A different perspective on the Canadian single-use plastic ban

You may have heard that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that single-use plastics will be banned in the country by 2021, including cutlery, grocery bags, and bottles. This coincides with another significant announcement made to amend a policy made back in 2015 to eradicate water scarcity in indigenous communities by 2021—an amendment that informed communities …

An Edmontonian’s Guide to our Local Businesses

What’s environmental about buying local? Typically, no one thinks about the lifecycle of the items we buy in chain stores. It’s convenient and a reasonable price; what else matters? But have you ever though about the emissions it took to place that item on the shelves? How many emissions were released to create, package, then …

eWaste: Don’t swipe left!

Remember the times when we used to write long letters in ink to our grandparents living in a different province, and waited nearly a month to receive a mail-in reply? Do you recall the impeccable thrill of tying a small hand-written note to a messenger pigeon, and expecting it to be delivered at the right …

This is Your Chance to be an Imperfect Vegan.

Being vegan can be super beneficial for our planet. However, the diet is also incredibly intimidating when you first consider making the switch. Realistically, becoming vegan is rarely something that happens overnight, especially from a sustainable point of view (I'm talking to all you university students who have been hoarding miscellaneous frozen chillis in your …

On the Go Plant-Based Options at the Top 5 Fast Food Chains in Canada

Have you ever thought that finding a plant-based meal on the go is too hard? Has that stopped you from becoming more plant-based and/or from wanting to eat more sustainably? From road trips to running late, I’m here to tell you that it’s easier to eat a plant-based and more sustainable meal on the go …

Sustainability and the Gender Spectrum: It’s Hard Being Green

I've been involved with sustainability and practicing green habits for around three years now. In that time, the vast majority of the influencers, friends, colleagues, mentors and peers that I've met have been female. Even Gen Z's most outspoken advocate for climate change, Greta Thunberg, falls into this category. As such, I wondered about the …

Thrift Shopping 101

I used to be the kind of person who would visit the mall at least once a week, and if I wasn't inside the mall I was browsing the shops online. I religiously followed beauty bloggers waiting for them to tell me what the next fashion trend was so that I could buy it. The …

A Sustainable Food Source Everyone is Chirping About

Photograph by Kyoko Hamada. Styled by Todd Knopke. Photographer’s assistant: Jonah Rosenberg. New York Times Many Canadians bristle at the thought of eating insects. When I brought home a packet of dried crickets to try over the holidays, many friends and family were very reluctant to try insects, and some flat out refused. Although the …

Top 8 Countries in Sustainability

The environmental performance index (EPI) ranks countries on 24 indicators related to environmental health and ecosystem vitality. Overall, the EPI reflects how close a country is to achieving their environmental policy goals. Below is an infographic showing the 8 top ranking countries on the EPI. Canada's EPI trails behind the top 8 at 72.18. Source: …

Banking and Sustainability

While it might be a little late to think about New Year's resolutions, there is one part of my life that over the years I have alternately told myself that I should get better at, learn more about, or not worry about because I am still a student, and that is my personal finances. So …