I just finished watching Flow and would recommend it to anyone who gets up in the morning, stumbles out of bed and in the first hour uses water: flushes a toilet, makes breakfast, brews a cup of coffee. Try getting up tomorrow morning and not using any water. Grab a bucket, bottle, or anything you can get your hands on, leave your home and go in search of clean potable water. Only when you find a source of water can you come back and wash your face or have a drink. I know I wouldn’t find any clean potable water unless I begged from a neighbour and that would be cheating. 1.1 billion people each day do not have access to clean potable water.

For centuries animals - including humans - have come to the river or local watering hole to access water. Water is our collective life blood. Today most of that water around the world is polluted. Polluted by large corporate interests. This has lead to the need to find new solutions to water distribution. The large corporations like to invest billions in dams and pipes and then pass that cost on to people, often those who make less than $1 a day.

They don’t understand why the people continue to go to the river rather than pay for the service. As Basil Bolt, Managing Director of Invensys Metering Systems was quoted as saying, “You’ve actually changed the thinking of the culture of the people to understand that they should pay. We shouldn’t have to force them to pay; they should want to pay.”

I have no answers but I do have a few questions to ponder on the topic. So if I understand correctly Mr. Bolt believes that after centuries of access to water, people should now accept the loss of clean water and they should be happy to pay for a resource that has been a community shared resource without cost for centuries. Mr. Bolt says it is so, but I just don’t get his logic.

I’d like Mr. Bolt to explain where a woman earning less than $1 a day who can’t cover basic health, shelter, food and education for her and her children will find the extra money to now pay for water.

Maybe Mr. Bolt could explain how non-humans, such as zebras, lions and elephants will find the work they need to pay for the water they need now that their water supply has either dried up due to corporate greed or is contaminated and is contributing to their slow demise. And once the zebra has the money, where should it go to buy the appropriate token to access the water?

Corporate culture and ideas are simplistic and based on revenue rather than longevity and wellness of the entire planet.  Clean potable water is a right and should not be treated as a commodity. It has been a public resource for millennium and that should not change. We should be investing in old traditions that have allowed communities to secure water in the past. There are many old technologies to rely on. We should support small solutions developed by each community based on their needs and collective wisdom, instead of large scale multimillion dollar projects that often cause more harm than good.

The PlayPump is one of my favourite solutions for communities seeking outside guidance. Water and play, often combined, are two of my favourite childhood memories.

Something about the spring makes us want to clear all that old, stagnant stuff right the heck out of our lives… but wait! Just because something is out of sight doesn’t mean it’s out of mind, especially to people like Happy Stan’s Jamie Kaminski, who takes the subject of “junk” pretty seriously. EC got to ask him a few questions, and luckily, he answered. He’s a pretty busy guy.

EC: Have you noticed a change in the number of businesses coming to you for assistance recycling office stuff they no longer need? If any, what do you think has prompted a shift in awareness?

Yes, I have noticed an increase in awareness. I think that it is word of mouth, and media that are behind the shift.

EC: What would you say are the most important items to dispose of properly and why?

Anything that is toxic to the environment, or depletes our natural resources. For example, mercury lamps, batteries, liquid waste, plastics, metal and fibre. If not disposed of properly we are simply stripping our lands and replacing it with toxic substances that will most certainly come back and bite us in the end.

EC: Happy Stan does some minor processing of materials for its downstream processors – can you explain a little about this process? Where items, or parts of items, end up?

We test, sort, separate, and package the materials that come through our warehouse into 50+ categories for recycling. Most of what we deal with once processed by us ends up going directly to a materials broker of some sort. Be it metal, fibre or plastic. If it is hazardous, such as batteries, it will go to a licensed facility for processing.

EC: Why should businesses invest in a service like Happy Stan’s?

We will take care of their waste! We have over 20 years of experience in the recycling industry, extensive knowledge of all kinds of materials and processes, and we have a large network of brokers and processors. We also have our own resource recycling facility where we sort, separate, dismantle, cut, bale, and package the materials that come through our facility. We separate our customers’ junk into 50+ different commodities so it can be recycled. Furthermore, we try to get as close to the processor as possible to make tracking easy. Some commodities we send direct to a processor or have a strong relationship with the processor.

EC: What do you think the government could do at a policy level to help Happy Stan’s cause?

Provide all recycling facilities with the opportunity to be part of each and every Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program available.

To green your own cleaning efforts at home or in your workplace, check out our brand spankin’ new Greencleaning Guide, just in time for spring! We might make some adjustments so please let us know if we missed anyone. Happy cleaning!

Weddings have traditionally been all-out affairs – for good reason, but also with no shortage of help from the all-encompassing “wedding industry” which can include everything from the obvious (dress) to the more obscure (releasing butterflies). Rebecca Mead has even written a whole book on the subject entitled One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding. EC believes your special day doesn’t have to be a resource-intensive consumption blitz to be unforgettable. You can celebrate your eternal love both stylishly and thoughtfully if you go over the details with a green-toothed comb. It’s not as complicated as it might sound, we promise!

At EC, we can get a little wrapped up with what’s going on here in British Columbia but we love to learn about your favourite resources from across Canada. Please email us or add your suggestions in the comments section if there’s something you’d like to share – perhaps we can even get a Green Wedding Resource section going for all you conscious brides and grooms out there!

EC spoke with two different specialists in the field about their work and to find out if the “going green” trend has truly permeated the wedding industry. Of course, we also asked if they had any handy tips to ensure your wedding is as eco-fabulous and hassle-free as possible. Vanessa Fedorkiw is the Victoria-based designer behind Isadora Bridal Wear and Stephanie Happach runs Vancouver’s Forever and a Day Weddings & Events.

Isadora began a few years ago as a general clothing line and started incorporating green fabrics last year as the designer learned of the consequences synthetic fabrics have on our planet. Fedorkiw claims she is still a sucker for print and texture so “…making the shift completely is still in the works as green textiles move toward a more fashion-forward vantage point. That being said, I saw this incredible hemp satin the other day – yum!”

Fedorkiw suggests there are many reasons to choose Isadora’s Eco Chameleon Gown or Bridesmaid Dress – they are organic, sustainable, and can even be worn after the wedding. The dresses are also locally made, and potential clients receive personal contact with the maker of the gown. Try that with something shipped in from overseas!

As far as the wedding industry’s growing shift toward Earth-consciousness, Fedorkiw believes we may have a ways to go. “While my line has been well received online, it has been harder to get it into traditional bridal wear stores, perhaps because they are not yet seeing a shift in brides’ priorities.” You see? It is up to us green-minded ladies and gentlemen to increase demand, putting pressure on retailers to supply greener options.

Happach finds today’s brides both environmentally and budget conscious. “A lot of times I see brides looking for items that can be purchased and re-used or rented, and this reduces waste and consumption as well as cost.” Happach notes that personalizing your wedding with your own original details makes it a true reflection of who you are as a couple and avoids making it yet another cookie-cutter event. There are many ways to do this and remain friendly to the Earth at the same time – just use your imagination. You can also check out our Green Wedding Buying Guide for plenty of inspiration and more tips.

How does an eco-conscious wedding planner differ from a traditional planner? Happach finds herself somewhere in the middle. “As someone who’s been quite earth-conscious for many years now, I like to incorporate recycling practices into my work as much as possible and make materials stretch. I always recycle all the packaging of purchased decor items like plastic wrap, paper and cardboard. I try to come up with ways to cut down on materials as much as possible, for example, favours can double as placecards.” Happach suggests working with local vendors and industry professionals where the wedding is going to be held to support local business and economy – this is a green choice for many reasons and also reduces travel.

Other tips for greener weddings an eco-diva may not think of?

VF: I think it’s a simple reduce, reuse and recycle if possible. For our wedding, we had a simple cake but it was decorated with organically grown edible flowers – so pretty. We also decorated with feathers; feather boas at the head table instead of disposable paper stuff. My bridesmaids also got to keep the boas afterwards – who doesn’t need a feather boa in their wardrobe? Also, vases of small peacock feathers became the wedding favours for the guests.

Need help? Here’s Happach’s checklist of what to keep an eye out for in order to land a stellar wedding planner:
- Do you get a quick response to email, phone contact?
- Will they offer you an initial consultation (usually complimentary)?
- What services do they offer?
- Ask for recommendations
- Do they have a portfolio?
- Number of events/weddings completed
- Will they work within your budget?
- Most important – do you connect with them and do they listen to you?

Have you had a wedding recently? Planning one? Let us know your own tips and stories, we would love to share them.