after the chaos of summer. For me personally, September was also about adjusting to a new home after a big move.

Food, as always, is a big theme in this reorganization period. So, I thought I’d share my favourite ways (as well as some aspirational ways) to reuse everyday items. Ever-present yogurt containers and glass jars aren’t just for leftover lasagna, they can be used proactively to reduce waste!

I love to drink smoothies in the morning and I recently discovered Earth’s General Store on the eastern end of Whyte Ave. Earth’s General Store  encourages customers to use reusable containers for bulk products like nuts and seeds in a similar way to Bulk Barn (my true love). They also carry bulk products like frozen fruit, peanut butter and pierogies. Pierogies are, arguably, unrelated to smoothies, but they’re also my favourite ‘easy meal’ to keep in the freezer. Old ice cream pails or margarine tubs work perfectly for easy-stacking freezer grabs and I am so so excited to be free from the single-use packaging for these staples!

Truth bomb here: I spend way too much time (and probably money) at La Boule. All my time there sipping teas and munching on croissants has made me realize how often I buy bagged bread from the grocery store when I could be pursuing better crafted loaves sans plastic packaging. So here’s the dreamy bit—I’m going to make my own fabric bread bag. Sewing has never been my forte, but I think I’m up for the challenge.  Whether from my own home or from the Reuse Centre, giving old fabrics a new life not only keeps them out of the landfill, it also means that I won’t be wasting plastic bags for my bread on an almost-weekly basis. It might even allow me to visit new bakeries all around the city to find bread for my bread bag!

Last but not least: I’ve grown extremely affectionate about Veg in YEG. For those who have not heard of it, this is an urban farming group near the University of Alberta. They’re great for a couple of reasons: firstly, I can bring my organics and compostables and use their composting facility (thank you!); secondly, they sell incredible produce without the use of wasteful packaging that can be picked up or delivered to nearby areas. They operate on a pay-what-you-want structure which is such an important thing to have so near to the University (and in general). My favourite experience is Nicole showing up to my door with a reusable container full of luscious greens that I simply transfer to my own glass jar for storage. My greens stay fresh for longer and we forgo any wasteful packaging.  Win, win!



My more recent deliveries have included garlic, onions, tomatoes, kale, beets, sage, oregano, thyme and a special blend of herbs for making tea.


Nicole also let me take a sweet rainy-day photo of her--what an actual angel.

Cheers! And happy harvest season.

Photos & Submission by Jess B (Volunteer)


Friday 4 October 2019

Sustainable Fashion in YEG

My name is Jessica (for the purpose of clarification since we now have two Jessica's on the Reuse blogging team, I am Jessica T!) and I'm so excited to get started on sharing my experiences, knowledge, news, and random tidbits of information about reducing waste, recycling, and reusing!

To give a bit of background about me, I'm a third year Professional Communications student at Grant MacEwan University. I've been so lucky to be involved in such an amazing community, where environmental awareness, sustainability, climate change, government, politics, social and cultural issues have been the forefront of discussions during my time as a student. Having been inspired by many dedicated individuals, I decided that volunteering with this blog was the perfect way for me to contribute my voice to this sustainability movement.

During my time as a contributor, I hope to share fascinating and forward-thinking news, information regarding reuse, upcoming or newly-emerged sustainability events happening within our city, and my personal experiences of reuse projects that I will (hopefully) be accomplishing!

To start, I have to share about a great event I attended recently. If you live in Edmonton and are tuned into sustainability news, you've perhaps heard about this one!

The Wardrobe Exchange
(Instagram: @thewardrobeexchangeyeg)

The Wardrobe Exchange YEG describe themselves as a "curated second-hand shopping event that lets you sell + resell clothing and accessories to the public... The Wardrobe Exchange promotes sustainable fashion by championing communal thrift culture." The event is open to all guests and anyone can apply to be a vendor. 

This recent event was only their second held in Edmonton (the first one was in March 2019) and there were already over 200 vendor applicants! It's so great to know that the Edmonton thrift culture is thriving, and events like these just make it so much easier for everyone, even those not familiar or skilled at thrifting (yes, finding worthy goodies at thrift stores takes skill, lots of patience, and a good eye) to partake in and enjoy a one-of-a-kind sustainable shopping experience!

What I love about this event is that it fuels the new generation of sustainability-aware entrepreneurs. One of my friends participated as a first-time vendor and told me that she believes this event was timely, meant-to-be, and an affirmation to start her own consignment business. She had been collecting clothes for years for this purpose, and was finally able to sell most of it at the event! 

Although the next official event date is not available yet, it's reasonable to expect that they'll be back next spring. I believe that as this event continues to grow bigger each year, thrift culture will take on a whole new identity within Edmonton and be a main driving force in reusing fashion! If you are interested in acquiring some unique finds or selling some you have saved, definitely keep an eye out for this in the future. I will be back next month with more stories, news, or ideas to share about Reuse!

- Jessica T (Volunteer)