Here’s what we do with coloured plastic bags ………eco-chic earrings.

Recycle2shop at the Market nearly got blown away again last  Sunday - gusts of wind wreck havoc with our displays, but we carried on regardless.  We are at the Government Street Market in Victoria every Sunday, no matter what the weather is doing and as we are so close to the harbour, the winds are unpredictable.  Living in ‘paradise’ has to have it’s downside.

Canada still has not comprehensively addressed car recycling; only 45% , according to Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC), are “de-polluted” (polluting fuels and fluids removed and recycled) by registered members; 75% of a car, which is mostly metal, is recycled but not all  - plastics, glass, foam etc. goes to landfill.  There is a product possible for every part of a car as long as we are willing to invest long term and close the recycling loop.

Some towns, cities and regions are successfully recycling all car recyclates…look to Edmonton as the world leader in recycled materials reclamation.  Edmonton is aiming for 90% recovery of waste by 2013.  As a recycling obssessive, Edmonton is nirvana.  Those of us who live in places that keep filling up landfill, we just have to keep advocating government to ‘clean up’ - or we can support people like Guy Dauncey and BCSEA who advocate for us.

Oceans Day Society hosted a blue jean event here in Victoria, to raise environmental awareness - blue jean art using 1,500 pairs of recycled blue jeans.  My question to the organizers is what happens to those jeans after the event?  Recycle2shop can upcycle every last pair into loved objects that extends blue jean life indefinitely (well, until the denim completely wears out at which point the shredded material can be composted with the zippers and metal buttons going straight to metal recycling).

So there is a Care to Air Challenge contest to highlight the eco friendly way to dry clothes and win yourself $10,000 -  sponsored by Levi Strauss & Co.

Dryers use up too much energy whereas a clothesline is a green marvel…did you know that some municipalities ‘outlaw’ clotheslines - yes, even here in Victoria, BC - one of the wealthiest neighborhoods considers them unlawful - yowzers!  That could have been acceptable thinking back in the ‘dark’ ages of abundant electricity, but is an anachronism now.  So eco congrats to Levi’s for encouraging airdrying - the epitome of cool.

Our day at the market was a complete washout - literally - at least the rain was coming straight down not sideways.  We still had some intrepid green shoppers and stall holder humour was out in force.  With Trader solidarity and a supply of fudge from Thea (our incredibly supportive market organizer) and coffee on tap from Simon we managed to have a fun damp day.

We will back to the market next Sunday, June 6. 

In the meantime, Sun Dog Graphics is working on our website upgrade and shop.

To recycle Brita cartridges in Canada  mail to:

Brita Canada Corporation
PO Box 140 STN LCD Malton
Mississauga, ON
L4T 9Z9

The cartridges have to be drained and left to dry for 3 days before packaging , all packing materials will be recycled as well.

Please recycle your old denim and bring your worn out jeans down to our market stall- no matter how worn out (blue jeans not you), Leona can use every part of the  jeans by incorporating torn pieces, zippers and pockets into her work.

Recycleattire have joined the market - making beautiful attire from recycled rubber bicycle inner tubes - hats, accessories and bags incorporating ‘junk’ and artistically shaping all into wearable art.

Come and see us all at the Artisan Market near the famous Victoria Chinatown Gates every Sunday from 11 - 4.30pm.

Government Street Market on Sunday, May 2 had a surprising number of customers in spite of the cold, wind and rain.  Recycle2shop introduced a new product to the market stall - an eco bag made of recycled blue jeans (greenjeans) and recycled upholstery fabrics, the bag is lined with recycled shirt material (cotton). The bag has 4 pockets on the outside and 2 pockets inside; the bag has a zip closure.

 Latest Recycling News:

BAN (Basel Action Network),  reports Solid Waste & Recycling Magazine,  launched a “global e-waste recycler certification”  in order to regulate and prevent toxic waste dumping in Asia and Africa. 

“At the heart of the program is the e-Stewards Standard, created by BAN with the advice of industry leaders and health and environmental specialists. It calls for recyclers to eliminate exports of hazardous e-wastes to developing countries, to halt the dumping of such wastes in municipal landfills or incinerators, and to cease the use of captive prison populations to manage toxic e-wastes.

The program also calls for strict protection of customer’s private data and occupational health safeguards to ensure that workers in recycling plants are not exposed to toxic dusts and fumes.

Currently, there are about 50 e-Stewards Recyclers, each of which has passed a rigorous internal review by BAN as a preliminary step to full certification. All are regarded as responsible recyclers, and each has committed to becoming fully certified by September 2011.”  Solid Waste & Recycling Magazine May 3.2010

Green Peace and The Sierra Club are endorsing BAN’s program.

In the meantime, Ontario is using law-making to change tire disposal to tire recycling.  At the moment 50% of scrap tires are shipped as fuel in cement making kilns or to the US power plants.  This new legislation means tires will have an end use - upcycling instead of burning.  Ontario processors are increasing capacity to cope with the increase in tire recycling .  Another example of Zero Waste adding to the economy of Canada.  Other provinces take note, especially those with Premiers (B.C. for instance) who talk the green talk but not the walk.

Which brings me to the Earth Day walk on Saturday starting at 12noon, or thereabouts, at the Parliament building in Victoria and ends at Centennial Square were we will all be celebrating our love of this planet.

GreenJean Apron

Recycle2shop is back at Government Street Market with a new range of textile upcycling - GreenJeans - unloved denim rejuvenated as GreenJean Aprons.  Our customers love them for their sturdy nature, whimsy and unique design. 

We still offer a varied range of upcycled goods at the Market - from recycled wood soap dishes to copper jewellery.

See you there next Sunday.