Hello! This is a follow-up to my previous blog post, where I discussed wanting to try living waste-free (or zero waste) . In the previous post I did a “situational analysis” of sorts – looking into my current consumption and analysing whether a lot of the products I own or use are even recylcable or end up in landfills anyway.

As I was reading up on living zero waste, I decided that the easiest way to avoid the trouble of ‘not recycling’ properly (other than educating myself on all aspects of recycling) , was to try and avoid (recyclable) plastic packaging completely. As I started to look deeper into how I would do this, I realised I needed new sources and brands for the simplest of things – including a shaving razor! While I don’t have all of the answers, I have been abel to find alternatives to many of my current products. These are brands which you may know very well, and some hidden gems. A lot of them may tie into my previous posts (so check them out too!)

1. Shampoo – I shampoo at least twice a week, and on average, a 350ml bottle will last me 2.5-3.5 months , which means I am often throwing out/recycling the plastic bottle. However, to avoid the packagin completely, I found two alternatives :
   a. Shampoo bars! Literally like soap bars, but for your head hair! Of course, these can be found at everyone’s favourite, Lush. I do know that there is controversy concering lush and Greenwashing. While they definitely ahve areas of improvement, I do feel comfortable purchasing products from them.
   b. Refillable containers, and bulk shampoo! There are stores which have shampoo in bulk containers. All you have to do is take your container (preferably eco friendly 🙂 ) , fill, weigh and pay! One such store is Nada, whom I have an entirely separate post about.

2. Food staples like Rice and Grains – As a brown girl, I looove my basmati rice. However, a packet of 750g that comes in plastic , is not sustainable. I have not been able to determine if the packaging is recyclable as yet. But either way, better to avoid it! For this, it would be as easy as going to most grocery stores with your own container and packing in the grains from their bulk disposers. Ps. They currently have these bulk containers at Save-ons, but I am not sure if we can use our own containers to store product, or have to use bags they provide.(But I am on a  mission to find out!). If not, goog old Nada has a selection too!

3. Vegetables! I absolutely DETEST having to put my tomatoes in a small plastic bag before check out at the gorcery store. A number of times, i’ve simply left them naked and free as they roll along at the cashiers, but thats probably not to clean. The solution is simple, if we can carry reusable bags for all our gorceries , why not carry reusable mesh bags for our veggies?

These bags are from Montreal based Credo! I personally use ones that have been passed down to me and are non branded, but this was a domestic Canadian brand that I found. I am sure that there are several brands local to BC/Vancouver.

Shopping at local markets/farmers markets are also great ideas. However, in terms of convenience , time available and pricing. It can be difficult. I often compromise and shop at chain stores, but attempt to reduce my footprint in any way that I can.

4.Make up – one of my issues was finding cotton pads, or simply fluffs of cotton that do not come in plastic wrapping. While I am sure there are other alternatives, I was able to find “reusable cotton pads” , use them, wash them, reuse them! According to their descrption, you can use them for everything from removing make up, to applying toner etc. Disclaimer : I have not yet used them myself (but will be ordering them). This is just to put out alternatives that we can consider. Also, just a reminder – if you prefer to use a brand of make up remover or primer that comes in a plastic bottle, the best thing to do is ascertain that it can be recycled. But keep in mind that the recycling process is long, enegergy intensive and not always effective. Thus, the following blog was helpful in identifying zero-waste brands (from their product to packaging) https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/10-zero-waste-makeup-brands .

PPS : Many make up remover wipes are actually single use plastic! Thus, many brands , such as simple have started to move towards biodegradable wipes. Concerns do remain on the outer packaging however.

I will mention however, that I find these brands to have limited applicability in terms of different skin tones, and once again, I have not yet personally tested them But have them bookmarked to help with the process of attempting a waste free lifestyle.

I recently had a conversaton with a fellow classmate, who said she was going to try and live waste free for the summer. That inspired me and got me thinking – should I try it too?

It’s still in the works for me – I am not committing to it until I first fully learn what it means to live waste free :
1. What is waste? One of the blogs I follow ( click here!) defines waste as “any item that can’t be reused, recycled or composted and is therefore sent to the landfill”. Pretty straightforward right? Until you realise that different plastics have to be recycled in different ways. For example, many bottles have to be disposed off of differently from their caps, since they are made from different plastics. If we don’t dispose off of them separately, they will not be processed properly and thus not really recycled! (That is a whoooole other blog post to write on). Essentially, if recyclable products are part of your waste free process, it is something you have to be extremely educated on and keen about so that you are actually recylcing properly and actually reducing your waste. That being said, many people attempt to cut out non-reusable products or materials in the first place, so that the issue of recycling does not even come up.

Whew, now that we go that out of the way. An important thing to do before I decided to attempt this new lifestyle, was to analyse my current situation: what do I currently consume/own that is waste (Non-compostable, non-reusable, non-recyclable) ? To assess whether the plastic containers/products I had were recylable, I used this guide:

I specifically looked at products that I use daily, some reusable (long term) and some that I usually THINK are recyclable. This is what I found :

The first picture, Ketchup bottle, Make up remover bottle etc, fall under the “Yes recycle” categpry. However, their lids do not! I.e. the Vitamin E bottle lid, falls under the “maybe recycle” category. Which means taking additional measures to call recycling centres to ask if they accept this material. As far as I am aware, that should be the process. (Please comment if there is an alternative!)

The second picture, falls under the “No, throw away category”. My UBC water bottle is obviously something that I reuse. But everything has a life- say it cracks tomorrow, unable to serve its purpose. I would have to throw it away knowing that it sits in a landfill.

The third picture, falls under the “Maybe recycle category”. The outer packaing of the cotton pads and the container for the body cream. These are evryday products I use. Which means I buy them multple times a year, and have been recycling them without really knowing if they do end up recycled!

Doing this exercise really opened up my mind to how much waste I personally generate – even when I think I am doing the right thig. Trying to go waste free is going to be a very very long journey. But I am willing to take initial steps. I will follow this post up, by shopping and product alternatives to help live waste free!

Links used as guides:

https://www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com/plastics-recycling/how-to-recycle/at-home/keep-your-top-on/

Last week, I was researching on electric vehicles and thats when I realised the power of Marketing or “feel good” statements – something when said, makes consumers ro citizens go “ooooh, yes!”. But in reality, there are so many technical issues left out.

So, we all love electric cars don’t we!? I mean, its Vancouver- anything pro environment is amazing. But lets do some analysis to see if the automative industry and E-leaders such as Tesla, BMW and the rest are really making positive impacts.

Unfortunately, electric vehicles are only as green as the production of electricity used to power them. In Quebec and BC, we have clean energy – hydro etc. However in Alberta, electricity production is completely based on fossil fuels. Which means that there are still Greenhouse Gases being emmitted at large amounts. Yes, even when you charge your sustainable “E”car!

(Image from : National Observer)

Looking into the issue further, I found that the production of the automotive parts itself , is not much different that producing normal diesel fuled cars. According to the a report published by MEI, the manufacture of an average E vehicle produces 7.5 tonnes of Green house Gases, while for a normal diesel car, emmissions are 6.5 tonnes!

Honestly, this was really sad to read. It made me wonder – how many of us blindly walk into purchases, because we “think” we are doing the right thing?

My learning from this was that we need to analyse products through their entire life cycle. From sourcing, to production, to selling and finally consumtpion! Because if it falters in one of these areas, is it really sustainable?

ps. 1 week ago, a bill was pased by the Federal government to increase the subsidies paid to purchasers of electric cars. This in itself is a whole issue I can write a post on – but if you are interested, have a read!

Coming across a social enterprise is always great. This is because businesses such as SoleRebel and Toms Shoes are able to integrate running a business while creating societal value. But, as mentionned several times throughout our marketing sustainability class – there is a big difference between corporate social responsibility and creating shared value (CSV).

Upon researching further into both Toms, I realised that I wasn’t entirely comfortable categorising it as a sustainable business model. Its “one-for-one” model, buy one pair-donate one pair, seemed to stradle the line of CSR and CSV for me . SoleRebels on the other hand is a very clear example of CSV.

SoleRebels is a company that produces and sells handcrafted shoes made by local Ethiopian Artisans, using recycled rubber. Apart from the obvioius environmental ethos, SoleRebels provides ; 4 times Minimum wage, Medical coverage(The company goes to the extent of bringing certified doctors to the employees as commuting to government hospitals would take hours of commuting), transportation for workers with disabilities and has refused to incorporate the quota system in wage payments.Paired with their community involvement and major sustainability achievements, SoleRebel not only provides a progressive and comfortable environment for the employees but also has given the community as a whole the chance to stand up on its own feet.

Providing employment and these benefits allows members of the community to learn , grow and provides financial security. Because SoleRebels is manufacturing only in Ethiopia at the moment they are able to give full and efficient attention to the community. Quality >quantity, Helping a smaller community but more effectively may actually be more beneficial than helping a large number of people but less-substantially.

This brings me  Toms Shoes. As commendable as their ethos is, there are multiple other aspects to consider. Yes, provision of shoes, clean water and such are definitely impactful. But are these actions creating sustainable shared value in the targetted communities?

(Sole Rebels Ethos : https://www.solerebels.com/pages/our-ethos)

I love when courses begin to intersect and compliment one another! A few weeks ago, my group and I were required to complete a comm 395 assignment (Business Communications) – this assignment required us to find a local business , research on them and meet with a representative to discuss the companies sustainability initiatives (environmental, economic or otherwise ).

Luckily, a friend refered Nada  to me. So whats so special about Nada? What differentiates if from other grocery stores? Well, Nada operates on a “Just Food” system .

This “Just food ” system is intergrated throughout their supply chain and daily business in the following ways :

1.The store does not stock plastic packaged items : If any items are packaged, the packaging is usually compostable, or recycled material. However, most of their products have no packaging at all. For example, their grains, seasonings, and other edible items are all stored and displayed in big open bins . It is up to customers to choose the amount they need . I.e. Just want 330grams of Turmeric? or only 3 eggs? You can absolutely do that! No fixed packaging which often leads to packaging waste and excess of food.

2.Bring your own containers – Apart from choosing your own quantity of items, customers must either bring their own reusable containers (I.e. a jar to fill rice in ) or buy a reusable container from the store. As well as bring your own tote or grocery bag – no plastic bags at Nada!

3. Nada requires suppliers to follow these rules too, as best as they can! Which means, they prefer and communicate to suppliers not to use plastic when delivering goods etc. In fact, they try to source locally as much as they can to : a.Support the local economy b.Reduce pollution from road travel (for deliveries). Due to this, Nada also only provides produce that is in season!

4.Bonus! Nada has an in house cafe! To make things better, the cafe uses mostly produce that is left behind in the store. For smoothies, cakes etc. This ensures foodwaste is kept to a minimum and the loop is closed 🙂

Of course, there is soo much more to this store. Such as no paper receipts (email only) and tonnes of social initiatives as well.
Do yourself a favour and check them out!

“Conventional marketing thinking is increasingly unable to cope with the ecological, social and commercial realities that confront mankind”  (Peattie, Ken et al , Sustainability marketing – An innovative conception of marketing). And to cope with these changing realities, we seem to be adopting  different more innovative approach – sustainibility marketing.

“In general terms, sustainability marketing involves building and
maintaining sustainable relationships with customers, the social
environment and the natural environment (Belz 2006)” (Peattie, Ken et al).

You may have noticed that I highlighted “social environment” in the definition above. That is because it is my topic of focus today! With my subjec of focus being ‘Nike’.  In late 2018, the famous “Dream Crazy” campaign starring Kollin Kaepernick created an uproar (mostly positive) in society. Nike had done something that many big brands are afraid of doing – they took a political stance in their campaign. Supporting Collin Kaepernik consequently meant, fighting for social justice and racial equality, and essentially accepting the “Take a Knee” movement.

Well, 2 days ago , on February 24th 2019,  Nike released the second installment of the campaign ,”Dream Crazier” , to the world.  This time, focusing on women in sport , the social barriers they face, but despite all, the incredible successes. They highlighted the work and used the narration of the ever incredible Serena Williams to deliver their message. It was powerful, and has touched any audience member that has watched it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whpJ19RJ4JY

While I love what both campaign installments stand for, and my own values are synonymous. I had to take a critical look at this – is this true “sustainable marketing”? In my opinion, no. We very often mistake sustainable messages for sustainable marketing. The definietion of sustainable marketing includes “Building relationships with the social environment”. Nike’s campaigns sure do start a dialogue, but what is it doing to build relationships and solidify its values in society?

I believe that we should be grassroot level efforts to work with young girls in sport, or youth of colour who are often discriminated against. Building and sponsoring initiatives that help develop the careers within often marginalised subgroups.

These are my thoughts, please let me know if Nike is in fact working on actual acticity-based initiatives. I would love to know!

A few weeks ago, we discussed “sustainable consumer behaviour” in our Marketing Sustainability class. We were excited at the statistics which showed that there are 2.5 billion customers who are categorized as “Aspirational” – i.e. customers who have shifted from “obligation” to “desire” when it comes to sustainable consumption.

As positive as it was to read this , my reading week trip to New Orleans was a quick reminder that as staggering as the numbers seem, sustainable consumption is far from widespread, even just within North America. The famous “Bourbon” street, known for its live Jazz shows and incredible party environment is in fact strewn with plastic cups, cutlery, plates and more between 8pm and 2am. And while the streets are cleaned a fresh for the next morning, are the items recycled? Can they be recycled?

 (Image from : here)

Most local restaurants did not even have alternatives other than plastic cutlery and plates, even if one was looking to dine in instead of taking the food to go. In addition, due to lax drinking and anti-public disorder laws, consumers could freely drink alcohol beverages on the streets, which prompted an increase in cans strewn about and is an incentive/need for local restaurants to provide “to go” cups. Most of which, are plastic!

As I was reading the sustainable brands article we referenced in class, I was able to see 2 major reasons why plastic use/ lack of sustainable options is a reality in New Orleans:
1.Young and Urban: According to the article, the “Aspirational” segment is majorly made up of millenials (40%) and GenX (37%) generations. However, New Orleans total population see’s 12.9% being 65 years and older, and the majority (over 50%) are between 18-65 years of age. I am assuming that from this proportion, majority are baby boomers rather than millenials. From personal observation as well, New Orleans also attracted tourists who looked well over 30 years of age.
2. Education : According to the Pelican Institute New Orleans rate of adult illiteracy is twice the national average and 40% of the cities residents do not use the internet. This proves to be a huge obstacle when it comes to education and information on sustainability. Curbs the possibility of understanding and also limits any word of mouth that could help.

While I loved the spirit of the city, the live Jazz on every corner and the delicious cuisine, I was glad to land back in Vancouver – where even our bins are separated according to type of garbage.

My name is Ritual Khanna and I am  4th Year Marketing student ! When I’m not scrammbling to attend all my classes, you can find me [attempting] to meal prep, listening to my long list of podcasts or finding the next social impact event to attend.

My personal goal is to live a lifestyle as Environmentally, socially and economically sustainable as possible, and while this has proven to be more challenging than I thought, it’s not impossible.

Join me as I keep up on reporting little tidbits I find interesting when it comes to products, initiatives or steps we can all take in the direction of a sustainable present!