Join us during the first week of December (exact date TBA) for a zero-waste bulk shopping Info Session on Zoom!
Have any questions about bulk shopping or zero waste in general? Come have your questions answered by Sally McIntyre, an employee at the Zero Waste Emporium in Victoria, BC. Those who come to the info-session will be entered to win 3 gift baskets from the Zero Waste Emporium. Come join us during the first week of December (exact date TBA) for a relaxing end-of-semester chat and learn more about zero waste shopping!
SMALL BUSINESSES RESOURCE LIST
The UVSP has been working hard on curating a small businesses resource list and interactive map for folks looking to support local this holiday season!
Not located in Victoria but still want to support small businesses during the holidays? Check out these online businesses when gift shopping for your loved ones!
ECO-FRIENDLY TIP OF THE MONTH
It’s a no-brainer that plastics have a very low recycling rate and we should avoid them as much as possible, but if you have to use plastics, it is useful to be aware of which ones have a better chance of getting recycled.
Essentially, there are 7 different types of plastics. If you look at the bottom of the item, you will see a small triangle with a number on it. Generally, number 1 (food containers), number 2 (hard plastics) and number 4 (soft plastics) are the easiest to recycle, but they must be separated before placing them in the recycling bin. Number 3 (vinyl and pipes), number 5 (straws, yogurt containers), and number 7 (other plastics/mixed plastics), are almost impossible to recycle, so this is something to keep in mind before you acquire another plastic item!
This blog post links to a podcast and the show notes of the episode listing out 11 great eco-friendly and sustainable gift ideas for the holiday season. Click the link to listen to the episode or read the blog post on it, or both! The post also includes discounts so it’s worth checking out!
Do you want to be featured on our next newsletter?
If you have a topic regarding sustainability that you have been itching to share with other readers (such as sustainability during COVID-19 or eco-friendly tips for students), please email your post to us at sustainability@uvic.ca and we will publish it in our next newsletter! You can also write a longer post that can be posted to the blog on our website which can be found here: https://sustainableprojectsuvic.weebly.com/blog
Wondering what you can write to us about?
Topic: Living sustainably during a pandemic
"Hi folks! My name’s Ellie, and I’m a second-year geography and economics student. A year ago, I was pretty good about my plastic use and eco-friendly habits. I used only reusable mugs at coffee shops, always ordered ‘for here’ when getting food, used reusable shopping bags and produce bags, rode the bus whenever I could, and participated in environmental events. However, since the pandemic started in March, a lot of those habits have flipped. I couldn’t use reusable mugs at coffee shops, so I’ve been trying to have coffee at home and use compostable coffee filters, but sometimes I still really crave a coffee from a coffee shop. I would let myself be lenient on these sometimes because I know that not everyone can be perfect in reducing their waste, but I still felt so much guilt around it. This goes for grocery shopping too: My mom and I had to use plastic produce bags for certain items (as they didn't allow reusable mesh bags) and we had much difficulty convincing the cashier to let us use our own grocery bags. I’ve been driving more as well, since I didn’t want to ride the bus during a pandemic. I’ve felt super guilty about these habits that I had to change, and I felt my eco-anxiety increase. I felt like I could’ve done better and always kept making excuses for myself. However, I have learned to instead focus on what I have control over and began making small weekly “eco-goals” for myself to achieve. I’ve also realized how important it is to do everything with an intention in mind and be more conscious of the choices I made.
I hope that my sustainability struggles during the pandemic have resonated with anyone else, and if so, please remind yourself that you are doing the best you can do. Instead of feeling helpless, focus on proactive thinking and what you have control over."
November 2020
30
Come join us at our next board meeting on November 30 at 6pm!
