In the age of mass consumption and excessive packaging, being mindful of the environment and reducing waste can seem like a daunting task. We are far from perfect, but we have been implementing a few tactics into our daily lives that are simple and cost-effective. Here are a few things that we do to help set a foot in the right direction... because "There is no Planet B!"

Our packaging - We mail the goods that we sell in very simple packaging. Our apparel is wrapped in 1 sheet of tissue with a small sticker to seal it to protect the garment but also keep the packaging minimal and not leave you with a pile of trash to throw away. We are always looking for new ideas and suggestions to improve our methods since we are a new business! We're designers so we want things to look good too, but without going overboard.

Our home life - We are both busy Mom's so excess waste at home is not only bad for the environment, it's a burden on us who are cleaning up after kids and maintaining a household. A few things we do:

• Stainless steel straws - If you haven't heard about the impact on our planet from plastic straws you need to read up on this! Greenmunch.ca (left image) sells them, plus other sustainable goods. You can also use glass straws.
  
   
  
  
• Reusable cotton cosmetic pads and ecocloths - use a few times and simply throw in with the laundry. No one-time use throw away waste and no store-bought plastic packaging. Also, waaaay cheaper you guys! We sell our own reusable eco-cloths (Camp Cloth) in the shop. They eliminate makeup with just water, don't collect odours and are fast drying. Perfect for at home and especially on road trips and camping!
  
  
  
  
• Storage:
  • We reuse glass jars and bottles for everything! Snacks/bulk foods, work/on-the-go lunches, summer patio drinks, and the kids' treasures. Kelsey likes to juice a week's worth of fresh pressed beverages and store them in used bottles from The Raw House and other juice shops that package in glass.
    
     
    
    
  • We have cut down on plastic containers and plastic wrap usage doing the above and also using our newest find - beeswax wraps! We recommend Goldilocks wraps, made in Victoria BC. They work really well, are super versatile, and smell amazing! Image on far right from goldilockswraps.com
    
      
    
    
  • Shopping: Reusable bags are a must, as well as cotton produce bags and smaller bags for bulk items. Leah is loving her stash from KootSac! (Kootenay-made in New Denver, BC) Image on right from KootSac.com
    
     
    *BONUS: Both KootSac and Goldilocks wraps are so handy with great designs, you may even get a few curious inquiries at your local grocery store from other shoppers!
    
    
• Compost (Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, and Rot!)
• Coffee thermoses or mugs and reusable water bottles (we use the Contigo thermos from Kicking Horse Coffee and a glass Bkr bottle for water.)
  Do you follow @ShprixieLand on Instagram? This East Shore craft duo bring their own mugs with them everywhere! So great.
  
    

Kootenay Co-op has a zero waste shopping guide that you can read here.

A few Instagram accounts that we would suggest:

• Rachel @Into_The_Wild_Homestead
• Nadine @ZeroJourney
• Heidi @PloggingYYC
• Mindfully Sustainable @Mindfully.Sustainable
• NEW! Hoping to stop in here in June @Fulfill_Co (Kimberley, BC)

Any tips or resources you'd like to share? Please do!