| By Sydney Soederburg & Neha Gill | November 1, 2021 |
Currently, it’s almost impossible to avoid plastics and other single-use materials, but a local shop in Kingston is helping people find a way.
Unknown to many Canadians, only 9% of the 3 million tonnes of plastic waste we throw away is recycled, and approximately 29,000 tonnes of plastic ends up in our natural environment (1). Plastic makes up 80% of the pollution in the Great Lakes, polluting a water source that supports over 40 million people - and according to The Globe and Mail, it is possible that microplastics are already inside our bodies (2). And it’s not just us. 90% of seabirds have ingested plastic, causing around a million deaths per year. Fish also ingest copious amounts of plastic, which eventually fills space used to digest nutritious food, starving them to death (3).
Being one of the most extreme pollution crises our planet has yet to face,
many feel overwhelmed in the wake of this mass destruction. But small changes by individuals will kickstart the fight against our plastic pandemic, and shops like Verde Alternatives are sowing the seeds of change.
Run by a mother and daughter, Laurie and Sarah, this local eco-friendly store is helping people make small adjustments in their daily life to reduce plastic use. The duo has over 25 years of combined experience in business, a Master’s Degree researching Small Businesses and a degree in Global Development Studies. They have employed these skills to create a store filled with environmentally friendly options for all of your daily needs
Some examples of alternatives that Verde offers are bamboo toothbrushes, beeswax wraps and wool dryer balls. National Geographic has found that every toothbrush ever made still exists today. They can be found in our landfills, our oceans and within animals that mistook them for food (4).
Bamboo toothbrushes work and look exactly like regular toothbrushes - just without the plastic. Therefore, everything (except the biobased bristles) is compostable. Plastic film, such as plastic wrap and plastic bags, make up 19% of plastic waste (5). Beeswax wraps, which can be used as an alternative for plastic wrap, are compostable. Another replacement Verde offers are natural wool dryer balls. This Canadian-sourced product can be used for over 500 loads of laundry, has no chemicals or dyes and will not scent the clothes. These are only a few examples of the environmentally friendly products that Verde sells.
Not only do Laurie and Sarah sell eco-friendly alternatives, the pair prioritizes buying locally and regionally. By doing so, they support the local economy and reduce carbon emissions caused by importing products internationally.
You can find Verde Alternatives on 123 Princess St, across from the Dollar Tree and Send in the Clowns. If going in person is not an option, they have a user-friendly website where all of the products are displayed. For each of their products, Verde includes a list of ingredients and clarification on what makes the items sustainable. They take orders for pickup or delivery within a 40km radius. In order to help the Earth and reduce plastic waste, start by choosing environmentally friendly alternatives and shop at businesses that have the same goal.
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