With an estimated 8 million tons of plastic disposed of in oceans every year, plastic waste in the world's waterways has become a truly global problem. According to the Ocean Conservancy, over half of the plastic that ends up in our oceans come from five countries - China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam - a result of rapidly growing economies and consumer demand, which have not yet been met with sustainable waste-management systems.   In recognition of this growing epidemic, TerraCycle created The TerraCycle Global Foundation. With  financial support from The PepsiCo Foundation, the company's philanthropic arm, the TerraCycle Global Foundation is a dedicated public charity on a mission to dramatically reduce the volume of marine debris and plastic waste found in the world's waterways.   "Tackling plastic waste is vital for both environmental protection and economic development in communities across the world," said Jon Banner, EVP Global Communications and President, The PepsiCo Foundation. "At PepsiCo, we take very seriously our commitment to building a world where plastic need never become waste. We are proud to be the angel investor to create the TerraCycle Global Foundation, helping to catalyze funding others and enable the recovery of tons of plastic waste from our waters."   The TerraCycle Global Foundation's work is actively underway in Thailand, where the TerraCycle Thai Foundation, a locally registered independent non-profit, is collaborating with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR). The foundation has installed river plastic capture traps which are designed to increase the amount of debris and marine plastics that are collected from Thai waterways, thereby intercepting it before it reaches and pollutes the ocean. The devices are part of the DMCR's project to integrate action and participation into marine debris management.   Through its relationships with regional waste management companies, as well as TerraCycle's larger network of research and development, and logistical and processing partners, the foundation will sustainably recycle not only the waste collected through its own collection devices and efforts, but also the waste collected by all the other organizations participating in the Thai government's marine debris management program. The end goal is to use recycled waste to create materials that can be incorporated in various applications, from primary packaging for major global brands to applications such as road or construction materials.   With plans to expand to local communities throughout central and Southeast Asia where local waste management systems are overwhelmed, the TerraCycle Global Foundation is working to implement a multi-collaborator, circular system of solutions designed to clean up waterways, increase waste collection and capture more recyclable material. The foundation will also be educating local communities on how their behaviors impact their environment and ways to prevent and reduce plastic pollution.

The ugly truth about beauty products is that disposing of the detritus they create isn’t easy. For one thing, mascara tubes, foundation sponges and anything else that could be contaminated by microbes or bacteria is actually considered a biohazard, which means you shouldn’t even throw it in the regular garbage.   Beyond that, most cosmetic containers can’t be recycled, even if they’re made of plastic or glass. Blue bin guidelines generally “do not include any material that has liquids, and that can contaminate other materials in the bin,” says Ernel Simpson, a V.P. at TerraCycle, a New Jersey-based company that has branded itself the go-to for all things “unrecyclable.”   Luckily, TerraCycle offers a few beauty-disposal options. Empties from its partners—Burt’s Bees, Bausch + Lomb, DECIEM, eos, Gillette, Tom’s of Maine and Weleda—can be dropped off at those stores, or sent directly to the recycling company for free.         Devotees of other brands can purchase a Zero Waste Box, fill it up with cleaned out lotion bottles and lipgloss tubes, and send it over to the company for recycling. (There are also Zero Waste boxes for everything from plastic snack packaging to cigarette butts and used chewing gum.)   Here, a few other companies trying to help green your cosmetic disposal routine.       The beauty giant was thinking about recycling well before it was trendy. Its Back-to-M.A.C. program dates back to the 1980s: customers who bring in six empty M.A.C. makeup containers receive a free standard lipstick, lipgloss or small eyeshadow. The brand says it reuses more than 100,000 pounds of material in the U.S. and Canada each year, and anything that cannot be reused is incinerated at waste-to-energy facilities.         A partnership with TerraCycle makes L’Occitane a convenient drop-off hub: customers who bring in empty beauty containers from any brand receive 10 percent off during their store visit. The brand has also pledged that every single one of its bottles will be made of 100 per cent recycled plastic by 2025.       The eco-conscious company’s goal is to get naked—a bunch of its products, from shampoo to body lotion, are sold entirely packaging-free. Last year, customers bought two million shampoo bars, keeping millions of plastic bottles out of landfills or the ocean. Liquid products come in the brand’s signature black pots, made from 100 per cent recycled plastic. Customers who return five empty pots get a free face mask.         Another TerraCycle partner, the Body Shop’s Return. Recycle. Repeat. program collects empty packaging from any brand for recycling at all of its Canadian locations (excluding products marked flammable or hazardous, such as perfumes). Bonus: club members get $10 worth of points when they bring back five Body Shop brand containers. It also launched a program last May to buy plastic waste collected in Bengaluru, India, which is recycled into shampoo and conditioner bottles.         Everyone from B.C. to Manitoba can take advantage of this Western chain’s extensive recycling program, available at all of its stores. Makeup isn’t accepted, but small beauty appliances such as hair dryers and curling irons are, as is most packaging, like the hard plastic and Styrofoam that cradles products bought online, as well as batteries and lightbulbs. In the last 10 years, the Canadian retailer has recycled more than 113 million pounds of waste—enough to fill two container ships.  

When Alex Grima was a youngster her first fragrance was Daisy by Marc Jacobs.   “Once you’re younger and also you’ve used up that first bottle you don’t need to throw it out as a result of it’s so stunning and you’ve got an emotional connection to it,” says Grima. “You find yourself lugging it round in your bag or hoarding it in your toilet.”   If Grima had needed to eliminate the bottle sustainably, she would have had an issue. Like many magnificence merchandise, the fragrance is available in an advanced packaging – plastic, glass and metallic – that can be hard to recycle. However it was a keeper and “it’s that sense of permanence and worth that we need to join with at this time”.   “We” is Grima and Sue Tuttle, who’ve drawn on these teenage recollections to create a refillable magnificence retailer in Sydney. Australia’s magnificence business is taking steps in the direction of extra accountable disposal for packaging. Jurlique, Biome and Innisfree all have partnerships with the recycling firm TerraCycle, and provide reductions in alternate for empty packaging. MAC Cosmetics’ “Again to MAC” program rewards recyclers with free lipstick.   As the primary high-end recycle magnificence idea retailer in Australia, Foile goals to push these initiatives additional by eliminating disposable packaging.   “Magnificence and skincare is such a excessive consumption business: you employ your face wash and out it goes, you employ your make-up and out it goes,” says Grima. “So many merchandise are packaged in plastic so there’s additionally a excessive environmental affect, however it doesn’t should be that method. If we swap to refillable vessels we will save as much as 70% of the waste that results in landfill.”   Australia has reasonably priced choices for low-packaging and refillable magnificence merchandise, like The Supply, Scoop and Lush, however Folie goals to really feel luxurious – much less hemp fisherman’s pants, extra Stella McCartney. The shop is lined with inexperienced tiles, and visiting it looks like stepping inside an costly aquarium, not a wholefoods retailer.   Excessive-end refillable magnificence is a rising motion all over the world, with New York perfume model Le Labo and French bodycare model L’Occitane providing the service in its shops, whereas the whole line by Danish make-up artist Kirsten Kjaer Weis consists of refillable compacts.   “It’s the identical mannequin we’ve seen in bulk meals that’s now shifting into different markets equivalent to cleansing merchandise to advertise zero waste and minimise packaging,” says Grima. Within the Bondi seaside retailer you’ll discover glass bottles and tubs that may be crammed from 14 totally different oils, gels and clays – working from marula, jojoba and rosehip oils to sea salts, blue clay and rosewater – as a part of the corporate’s Foile Classics vary. Prospects are inspired to combine and match the substances to go well with their magnificence regimens. A 60ml bottle of Moroccan argan oil prices $37 however as soon as the bottle is bought, refills are simply $22, which makes the Folie Classics vary barely cheaper than masstige magnificence manufacturers like The Odd.   Launching a retailer the place the main target is on sharing, touching and sampling has been complicated within the pandemic. Grima and Tuttle had spent 18 months engaged on their refillable idea when Covid-19 hit. “We needed to take into account whether or not our enterprise mannequin would even be viable within the modified local weather however I’m glad we persevered,” says Grima.   All refills are executed back-of-house in a managed and sanitised setting and Grima is quietly assured aware customers will nonetheless come via her doorways.   “We’ve all spent numerous time at dwelling and as we emerge again into the world it’s an opportunity to rethink our behaviours and undertake new ones,” she says. “Folks need to use cosmetics and skincare however they don’t need to really feel dangerous about it.”

If you haven't heard of Saie, you will soon. Since launching last September, the clean beauty brand has rapidly attracted a feverish level of enthusiasm for its affordable, luxury-quality offerings that supply glowing skin, lustrous lips, and long, full lashes without any (and we mean any) toxic ingredients. What's more, with a just-announced new round of seed funding led by Unilever—also joined by goop founder and wellness guru Gwyneth Paltrow—Saie is primed to become even more of a player in a market that’s expected to reach $22 billion by 2024.   Launching an accessible line with clean formulations, sustainability, and transparency as key pillars—and having it deliver by today's standards—is no small feat, but for Saie founder and CEO Laney Crowell, it was the "only way to create the brand she wanted to see herself." Having spent five years as an executive at Estée Lauder, and founding her own wellness website The Moment, Crowell was inspired to launch Saie when, after seeking to detox her lifestyle, she realized there was a dearth of clean makeup products that "performed, looked cool, and weren't too expensive." Crowell began by recruiting some of her former Estée Lauder team members, including Sarah Tallman to lead product development, who was already on a personal journey towards clean living after being diagnosed with breast cancer, and Tina Gu to oversee finance and business development. With Crowell also enlisting the help of her friend and wellness influencer Geri Hirsch as creative director, Saie's first collection of hero products—tinted lip balm, mascara, brow gel, and an eyelash curler—launched in the fall, free of 2,000 harmful and irritating ingredients commonly found in cosmetics.           Clean mascaras tend to leave much to be desired, so it's no surprise that Saie's Mascara 101, which harnesses beeswax, shea butter, and quickgrass extract in an inky formula that doesn't flake or smudge, has become an instant cult favorite. And rest assured, formulas that both perform and impart nourishing benefits is a common theme throughout the range. "I wanted Saie products to be the things people needed but couldn’t find clean alternatives for; things like mascara, lip gloss, and highlighter," explains Crowell. "And then we decided to take it a step further, and make products that aren’t just exciting in the clean world, but that disrupt all of beauty with highlighters that aren’t stroby, just simply cool; lipgloss that’s a treatment too; mascara that gives you that super chic look and is crazy nourishing." For the lips, there's the lightly tinted everyday Liquid Lip Balm, infused with squalene, beeswax, and coconut oil, or Really Great Gloss, loaded with juicy, plumping, and hydrating hyaluronic acid, coconut milk, sunflower butter, and grape-seed oil. For a sun-kissed skin effect, there's glossy sheen-imparting Dew Balm highlighter, laced with hydrating fatty acids and calming marshmallow root, and illuminating Glowy Super Gel, which utilizes plant-derived glycerin, brightening vitamin C, and antioxidant-rich rosehip seed oil. A new bronzed shade named Sunglow, meanwhile, came as a suggestion from their community.       Just as important as their consciously-crafted formulas are their sustainable, yet stylish and shelfie-inspiring packaging, which was designed in partnership with TerraCycle. "I wanted Saie to have chic, fashionable branding and packaging so you’d be excited to see it in your makeup bag," explains Crowell. "It was a lot to take into consideration, especially since we’re so focused on sustainability, and I drove my team nuts, but I was just tired of compromising in one place or another and I was hearing from so many others that they were, too." Moreover, Crowell hopes that the solutions they've innovated will have ripple effects within the industry. "My hope is that bringing big beauty expertise to the clean market, like performance and packaging, changes the way people think about clean beauty," she says. "I believe it’s the only way forward for ourselves and the planet."         So what's next for nine-month-old Saie with more funding, and Paltrow throwing even more weight behind the brand's mission after goop became its first exclusive retailer at launch? Product development, retail expansion, and marketing, says Crowell. As far as the latter is concerned, there will continue to be a major emphasis on community engagement, with an open dialogue to facilitate two-way feedback. And while inclusivity has been a focus from the beginning, from the brand's campaign stars to its collaborators and paid influencers, Crowell is continuously looking for new ways to ensure their customer base sees themselves in the brand. "We’re, of course, still working on ways where we can be better, but our community holds us accountable," she explains, adding that Saie is launching their first complexion category next month, and that a “complexion crew” of community members was established to help guide the shade creation. "We can’t claim to be a brand that’s both good for people and good for the planet without being a brand that supports and takes action for all races, genders, and sizes."

What’s for lunch? Can I have a snack? Two things every parent will hear and have to plan for all summer long. And with back-to-school only two months away, planning for school lunches is just around the corner. Don’t despair, you’ve got this! With the right tools and some dedicated time to kid-friendly meal prepping, you can make the best kids lunches ever – all year round! When it comes to planning for kids snacks and lunches, food and meal prep is your friend. Taking a few hours once or twice weekly to prepare for the rest of the days of the week will help make lunches stress-free.

With planes grounded, roads clear, emissions slashedand less noise and light pollution, at first it seemed the coronavirus pandemic might have an environmental benefit. But now the temporary respite is over and, as we venture back outside, it is clear that in other ways, things have got worse. Online shopping (with its excess packaging), disposable masks and gloves, the manufacture of visors and screens and an increase in takeaway food and drink have meant a boom in plastic just as people were starting to wake up to its environmental impact. The International Solid Waste Association estimates that single-use plastic has grown by up to 300% in the US. Some of it is necessary for now – the disposable personal protective equipment (PPE) that health and care workers use, for instance – but for the rest of us, if we are to live with this pandemic for the foreseeable future, it’s probably time to get into better habits. Here is some advice from experts.

Do good for the planet and animals while looking good with these cruelty-free, vegan, non-toxic, and environmentally sustainable makeup, skincare, and hair care brands sold at Sephora. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many amazing cruelty-free & vegan-friendly beauty brands available at Sephora are also committed to social, environmental, and sustainable practices. Whether it’s developing non-toxic and clean formulas that are more gentle on our skin and our waterways or choosing to use responsibly and sustainably sourced ingredients with respect to the welfare of the workers, protecting the planet and its resources, as well as, supporting local communities. But it doesn’t stop there. In addition to using sustainably sourced and natural ingredients, these eco-friendly makeup and beauty brands are also dedicated to reducing our reliance and overconsumption of single-use plastic that often end up in the landfill or our oceans. To be part of the solution, these ethical cosmetics companies are committed to using minimal packaging either made of recycled materials and/or recyclable components including FSC-certified paper derived from responsibly managed forests. Of course, it goes without saying that no beauty brand is perfect so although their efforts to creating sustainable makeup and cosmetics products are being recognized and appreciated, there’s always going to be ways to improve and do better. But it’s a step in the right direction and I think it’s important to highlight these conscious beauty brands doing good things.

Green Venture is committed to educating Hamiltonians about sustainable living  and reducing our city’s climate vulnerability. We have created this blogpost (and an exciting giveaway!) to cover some of the common mistakes made by residents when sorting their waste and highlight some potential solutions and strategies for improvement. While individual actions are not enough on their own to create change for the planet, they are the first step towards larger changes and are worth undertaking.   In addition to properly sorting your waste, this blogpost, and more content this month, will focus on practical ways to reduce and repurpose waste in your daily life. These two practices go hand in hand, but we know that it can feel daunting and overwhelming to make so many changes. We are hoping to make the process easier and give you some incentive to get started! We are hosting a community contest for the month of August focused on waste reduction and sorting! Details are included at the end of this post. As with anything related to waste reduction, the best practice is simply to try your best. It is likely that none of us can produce zero waste but any efforts to reduce and reuse are still important.   Why does it matter? The facts about waste in Hamilton.  

• 52% of recycling from apartment buildings ends up in landfill because of contamination or improper sorting.
• Almost everything from city parks/bus stop recycling bins ends up in landfill due to contamination.
• Approximately 25% of materials from residential recycling bins in Canada are too contaminated to be recycled and still end up in landfill and only 9% of all plastics are actually recycled.
• The majority of our organic waste still ends up in landfills each year, despite being compostable.
• These stats are why we, at Green Venture, have created this resource for Hamiltonians to easily assess what they can do to improve their waste disposal habits. We’ve broken it down into common mistakes (and what to do instead), the process of implementing the 5 R’s of waste, and how you can incorporate these changes into your life.

  Common mistakes and what to do instead  

• Wishcycling by guessing which bin an item might go in based on where you think it should go or putting a recyclable/compostable item into the garbage because you aren’t sure where it goes.

Instead: Download the city’s recycle coach app to search any item you are concerned about to find out where it goes. This is a quick and easy way to check any item you’re concerned about. Right now, there are changes to what might go into your compost because of COVID-19 concerns. For example, tissues and napkins are currently going into the garbage. We have also included graphics in this post detailing what goes into your recycling, compost, and yard waste bins.  

• Putting ‘contaminated’ (not washed or greasy) containers or jars into your recycling bins.

Instead: Clean your containers! Materials that have residue on them can contaminate the containers or paper around them, making the entire bin unusable and ultimately destine them for landfill. To avoid this, put greasy paper such as pizza boxes into your green bin instead of paper recycling. Rinse out your containers and jars before putting them into the recycling bin so they don’t contaminate the other containers around them. By rinsing containers and sorting out oily paper, your recycling will be much easier to process.    

• Putting recyclables in bags or not sorting them into two separate bins.

Instead: Similar to the last mistake, this practice can cause problems at the recycling facility. In Hamilton we have a two stream system which means paper and containers have to be separated. Mixing paper and plastic into one recycling bin or bag can mean it will ultimately end up in a landfill. If you have concerns about sorting your recycling, you can visit the city’s website to see what goes where or follow the graphics we’ve provided for each.    

• Putting yard waste into your green bin, i.e. sticks, leaves, plant matter.

Instead: Rather than going into the green bin, yard waste (organic materials from outside your home) in Hamilton must be placed into a brown paper bag OR a hard plastic garbage bin with no lid and a yard waste sticker on the side. Stickers can be picked up at any Municipal Service Centre or Recreation Centre. Yard waste can go out with your garbage each week.      

• Putting compostable items in the garbage, causing them to build up in landfills without the ability to break down. 

Instead: If you do not have a green bin you can request one here. If you’re unsure about what goes into the green bin you can download the city’s recycle coach app or follow the graphic we have provided below. The more we compost, the less will end up in landfills.     Do you do any of these things? Take a look through your green and recycling bins to see if you find any of these mistakes!   The 5 R’s and how they fit in   Building on what we’ve learned about recycling and composting, the next section of this blogpost will ask you to examine your waste behaviours more broadly and give some suggestions for how they can change.   You may be familiar with the 3 R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle. The 5 R’s is an expansion of that – refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot. It is a framework for looking at your needs and determining what changes you can make to your life based on those needs. We’ve taken each of these concepts and explained how they fit into waste management in your home and reducing waste in your life more generally. We know this isn’t an overnight process, but rather an ongoing self-assessment which takes a lot of hard work so don’t feel pressured to master all of these but rather take the ones that fit into your life and slowly implement them. Each component has a suggested action item and we encourage you to see if those changes feel right for you.     Refuse: In addition to proper recycling and composting, it is good practice to refuse the things you do not need. Oftentimes we are offered things for convenience, i.e. freebies at an event, extra sauces and plastic utensils with takeout, flyers, etc. It seems silly to turn down something free but next time this happens, ask yourself; do you need it? Is it going to add value to your life? If yes, then absolutely take it! If no, leave it behind.  

• Action: go through your junk mail and junk emails – are there any you can unsubscribe from?
• Action: bring your own container and utensils when eating out or on the go to avoid takeout waste.

  Reduce: The next R is for reducing your waste. This doesn’t mean you have to purge your whole house but instead gradually find ways where you can swap in more Earth-friendly solutions. A good place to start might be our zero waste swaps in our social media, which show easy swaps you can make over time in your life.  

• Action: try out a zero waste swap for a week to see how you do. This could be using dish towels rather than paper towels or bar soap rather than liquid soap.
• Action: use up your existing products before buying a new one, see if there is a lower waste option for that product, for example a shampoo bar or dryer balls.

  Reuse or Repurpose: Rather than the single-use of a product, think about whether there is a way you can give it a new life. Upcycling is a great way of reusing your household items before recycling them.  

• Action: Turning worn out clothes into kitchen rags.
• Action: Repair clothes, shoes, electronics, rather than throwing them out.
• Action: Upcycle jars and containers for a new purpose. For example, empty pasta jars work great when bringing your own container for shopping at the Mustard Seed Co-op or Dundurn Market.
• Action: For those with children, use empty containers and scrap paper for crafts. Egg cartons make great dragons and used paper can be used again for colouring.

  Recycle: This one is fairly self explanatory. This component emphasizes recycling everything that can possibly be recycled rather than putting it in the garbage. This is not just limited to plastics and papers but clothes, housewares, beds, toys. See if there is somewhere in the city (or even a neighbour on Facebook Marketplace) that will take it rather than tossing it in the garbage.  

• Action: audit your waste for common mistakes listed above.
• Action: use the recycle coach app to find out what goes where.
• Action: see if something you’re getting rid of is being asked for, for example, used children’s toys can go to https://tinytoyco.com/
• Action: search TerraCycle to see if they’ll accept the item you’re hoping to get rid of.

  Rot: This R means actively composting organic waste rather than putting it into the garbage. In Hamilton, you can compost pretty much any organic material. If you need a green bin or are wondering what can go in it, visit the city website here. If you want to take a more hands on approach to composting, you can create your own worm composter.  

• Action: use your green bin for organic waste.
• Action: use a yard waste bin for outdoor organic waste.
• Action: investigate having your own compost, either outside or inside (with worms).

  What you can do now   Hopefully the information from this post has you thinking about what you can do to improve your waste management! If it has, we have compiled a list of actions you can take now in order to do so.  

1. Learn how to correctly sort your waste by measuring yourself based on some of the common mistakes we have listed above. Are you making those common mistakes?
2. Download the city’s recycle coach app for detailed information about where items should be sorted as well as updates about changes to service and pickup schedules.
3. Have the city audit your waste! Sign up to have them check your recycling bins, compost, and garbage to win a gold bin!
4. Show us how you’re doing! Green Venture will be hosting a contest from August 1-17 to encourage waste reduction and proper sorting.

Giveaway Information!

  We know that implementing the 5 R’s in your life and properly sorting waste can be hard, so we’ve partnered with businesses from the EcoHamilton collective to put together a reward for that work. This month, when you tag Green Venture in a photo of you sorting your waste correctly, trying out one of the 5 R action items, or doing a zero waste swap, you will be entered into our giveaway!   To enter:

1. Follow @green_venture and @ecohamilton.
2. Like the Green Venture Instagram announcement post.
3. Tag @green_venture and use #GVWaste101 in a photo or story or send us an email of a zero waste swap, 5 R action or waste management change you’ve made (each photo/story counts as an entry).

  Here is a little bit of information about each of the businesses that have donated to our giveaway!   Park Market: Park Market & Refillery provides low-waste living solutions to consumers and businesses. They carry refillable home and body care products to help folks skip on single-use plastic and packaging. Currently, they provide contact-free delivery service and host pop-shops. They also have a permanent refill station at The Painted Bench on Ottawa Street in Hamilton and have a small storefront coming soon! You can learn more at www.parkmarketandrefillery.com or by giving them a follow at @parkmarketandrefillery. They’re giving away compostable patch bandages and a $25 gift card.   Waste Knot Co: Waste Knot makes sustainable textile pieces like bags and scrunchies from scrap fabric from local GTHA designers that would otherwise end up in landfill. You can follow them at @wasteknotco. They’re giving away a medium scrunchie and a produce bag.   Earthology: Earthology handcraft organic beeswax wraps, as well as a 100% vegan (plant-based) version. ⁠Their beeswax is all locally sourced and sustainably harvested from small independent beekeepers and their vegan wraps use only eco plant based waxes. Earthology Wraps are designed to keep foods fresh up to 8 times longer! You can follow them at @earthologyfoodwraps and check out their website at https://earthologywraps.com. They’re giving away a 3 pack of Beeswax Food Wraps.   All Wrapped Up: @allwrappedupto focuses on eco-friendly events and activities for kids. They focus on reducing the amount of waste at kids parties through decor rentals and low waste activities. Nature play and talking about the environment from a young age is a fantastic way to prepare the next generation to protect our planet. You can find them at https://allwrappedupevents.ca/ and at @allwrappedupto. One of @allwrappedupto newest activities for kids is their summer nature craft kit and our giveaway includes the bug hotel craft kit. Kids will learn why bugs are important to the garden and how a bug hotel works to protect them from harsh weather.   Mrs. Greenway: Mrs Greenway is a retail store with a focus on making sustainable living simple and accessible. They focus on eco friendly products for every aspect of your life (think clothing, household products, kids toys, litterless lunches and cleaning and personal care products). Their stores also include a refillery with over 40 products for cleaning, laundry and body care – bring any container in for refill and cut down on your waste.Their mission is to provide education to the communities that they serve and encourage others to make small changes in their lives to make large impacts. You can find out more online at https://www.mrsgreenway.ca/ or at @mrs_greenway. They are giving away a Colibri silicone straw set and a $20.00 gift card.    The Glass Jar Refillery: The Glass Jar is a new refillery opening in Hamilton that will carry a range of Canadian-made personal care products and household needs – made from ingredients that are ethically and locally sourced, plant-based and safe for the whole family. You can find them online at https://glassjarrefillery.ca/ or at @theglassjar.refillery. They are giving away a surprise zero waste product!   The Pale Blue Dot: The Pale Blue Dot is your one-stop shop for sustainable living, providing you with safe, high-quality, ethically-sourced, earth-friendly alternatives to plastic and single-use products! You can follow them at @thepalebluedotshop or online at https://thepalebluedotshop.com/. They’re giving away a 3 pack of reusable produce bags.   The winner will be contacted by DM on Instagram on August 17 and will have 24 hours to claim. Prize will be picked up from EcoHouse in Hamilton. Entries are limited to residents of the Hamilton area. This post is in no way associated with Instagram or Facebook. Good luck!   Resources and further reading:   https://www.hamilton.ca/government-information/trust-and-confidence-report/solid-waste-management-profile https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/the-sunday-edition-for-april-21-2019-1.5099057/why-your-recycling-may-not-actually-get-recycled-1.5099103 https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilton-region/2019/03/26/tower-trash-half-of-hamilton-apartment-recyclables-ending-up-in-the-dump.html https://www.flamboroughreview.com/news-story/9862101-all-recyclables-collected-in-hamilton-parks-end-up-in-the-dump/ https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/organic-waste-composting-1.5291132 https://www.hamilton.ca/government-information/news-centre/news-releases/most-common-recycling-mistakes-and-how-residents