Here is a new way to be environmentally friendly during potty training. The becopotty is made from bamboo and rice husk waste. 

The company Becothings takes the waste material and makes it into a simple but stylish potty that will last for years.  At the end of potty training, the becopotty can be planted in the garden and will biodegrade within a few years. 

Unlike most potties on the market, this one is eco friendly and plastic free!  Buy it in Canada at Ecobotts.

Sara Johnson is a representative of Lalabee Bathworks - a local company that handcrafts skincare products for Mommy & Baby. All their product lines are made in Kelowna using certified organic and natural ingredients.   

 

Health Canada proposed a ban last month on six different phthalates in children's soft toys. A fantastic move, since phthalates are known to cause reproductive harm. They are already banned in such things as soothers but not in something like the yellow rubber ducky, a staple for almost every bath including our own.

Once I removed the two rubber duckies from our tub and everything else that looked like it was possibly made from soft vinyl, I decided to just ban plastic bath toys altogether. 

It took me awhile to come up with some alternatives. I did find a phthalate free duck, made from natural rubber with non-toxic paint and decided on some biodegradable sea sponges for the squish factor. Along with organic cotton wash mits and empty shampoo bottles, we are making out just fine.

Sara Johnson is a representative of Lalabee Bathworks - a local company that handcrafts skincare products for Mommy & Baby. All their product lines are made in Kelowna using certified organic and natural ingredients.  

 

Summer is officially here and it is great to see so many families out enjoying the sunshine.  It always brings up the yearly reminder for sun protection, especially for children. Even one blistering sunscreen can increase a child’s risk of developing skin cancer and most sun damage occurs before age eighteen.

The Slip-Slop-Slap campaign has been underway for awhile now and since it is almost impossible to put sunscreen on a squirming toddler, I find the easiest way to ‘Slip’ on sunscreen is buy using a sun suit. My latest find was a local company that makes cute sun suits for kids.

My two year old picked out a blue Luv Bug creation and has been wearing it the last few weeks. I have to say, she loved it so much it doubled as pajamas for a few days. The added bonus is that the fabric is environmentally friendly (no harsh chemicals) and biodegradable. Some of the other characteristics are that its anti-bacterial, non-toxic and breathable.

The Natural Baby Shop in town also has a wide variety of No Zone sun suits for kids. This is our third summer using sun suits and so far I am happy to say we haven’t had a sunburn.  Of course, the idea is to keep our children safe from the sun and doing what works best for us individually. Now my quest for a hat she’ll keep on her head!

Sara Johnson is a representative of Lalabee Bathworks - a local company that handcrafts skincare products for Mommy & Baby. All their product lines are made in Kelowna using certified organic and natural ingredients. 

 

Canadian Environment Week is from May 31st to June 6th 2009. It's the perfect time to celebrate our achievements and initiatives in tackling climate change and reducing air pollution. You can work on simple changes that contribute to a greener future for everyone.

Here are a few tips to green your lifestyle:

• Buy locally grown food. Take some time to visit local Farmers Markets and learn more about the benefits of choosing locally grown foods! 
• Change at least one light bulb to a compact fluorescent. Those qualified to ENERGY STAR® use about a quarter as much electricity as a conventional light bulb to produce the same amount of light. Compact fluorescents cost a bit more than incandescents, but they last up to ten times longer. 
• Take a walk on the wild side. Go for a day hike on a local nature trail and revel in the beauty and serenity you're trying to preserve for future generations.
• Turn off your computer when you're not using it. A home computer, monitor, and printer can use up to 200 watts of electricity. At both work and home, set your monitor to go into "sleep" mode if it is idle for more than 5 minutes, and your computer to do the same after 15.
• Carry a cloth bag or keep one in your car. Avoid traditional plastic bags in favour of reusable totes. Most plastic bags wind up in landfill sites, where they can take up to a thousand years to biodegrade. A cloth tote is durable, easy to carry and much more eco-friendly!
  

With the New Year approaching rapidly, people may be thinking about resolution ideas, some of which may be to do something positive for the planet. The majority of us know the basics of carpooling, recycling and using CFL bulbs. Here are a few more from our good friend Chris Whitney of Royal LePage.

Single Serving Kettle

Try the new single serve kettle models that boil water for a single cup. If you need to heat water for yourself for a cup of coffee, tea, or soup, these models save energy. It uses the same technology that makes hot water in a drip cofeemaker.

Solar Powered Roof Ventilator

Install solar-powered fans in the attic which remove the hot air that builds up in the attic. This will keep the home cooler in the summer months and reduce your air-conditioning bill and save energy at the same time.

Biodegradable Party Plates and Cutlery

If you are throwing a party, consider biodegradable cutlery that is compostable. Since they are made from organic materials such as corn and not plastic, they can also be used in the microwave. When you are done with them, simply throw them in the compost bin. If you can't have a compost, it may be a good time to start using compost pick up services; Cherry Hill Coffee has a partnership with a local company that does weekly compost pickup.

 

According to Stats Canada, there are approximately 3.5 million dogs in Canada and that equates to alot of doggie poop. The biggest carbon footprint from our best friend is their daily business. The plastic bags used in the cleanup afterwards will be around alot longer then the dogs themselves.

San Francisco, with 120,000 dogs (more than children), collects 6,500 tonnes of doggie waste. A waste management company Norcal, collects the dog poop and converts it into energy using an aerobic digester that converts it to methane gas. The remains from the "digestion process" is used as compost for agriculture and the methane gas can be burned to produce electricity.

What can we do if we don't have an aerobic digester? For starters, we can stop using plastic bags; they will sit in the landfill for the next million years. If you use newspaper or paper bags, they will decompose and you can supplement the paper with the Skooperbox which is completely biodegradable.

There's also the Doggie Dooley compost system. It's a miniature septic tank that is easy to install and you just need to add water and digester powder. They are available at most larger pet stores.

If you want to build your own composting system, City Farmer has step-by-step photos and video instructions. You just have to teach Fido to use the composter directly.

Source: Article in Green Living Online titled "Greening the Doggie Do"

Sysco volunteers to keep the garbage heap small

During a May 14th Food show at Prospera Place, Sysco took the initiative on a green approach for waste removal. The Regional Waste Reduction Office along with volunteers and Lindsay Keller of Tigress Ventures sorted the garbage destined for the landfill into 3 piles: compost, recycling and landfill.

Here are some of the results of the sorting:

• 800 lbs of compostable food waste and biodegradable plates and cutlery were collected by Russ's Recycle and Compost Removal Services
• 500 litres of recyclables were diverted
• alot more cardboard was kept out of the garbage than at previous shows

As you can see, if the volunteers didn't take the initiative, the garbage heap would be alot larger today. We should do our part in helping the environment by simply sorting the thrash before dumping in the garbage bin.

Source: Kelowna Capital News Article titled "Sysco food festival joins recycling spirit"

Receive 5 bonus Air Miles

Rona has new "eco" brand products that are "eco-friendly, non-toxic and efficient"; From biodegradable bags to cleaning products for glass and fabric.

They are currently promoting their recycled bags, where partial proceeds from sales go to the Canadian Olympic team athletes.

They also carry CIL Eco-Colour paint which has no solvents and is virtually odourless.