It’s official: sustainability and style are no longer mutually exclusive. Vancouver Fashion Week 2009 drove the point home for earth-conscious fashionistas and traditional style-a-holics alike, with collections by numerous eco friendly designers showing throughout the event.

While I didn’t get to check out Friday’s designers, featuring the likes of Lav & Kush, Hawks Ave, and Red Jade, I felt pretty lucky to catch some serious design talent on Saturday.

Calgary-based design heavyweight Paul Hardy channeled his inspiration from a life-altering trip to Uganda earlier this year, creating a rough-hewn, beige-toned collection that is nothing short of globally informed and socially aware.

Image courtesy of VFW

Hardy mixed layered silhouettes with sharply tailored garments, “…referencing visual strengths juxtaposed with the softness of girlish sentiments from yesteryears”, according to his promo material.

Models slunk, and sometimes clomped, down the runway in interesting, oversized footwear reminiscent of what might happen if you take some spray paint to granddad’s work boots. The gorgeous detailing of the garments did not go unnoticed.

Image Courtesy of VFW

The designer’s environmentally innovative Reversal of Fortune project is something else to admire along with the beautiful clothing – ROF’s objective is to create a moderately priced clothing line that can be produced by women in developing nations in accordance with high environmental and social standards. According to Hardy on the ROF website:

The idea is to take donated clothing from the Western world, and ‘recycle’ the items into moderate priced one-of-a-kind designs (donated clothing can be debilitating to the local economy, because there is no investment into local markets when handouts are so readily given). This collection will then be re-sold back to the Western world.

This is a thoughtful example of how we can shift globalized manufacturing processes to share wealth and opportunities rather than hoard them. Upcycling is an integral solution to North America’s rampant addiction to consumerism. It’s time to reconsider traditional top-down, North-South manufacturing processes and replace them with models that reflect our current state of affairs globally.

Starting out in Canada and now based in Bali, OrangOrang is another line that mixes fashion and social consciousness with impressive éclat; the name means people in Bhasa Indonesian, FYI. OrangOrang only employs fabrics that are certified organic and fairly traded; dyes are sourced regionally and are all natural and non-toxic.

Designer Catherine Charest wearing OrangOrang

OrangOrang's Linda McGrew

With ethnic-eclectic Batik prints and dyeing techniques on natural silks and organic cotton, OrangOrang’s latest collection Sea and Earth is nothing short of wearable yet effortlessly exotic. My favourites included this long-sleeved version of the Sera top and a simple, darkly dyed silk slip dress.

Image courtesy of VFW

Image courtesy of VFW

As if this wasn’t enough good news, this label with a conscience also spearheads a remarkable project to help alleviate social inequalities in local Indonesian communities. The OrangOrang Project is an example of how sustainable development can look on the ground.

Image courtesy of VFW

The project incorporates a human dimension into its operations, working with NGO Yayasan Kasih Peduli Anak (YKPA) to produce OrangOrang’s products. YKPA is an organization that assists street youth build stronger, healthier communities and build transferable skills while providing a safe environment and paying a fair wage.

Image courtesy of OrangOrang Project

Image courtesy of OrangOrang Project

By being directly involved in the community, OrangOrang helps build opportunities locally, developing small businesses and creating sustainable economies in rural areas. This translates into brighter futures for those touched by the project.

“The project isn’t about us! It’s about the countless women and young people in many developing countries who are never given a chance to break the cycle of poverty; whose governments are corrupt; whose medical and educational systems are non-existent - and coming up with a sustainable solution for them and their future.”

At really down-to-earth prices, this is some stylish merch you can truly feel good supporting; a percentage of OrangOrang’s sales also goes directly to the YKPA. We wholeheartedly agree with OrangOrang’s simple mantra: Real Beauty is Ethical.

Without wanting to give away TMI – that’s an acronym I invented for “Too Much Information” – I am dying to recount my reflections as a recent hire at a non-profit – please note, NOT the wonderfully green organization Ethical Consumer. I don’t mean for this to be some scathing exposé or critique whatsoever, as the organization is undoubtedly outstanding, but my first couple of weeks have been a serious wake-up call in terms of where I idealistically thought we were and how far we actually need to go with regard to sustainable, earth-conscious business and it becoming the rule rather than the exception.

To me, sustainability shouldn’t be some daunting hurdle to be clumsily and grudgingly leapt over, a distant problem no one wants to deal with. It should be easy. Yes, I said it – easy. Once some core systems are in place, sustainability can be a breeze! If there are guidelines and established systems in place, employees and managers alike will follow them. If one has to go out of their way to do something “green” around the workplace, unless this is a priority of theirs, chances are they won’t. It’s a pretty well known fact that humans can be pretty lazy – hence our myriad of efficiency tools: remote controls, garlic presses and coin sorters, take note.

The organization I work for touts itself as Zero Waste. These two words are music to my ears! I was so excited to finally be working for an organization that took this commitment seriously and was forging ahead and setting a good example for our surrounding communities. But what, exactly, does Zero Waste mean?

My inherent understanding of the term would be a literal translation – our waste output is zero. According to the ever-handy Wikipedia definition, “Zero Waste is a philosophy that encourages the redesign of resource-use systems in such a way that waste is reduced to zero. Put simply, zero waste extends current approaches to recycling by introducing the concept of circular systems in which as much waste as possible is reused, similar to the way that resources are reused in nature.” Sounds pretty darn awesome, right?

On the ground, there is a lot we are doing to fulfill this environmental promise but there is a lot more to be done. For me, it’s the simple little things we can do in our every day work that can be modified to suit a greener system as a whole. Sourcing eco-friendly office supplies from greener vendors, reeling in paper usage, ensuring recycling awareness and accessibility and including staff in the decision-making process are all important steps to truly greening an organization, not just slapping a logo on the website and calling it a day. Zero Waste is a process, not simply a static end result.

It can be hard to walk into a new place and see all the things you feel could be changed for the better. I’m not exactly a shrinking violet so instead of complaining loudly, I think I’ll start with gentle suggestions and go from there.

Zero Waste Logo

Two of Hearts is a Vancouver-based clothing line and boutique co-created by CiCi designer Jenny Yen and Togs designer Tabitha Savoie.

After meeting at a fashion show in 2005, the pair became fast friends and eventually decided to launch a joint line that would address their concerns for the environment through responsible, wearable design. EC had a chance to ask a few questions about their line and recently opened boutique, so read on to find out what’s up with Vancouver’s cutest eco-fashions on the block…

EC: Who is Two of Hearts?

ToH: We are two designers who love design and also doing what we can to help the local economy and environment.

EC: You say you were inspired to start the line after seeing how badly polluted it is in modern day China, driven in part by Western consumption and our penchant for “cheap”. Can you speak a little more on this?

ToH: Yes, we are conscious of these things. Especially knowing how our products are made and in what type of working conditions, we pay fair wages to manufacture here in Vancouver. The conditions we saw in China were terrible! We saw a packaging company subject its workers to an unsafe environment. The whole factory was boiling hot and the workers were not wearing masks so they were inhaling all the chemical fumes, plus they were manually fixing the kinks when the plastic film was extruded, risking their hands being caught in the roller machines!

EC: How do you source your sustainable materials? I have heard that even organic cotton and bamboo are being imported from developing nations/China; is this true? Do you think there are alternatives? Are there any Canadian companies able to supply the raw textiles?

ToH: Yes, almost all fabric comes from Asia. It will be some time before Canada starts to make their own fabric again or even the United States. It will take the gas prices to go sky high before this industry will ever become a reality again in North America.  We are, however, building back manufacturing with the amount of smaller companies keeping their business here in Canada.

EC: Since you’ve started Two of Hearts, have you noticed an increase in demand for such products? Do you think greener clothing is still a priority for people with all the hoopla over the so-called “economic crisis”? What would you like to see happen in your industry in the next five years?

ToH: Two of Hearts was well received since we introduced the line. People understand they have to pay a bit more for eco. I would like to see at least more eco fabric companies being offered in Canada, more choice in fabrics, more organic cotton and also further development of sustainable material which can be made into fabric. It would be nice to also have more manufacturers here again.

EC: So you opened a boutique on Main St. recently - very cool! As business owners, entrepreneurs and designers all rolled into one, can you talk about some of the challenges and rewards you have experienced working for yourselves in a reputedly tough industry?

ToH: It’s rewarding to offer our customers a place which houses the complete line, plus things no other store will have, whether it be a style, fabric or just the colour. It is also rewarding to create jobs – since starting, we now employ two part-time staff and one manager.

EC: Have you greened your boutique/office/studio at all? Do you have any suggestions for other business-owners who are looking to do the same thing?

ToH: We have taken small steps in the right direction in this area such as using biodegradable bags and recylable bags. We do our part in recycling bottles and plastics and also using up fabric scraps at our studio whether it be for small bags, change purses and small accessories, some of these scraps are used to clean our studio and we also donate them to screen printers as rags too. We also started to shut down our computers and electrical devices every night to conserve energy and took many of our lights down for the summertime. I think small changes are making a difference.

Thanks, Two of Hearts! So do we! To score some easy compliments, check out the collection online and find your perfect piece.

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.

Gil Yaron, the “ecopreneur” behind earth-friendly online office supply shop Frogfile, shares some information about how businesses can make greener choices when it comes to paper, the ubiquitous office resource.

Offices are notorious for heavy paper consumption; the average office worker goes through a whopping 10,000 sheets of it in a single year. It is important for companies to make it known to their employees, and vice versa, that paper is not just an ever-present fixture, it’s a commodity that happens to be highly resource-intensive. Using paper more wisely, however, is only half the battle.

When asked about the easiest ways businesses can cut down on their paper consumption, Gil advises not printing reports, emails or other documents unless necessary and to incentivize staff or departments based on reduced consumption through contests or benefits.

Where socially responsible paper products available to Canadians are concerned, Gil tells EC, “There is no issue about ethical sourcing when it comes to papers manufactured in Canada and the US as far as I am aware, other than possibly unionization. Key criteria for consideration is source of fibre, percentage of post-consumer recycled content, processed chlorine-free or totally chlorine-free bleaching, location of mill in proximity to customer, certifications and third party verification of claims made regarding the paper, method of shipping the paper to market.”

Shipping remains a major contributor to the carbon footprint of various industries and is still an area that requires some serious innovation. Gil suggests that companies delivering paper can use biodiesel to reduce GHG emissions while businesses can consolidate their ordering to reduce the amount of deliveries being made. Frogfile has a number of programs in place to encourage customers to do this.

Where will Frogfile be in five years? Gil says, “I really have no idea. I imagine that when the market rebounds we will continue on an upward trajectory with great public interest in eco products generally. Many think we will remain a niche player, but I can only hope that our offerings will become mainstream.”

So do we!

Check out EC’s brand-spankin’-new EC Buying Guide: Paper to learn more about earth-conscious choices.

In my previous holiday-gift-related post, I promised to give some more attention-worthy local designers/independents some justice. The definition of “green” is definitely not static; different designers and businesses are inevitably going to be transforming business-as-usual in different ways, whether it is using reclaimed materials or contributing to small-scale business and strengthening local economies. 

I’m going to do my best to list some notable hip-to-the-groove designers and local business owners from across Canada but please feel free to add suggestions in the comments section if I missed someone spectacular! Some of my picks were influenced by the oneofakind show that made its first stop in Vancouver and of course BC’s funky design community. I apologize if I’m leaving out the guys a little; I’ll square things up in the new year.

Since I can’t be everywhere at once I’m sure some of our readers in different areas can clue us in to what’s happening in their particular region. If my suggestions are cutting it a little too close to the big day, don’t forget - everyone loves belated gifts! Oh, and I’m generally a size medium, for the record…you know, in case you’re feeling generous.

ST. JOHN’S, NF
Johnny Ruth
Not only does this store cater to women of many different sizes, it is a “socially responsible, ethical and transparent retailer.” At EC, that’s what we like to hear. Johnny Ruth researches suppliers to ensure manufacturers abroad are complying with the International Labour Organization’s standards for fair labour practices and urges shoppers to opt for “clean” clothes. Nice work, Johnny Ruth! We hope other retailers follow the great example.

Living Planet T-Shirts
Wow, a screenprinting company that uses soy-based cleaners and the most eco-friendly processes available? Awesome. A screenprinting company that specializes in printing works by local artists? That’s awesome too. A company that does both? Double awesome! Owner Dave Hopley’s been at it for 20 years so it sounds like a guarantee you’ll be happy with what you find here - and can feel good about it to boot.

MONCTON, NB
Sandstones Art Gallery and Flower Shop
If it’s special artistic treasure you’re after, look no further than Sandstones Art Gallery and Flower Shop which features items created by local artisans. Find everything from pottery to stained glass to jewellery and candles. Sounds just about right for last minute holiday purchases! My mom would love this stuff.

HALIFAX, NS
Love, Me Boutique
This cute little boutique stocks Canadian handmade, small-run independent products that are far from crunchy. In fact, they are quite funky! Perfect for aspiring eco-fashionistas and grown-up ones alike.

MONTREAL, QC 
OOM Ethikwear
“Today’s responsible consumer is more conscious and understands that his purchase has great influence and wlll encourage the awakening of a mentality that values equality.” Hurrah! OOM makes clothing that is both ethical and urban, supporting local social causes as it goes. Clothing that expresses the owners’ social values? OOM gets our vote.

OTTAWA, ON
Kania
Ok, a piece from this designer is definitely on my wishlist. It was love at first sight the minute I came across the vibrant and cozy designs from Kania, a luxury street style clothing line based out of our nation’s capital. Oh, Canada! You do know how to dress a girl.

GUELPH, ON
Sole Earth Apparel 
An environmentally and ethically conscious company, S.E.A sells everything from unique recycled paper beads to household items. Guelph has always had a bit of a green thumb so if you’re in the area, support this new local venture!

TORONTO, ON
green is black 
green is black backs its chat when it comes to “being green.” Their assertion of “voting with our dollars” to support socially responsible business aligns quite well with what EC is all about. The store came into being when the green is black owners-to-be were frustrated with not being able to find sustainable fashion that was actually fashionable. Each product’s environmental and social impact is measured before being purchased by the store, ensuring its origins are the best they can be. All hail green is black.

WINNIPEG, MB
Andrea Pelletier Experimental Designs 
This designer caught my eye due to her interesting credentials and, of course, passion for the planet. Pelletier enjoys using reclaimed materials and old clothing when possible to reduce the impact of textile waste, which is a huge issue in the clothing industry - and everywhere else. Pelletier makes clothing, wedding gear, fashion, custom and remade clothing. She also offers DIY sewing advice for free…and you can’t get much for free these days, now can you?

SASKATOON, SK
Cassie Danielle 
Independently owned Cassie Danielle creates eco-friendly garments in-house and are committed to sustainable business practices, like using strictly ecologically sensitive fabric, responsible production techniques and keeping environmental impact as low as possible. Cassie Danielle also plants one tree for every item sold to help offset their carbon footprint. Did I mention the clothes are also pretty cute!?

CALGARY, AB
Shisomiso Boutique & Gallery
A crafty three-in-one venture dedicated to independent fashion and design, Shisomiso is a boutique, gallery and work space all in one. Shisomiso’s focus is to support young Canadian designers and offer up hand-selected wares from across the country. Their lovely website, which appears to be designed by one of the two owners, is also a breeze to navigate and browsers can find links and details about all the designers found in the store.

VANCOUVER, BC
Billy Would Designs
Like your jewellery funky, chunky and reclaimed? Look no further than Billy Would Designs. Designer Adea Chung rescues exotic hardwoods from local woodworkers who can no longer work with the “leftovers” and crafts handmade, one-of-a-kind and sustainable jewellery. This stuff is sure to please the “au naturel” beauties in your life…and just might look pretty gravy on you too!

Olie
Get cozy with Olie! This line of cozy, handmade knits is sure to keep snuggle bunnies happy and loungin’. Designs are styled decidedly with city folk in mind; this ain’t your grandma’s poncho! Made locally with 100% Baby Alpaca wool, Olie’s line keeps growing and we can’t wait to see what’s next.

I’ll be totally honest. I used to really love Christmas when I was younger; the decorations, the food, certain toys that only came out of storage during the holidays…these things sealed the deal for me. And the hot pink sled I got one year - that was badass. Thanks Mom and Dad! Then came that one year in high-school when I somehow decided taking two retail jobs at the mall over the holidays was a good idea. It really wasn’t. Any remaining Christmas spirit got zapped out of me and by Boxing Day I was ready to denounce the whole Christmas thing forever. That’s why I was kind of shocked when out of nowhere this year I felt a little shimmer of that old excitement that used to come in anticipation of the approaching season. I just might rekindle some of that festive spirit this year, as miraculous as that sounds. As you’ve probably figured out by now I’m not one to join in the consumerist frenzy and start the shopping-til-I-drop in mid-August, or at all for that matter, but there is something special about picking out a few thoughtful gifts for the people who put up with your bologna year-round.

Melody and I have kept our eyes open for the cool present possibilities that align with Ethical Consumer’s beliefs and won’t trash the planet. By supporting conscious companies through your purchasing choices you’re contributing to a fundamental shift away from big companies selling generic stuff that will most likely end up in a landfill within a few years. Think quality over quantity! If you’re really into the whole artisan thing you can visit Buy Handmade and pledge you will only buy handmade this holiday season. Now that is something to make you merry! Keep an eye out for my next blog where I’ll be covering some fantastic Canadian designers who just might have what you need to fulfill your wishlist requirements.

We asked some of Ethical Consumer’s own business listings what they thought made the grade this holiday season so we want to share some of their suggestions.

ReTeez Inc., based out of Beaconsfield, Quebec, gives new hope to pre-loved T’s that are headed to meet a much less glamorous fortune. According to owner Hope Milner, by up-cycling the T’s people get rid of they are saved from getting shipped overseas or sent to landfills where bleaches and dyes can leech into the ground. As a gift, Milner suggests the ReTeez Tote Bag ($28), an affordable and eco-friendly choice for those who have places to go and people to see.

If you’re a bodycare junkie like me you’ll find Ria Holmgren from Seaflora’s pick to be quite appealing. And here you thought seaweed was only good for sushi! Seaflora’s signature Companion Wrap for Body contains six of the company’s most popular wild seaweed body products for all skin types packaged in a handcrafted Canadian maple wood tube. Seaflora has its own ocean garden off the coast of Vancouver Island and Diane Bernard, “The Seaweed Lady”, hand harvests her wild seaweeds to formulate products that contain 97% Canadian ingredients. Now that’s green! Pun intended.

Claudia of Calgary-based Claudia’s Choices, an online retailer of “envirosponsible” items, suggests The Original Magnetball as a versatile gift that at $19.99 won’t break the budget. The Magnetball is a magnetic water softening device that can be used in your washing machine or dishwasher and will cut the amount of detergent needed by half. According to Claudia, many people have hard water and compensate by using more detergent or even install an expensive water softening system, only adding more salts and/or chemicals to our freshwater systems. Hint: Notice how easily it would fit in a stocking! 

One of the best things about the holidays is being able to take afternoon naps, wouldn’t you agree? Let your loved ones cozy up this season with one of Greenbean Studio’s Eco Pillows. This Toronto-based company is nearing Mother Teresa-like levels of awesomeness with their exemplary business practices and contagious green gusto. Plastic from residential and commercial sectors are collected by Greenbean Studio and is then processed and blended to become fill for the Eco Pillows, making them hypo-allergenic for us sensitive types. Rock on! Ok, now it’s time to catch some zzz’s…. 

Karen of Thunder Bay’s Bare Organics Inc. has a great gift idea for heating up those long winter nights: The Bare Love Basket. This bundle of fun contains organic bath and body oil, an organic massage bar, an organic cleanser and a beeswax votive. Oooh la la! For the winter sport lovers in your life, The Green Beaver Company carries Après-Ski winter skin care products that will soothe your ski-bunny’s wind-battered skin.

The best gifts are those that come from the heart – oh my gosh, am I getting too cheesy!? More than a price tag or the latest trend, putting some thought and originality into a gift idea can be just as valuable as the gift itself. And remember: hugs and smiles are recession-proof. 

A co-worker recently sent me a link to CBC and Cisco’s new pilot project website One Million Acts of Green (OMAoG); the very next day Melody sent me the same link. Maybe there is something to this idea of good ideas spreading quickly. The concept of OMAoG is premised on the notion that small actions can add up to big difference, a theory that has been gaining traction for some time, especially amongst the eco-conscious set. This notion is not unlike the butterfly effect in chaos theory. While I’m happy to see these types of projects taking off, and while it’s great people are learning more about what we can all do to lessen our impact on the Earth, I’m convinced it’s going to take some very significant changes to how many businesses operate to really add up to something meaningful. Alright, The Financial reported a week ago that the over 145,000 acts committed was equal to taking over 1,900 cars off the road for a year - but I’m curious to know exactly where the stats are coming from. Again, I see repeated this assumption that the onus is on the individual to “make a difference” rather than the corporations producing the bulk sum of emissions, products, pollutants, toxins, etc. I realize that at this point every small contribution to our environmental well-being counts but when I walk through the food court on my lunch break in the business district of downtown Vancouver, my confidence wanes. People are still using Styrofoam? I watch people chucking their plastic phở bowls into the garbage with reckless abandon. Is there a Green Act to stop this? It’s a nightmare and it’s happening at food courts across the continent, but I digress. Most businesses are going to do what’s cheapest for their operation, not necessarily what’s greenest. This is why Ethical Consumer is fighting the good fight and urging people to put their money where their mouth is; our choices count!  While doing laundry in cold water, replacing the furnace filter every season, air drying clothes and not idling certainly have their place in the fight to rescue our world from global capitalism run wild, I am still waiting for the deeper issues of our consumption patterns and contemporary ideology to be addressed at the mainstream level. Perhaps we’re not quite ready yet! OMAoG is a start at least.

I was at Wicked Café a few weeks ago and since they seemed like a conscious-type spot I found myself looking for the familiar Fair Trade logo; it was nowhere to be seen! I was about to say something to the nice peeps behind the counter when a pamphlet caught my eye. What was this Direct Trade business all about? Here I was thinking Fair Trade was the way to go, could it be true there was something even more fair than Fair Trade? As it turns out, yes, actually there is. I was glad I held my tongue - it would have been another foot-in-mouth moment.

If you have seen the eye-opening documentary Black Gold, and I suggest you do, you can most likely understand my all-consuming guilt when drinking generic mystery-sourced coffee with no hint of its origin or how the farmers were compensated for their globally traded commodity. I also can’t stand those little plastic disposable creamers and straw-like stir sticks but that’s another blog post altogether – literally. According to the film’s website, just four multinational corporations dominate the world coffee market: Kraft General Foods, who also have a licensing deal with Starbucks, produce such brands as Maxwell House, Nabob, Brim, Chase and Sanborn, General Foods International Coffee, Gevalia, Kenco, Maxim, and Sanka. Nescafé and Taster’s Choice belong to Nestlé. Proctor & Gamble owns Folgers and Millstone. Sara Lee owns the Senseo brand, roasting under the Doewe Egberts division and also boasts a foodservice division called Java Coast; Sara Lee formerly owned MJB, Chock Full O’Nuts and Hills Brothers. I know that’s some bitter corporate brew to swallow, but there’s hope!

I found a very good explanation of the differences between Fair Trade vs. Direct Trade on Coffee Tao. Basically, Fair Trade is an official certification system established by TransFair, paid for by the grower, which serves to ensure certain labour and environmental standards are being met in the coffee production process. Remember, Fair Trade is not automatically synonymous with organic! On the other hand, Direct Trade seems to be a handy self-explanatory term. On top of also ensuring socially responsible practices, Direct Trade means importing coffee directly from the growers, sans middleman or corporate interference. Just the way I like it! Oh, and did I mention Direct Trade pays growers 25% more than Fair Trade? Now that’s a morning pick-me-up we can all feel good about.

There is a great list of Fair and Direct Trade coffee cafés at the Vancouver Indy Coffee Scene site that you can consult for your next java-fuelled engagement. As you can see, every drop counts!

I am fresh from Simon Fraser University’s Sustainability Festival – in fact I am writing from the campus library. It’s true, I am still a student here yet barely – just one more class to go! I am glad Melody gave me the gentle nudge to make one extra trip up to the cold, rainy campus this week, I have gathered enough green tidbits from all the vendors and info booths for many blogs to come; today, however, we focus on the Eco Fashion Show, the theme of which was “Positive Change”. I am still a little leery when it come to the words “sustainability” and “fashion” placed anywhere near each other, despite my enthusiasm about all things innovative. While it’s true we’re past the rough hemp camisole phase of eco-friendly fashion there has been a lot left to be desired until very recently, at least for those of us who aren’t interested in having to do extensive research to find some funky earth-friendly threads. The common sentiment I hear a lot is that people want to “do the right thing” in terms of greening their life but they don’t have the time or motivation to do the research; that’s what we’re here for. As the rain poured beyond the cover of SFU’s Convocation Hall, a polynesian dancer warmed up the crowd. Summer is definitely over in Vancouver, I realized sadly as I watched the dancer invoke the tropics with her movements and coconut shell top.

Around thirteen local designers had their gear strutted on the makeshift runway and I must say despite my prediction coming true about what I would most likely see a lot of (hello, stretchy jersey knits!) I was still impressed by the range and versatility of the designs. Among my faves? A cool “worldbeat” inspired red t-shirt with a stitched yellow sun by Monkey 100, a hella funky ankle-length bright lime green dress decorated with some bamboo-like print by Dahlia Drive and I just love the versatile and stylish looks from Polymath Fashion. All the designers are listed on the Sustainability Festival’s website if you’re interested in checking out more conscious labels that are kind to the earth and easy on the eyes!