Sustainability

Textile production is a big polluter. According to the United Nations, the clothing and textile industry is responsible for two to eight percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and nine per cent of annual microplastic losses to the oceans. A  report by the World Economic Forum found that the sector contributes more carbon emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.  Water usage is another big concern. The same World Economic Forum report also found that the fashion industry is the second-largest consumer of water worldwide. In addition to water consumption, the fashion industry is responsible for one-fifth of water pollution. Dyes and other chemicals used in textile and clothing manufacturing heavily pollute water systems. In Savar, Bangladesh, for example, the Dhaleshwari River has been polluted so much by the garment industry that the whole river has turned ink-black. Canadians have played a significant role in the unsustainability of the clothing and textile industry. Each Canadian household spends an average of $3,300 to $3,500 annually on apparel and accessories. This makes the country among the world’s top 10 apparel importers, and the market is only expected to grow. Fast fashion and unsustainable textile manufacture are undoubtedly bad for the environment, but it doesn’t have to be. We will always need clothing and fabric, but there are cleaner ways to get it. Even though Canada greatly supports fast fashion, some businesses are incorporating sustainable practices to produce fabric and clothes. Read ahead to learn about the exciting sustainable practices transforming Canada’s textile and clothing industry and the companies using them. Is plastic sustainable? Sustainable textiles and fashion start with fibre. There are many claims surrounding which fibre is best, but the arguments boil down to three factors: getting the fibre, processing the fibre and the end-of-life for the fibre. There are many ways to get fibre, but experts disagree on the most sustainable one. While it would seem logical that natural fibres would be more sustainable than synthetic ones, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition ranked plastic fibre among the top most sustainable fibres in 2022. This was a surprising claim because plastic manufacturing is listed as one of the largest contributors to annual greenhouse gas emissions. The rationale was that plastic fibre wears better than cotton, so it can generally last longer. This may be true, but unfortunately, synthetics come with many disadvantages. One issue is that they shed microplastics. A recent study found that about 73 per cent of microfibre pollution near the North Pole can be linked to polyester fibres that resemble the ones used in textile manufacturing. According to the United Nations, plastic textiles are responsible for nine per cent of annual ocean microplastic losses, while the EU puts this figure somewhere between 16-35 per cent. Although plastic fibre has advantages, including efficient manufacturing processes and durability, it doesn’t support global efforts to minimize fossil fuel use and pollution. Working with Canada’s climate challenges and natural resources Canada has some unique challenges in terms of sustainable fibre production. Jute is often considered one of the best environmentally friendly textiles as it’s completely biodegradable and is a carbon-neutral crop grown with rainwater and minimal fertilizer. Unfortunately, Canada can’t grow jute well because it relies on a heavy monsoon and a humid climate. Wool is a fibre that is often touted as a sustainable material, and Canada is well-suited for sheep farming. When wool production is at its best, it can be sustainable because sheep farming supports soil regeneration, reduces erosion and regenerates waterways. However, animal welfare concerns are one major drawback of the wool industry. In general, the fashion industry is opaque about its animal welfare policy. According to a 2020 report published by FOUR PAWS, most animals used in the fashion industry suffer from poor living conditions. Topsy Farms is a strong example of a wool manufacturer working hard to transform the industry’s treatment of animals. Adhering to a codified animal welfare policy, the farm holds itself to the strict standards of The National Farm Animal Care Council. Methane release is another massive challenge the wool industry has to overcome to be a sustainable fibre. Sheep farming is widely criticized for contributing to increasing greenhouse gas emissions through methane release. Wool supporters are still adamant that it can be sustainable, and the issues with the industry are not inherent to wool production altogether. There may be truth to this as more and more fashion brands are using regenerative wool as a sustainable textile source to produce their clothes. As for methane release? This is still a challenge, but selective breeding efforts are currently being undertaken to drastically lower sheep’s methane release. Ethical labour practices It’s no secret that fast fashion brands are hosts to poor labour conditions. A 2021 probe found that individuals working for fashion brand Shein routinely work 75-hour weeks, while other brands don’t even pay their employees.   The fashion industry is the second largest sector that employs modern slavery practices. Although it is more common in overseas countries, these issues sometimes crop up closer to home. The U.S. Department of Labor and Hour Division’s South California recently found that 80 per cent of contractors in the region violated minimum wage and overtime laws. The investigation reported that contractors were paying workers as little as $1.58 per hour in an area where the minimum wage is $15. Oxfam also highlights the startling class imbalance in the fashion industry, stating that a Canadian fashion CEO makes an average of $18,562 per day, while female employees making the clothes only earn an average of $5 per day. While Canadian brands are sometimes criticized for poor working conditions, many companies are cluing into issues with labour practices. The Canadian brand Franc, for example, has a transparent supply chain, lists the wages of their factory workers and regularly visits their facilities to ensure they comply with Canadian labour laws. The Canadian textile and clothing industry is imperfect, but companies like Franc demonstrate the effort businesses are making

Many countries, including Canada, have rigorous standards for cosmetics, medicines, food and cleaning products to ensure consumer safety. Health Canada regulates every cosmetic product and must obey the Food and Drugs Act guidelines, Cosmetic Regulations and the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act. Any product that poses a health risk is taken off the market. It is important to have these standards for consumer safety. However, it is equally important for consumers to be educated about product testing procedures and have the choice to purchase cruelty-free products. Unfortunately, some companies utilize animal testing even though Canada’s Food and Drugs Act does not require animal testing to ensure products are safe. This does not align with cruelty-free principles. There are several elements that make a company truly cruelty-free. First, they must eliminate all animal testing at each level of product development, including the selection of raw ingredients, so the finalized product is entirely cruelty-free. New ingredients may lead to new animal testing methods, so cruelty-free companies must also ensure that their suppliers obey policies prohibiting animal testing as they take on new ingredients. To fulfill this requirement, companies claiming to be cruelty-free cannot sell their products in countries that require animal testing for consumer safety, like China. Whether or not a product is considered cruelty–free if it is not vegan is more of a grey area because non-vegan products can be made using animal byproducts or animal parts while not engaging in standard animal testing methods. For example, silkworms die in the process of obtaining silk but extracting honey from bees does not kill them despite honey still being classified as an animal byproduct. On the other hand, the brutality that animals experience throughout the animal testing process is not a grey area. According to Humane Society International, animal testing involves applying physically and psychologically distressing procedures on animals to understand the effectiveness of products and ingredients. Harmful procedures include forcing chemical exposure through toxicity testing, injection, inhalation and force-feeding and inflicting wounds and burns to evaluate the healing process. Rodents and many other species endure these procedures while experiencing long periods without food and water and being subjected to physical restraint, ear-notching and tail clipping. Aside from the inherent cruelty, animal testing is also inefficient and inaccurate. A common misconception is that products that use animal testing are more scientifically accurate at detecting harmful substances. However, this is not the case. According to a study by the Cosmetics Journal, the extrapolation process between animal and human models is not accurate. Animal models differ structurally and physiologically from humans, so the results of testing chemicals on animals may not be the same for humans. In fact, 75 per cent of animal experiments have limitations for predicting human disease outcomes in products. This debunks another myth about cruelty-free products being unsafe for human consumption because they do not have the certainty that comes with animal testing. On the contrary, cruelty-free products are very safe. The Cosmetics Journal identifies many scientifically proven ways to test products without any animal testing, including silico toxicology, where experts predict toxicity using advanced computation methods. In addition, genotoxicity testing identifies possible human risks in products, such as substances that can cause genetic and DNA mutations. Given that animal testing has scientific limitations and serious ethical issues, more companies are seeking approval from the Leaping Bunny Program by eliminating animal testing from their product development processes. The Leaping Bunny Program is operated by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics and identifies American and Canadian cruelty-free companies based on the Corporate Standard of Compassion for Animals. There are currently over 2,300 companies that are certified 100 per cent free of animal testing, including Amika, Blend Bunny Cosmetics and Canary Skincare & Apothecary. The Leaping Bunny has a list of companies in alphabetical order on their website. Consumers should consider purchasing cruelty-free products because it gives cruelty-free businesses more motivation to continue their sustainable efforts. Businesses that use fewer chemicals and save animals’ lives while developing products give consumers the control to make ethical decisions in their everyday life. Furthermore, businesses that make cruelty-free products positively impact not only animals and the planet but also consumers of all kinds. Consumers must continue to support cruelty-free businesses to motivate the business world to help animals rather than work against them.

Our planet is getting hotter. New research suggests that July 2023 is likely the hottest Earth has been in 120,000 years. This warming is expected to trend upward. The BBC reported that in the future, summers could make certain places uninhabitable for humans due to the extreme heat. Even now, heat waves can threaten the lives of many people. The 2022 European heat wave is estimated to have killed 62,000 people. Currently, 64 per cent of Canadians have air conditioning to deal with this extreme heat. That said, air conditioning has been called an unsustainable, unrealistic tool to combat heat wave-related climate change. This problem is multifaceted, partly because air conditioning units contribute to carbon emissions. Higher air conditioning usage would contribute further to climate change, creating a feedback loop. Another consideration is power usage. Canada’s energy surplus is being threatened, and experts believe many provinces will be unable to meet the future energy demands of heat waves. Although the country could rely on imported energy for the time being, the U.S. is also expected to have electricity shortages, meaning that purchasing energy from them may not be a viable solution. So, what can be done to keep people safe without furthering climate change? There have been various propositions, and a combination of solutions will most likely be needed. One solution worth exploring is switching workers’ schedules from days to nights. Read ahead to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of night shifts and whether they can be a viable solution to combat the effects of climate change. What are the benefits of night shifts? Even though nighttime temperatures are increasing at a faster rate than daytime temperatures, on average, nighttime temperatures are still much cooler. Bhavesh Patel, a PhD candidate studying environmental science at the University of Toronto, explained that the main benefit of night shifts in climate change is that our bodies aren’t subjected to dangerous heat levels compared to during the day. This means we’re less likely to experience negative effects like heat exhaustion and heat stroke at night. An additional benefit is that the sun will not be out, meaning there would be no harmful ultraviolet radiation and a decreased chance of skin cancer. This would be a clear benefit since ultraviolet radiation is expected to rise with climate change. What are the hazards? Though counterintuitive, Patel explained that nights during heat waves could be deadlier than days. This is because our bodies must sweat regardless of the time of day. However, our body’s natural cooling system can’t work correctly if the relative humidity is too high. This is because the air can only hold onto so much moisture at once, meaning relatively high humidity levels prevent sweat from evaporating from our bodies. This can become deadly at night because there is no time for our bodies to recover from daytime heat. Patel said that 35 degrees Celsius at 75 per cent relative humidity is now considered the safe heat limit for humans. This is known as the wet-bulb temperature and is believed to be the temperature limit for human survivability. Patel explained that the wet-bulb temperature is dangerous because the humidex makes it feel like 40 C. This is above body temperature,  usually between 35 and 37 degrees. Because the ambient temperature in the wet bulb is hotter than our bodies need to run optimally, this can become dangerous, even to healthy people. In other words, if the nighttime temperature is higher than the wet-bulb temperature, our bodies can’t use sleep to cool off. If the wet-bulb temperature is maintained both day and night, it is unsafe no matter what time of day. Another consideration, according to Patel, is that night shifts would mean that workers are sleeping during daytime heat, which may be even more uncomfortable and potentially more dangerous. On top of the negative health effects, Patel stressed that for this adaptation strategy to work, a night shift worker would need to have some way to cool their home down during sleep hours due to the wet-bulb temperature effect. This would mean that they could cool down fully during sleep hours. Are night shifts the answer? Patel said night shifts could be a good option for some people, depending on their circumstances. However, night shifts come with non-climate change-related negative consequences, including worse sleep and poor physical and mental health. Specifically, there are concerns about an increased risk of cancer, diabetes, metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal health problems, mood disorders and anxiety. This means that night shifts are not for everyone. But some people are hardwired to be night owls, so they may be perfectly content getting their work done at night. Society needs strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change on humans, but this should not come at a cost to our health. Instead of working night shifts, a University of Oxford study suggested that 9-5 work could be adjusted to 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. to avoid the worst effects of daytime heat. This may be more appropriate for people who work better in daytime hours than night owls. Both people who adopt a 6-2 schedule and night shift workers who have a way to cool off during sleep hours might be able to live more comfortably and safely during heat waves. More climate adaptation strategies will come in the future, so don’t worry if you’re one of the many who fall asleep at 9 p.m. Climate change is an immensely complex problem that we are still trying to understand, so there will certainly need to be multiple solutions rather than just a single one.

According to a 2023 study by Unite for Change, 75 per cent of Canadians are concerned about climate change. The study also shows that Canadians rank climate change as one of the main risks to their future.  The anxiety around climate change is primarily due to fossil fuel companies, the largest contributors to climate change. Fossil fuel companies burn coal, oil and gas, which accounts for over 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and 90 per cent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Although these big companies are mainly responsible for climate change, small businesses that utilize energy-efficient technologies can still positively impact the environment. Energy-efficient technology uses less energy while still obtaining a desired energy level, effectively decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and energy bill costs. It also makes the negative impacts of climate change less severe by mitigating CO2 emissions. Given the efficiency and sustainability of energy-efficient technology, it has become one of the main ways businesses contribute to the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 goal. Examples of energy-efficient technology include LED lights, cool roofs, equipment that reduces waste and renewable energy resources. According to the United Nations, renewable energy is produced from natural sources that are replenished at a greater rate than consumption. The most common renewable energy resources are wind and solar power,  which generate electricity without polluting the air to provide lighting, air conditioning and more. However, other renewable energy resources include geothermal energy, hydropower, bioenergy and ocean energy. Given that renewable energy technology is constantly advancing through government investments, small business owners may consider implementing such technology daunting. For instance, a common misconception is that installing renewable energy is too expensive. On the contrary, there have been significant cost reductions in wind and solar power installations, and it is much cheaper than depending on coal, gas and nuclear power plants. This means renewable energy resources are becoming more accessible to homes and businesses. In addition to its reduced costs, renewable energy is now available in all countries since it uses the sun, wind, water and more natural resources that vary between regions. There are significant benefits to implementing energy-efficient technology in small businesses. In addition to environmental advantages, energy-efficient technology is a financially sound option for small businesses. For example, while the cost of solar energy has decreased by 60 per cent, solar energy also lowers the monthly energy bill by around 75 per cent. This is because solar energy does not depend on energy from the grid. Furthermore, renewable energy sources are far more durable than non-renewable ones because renewable energy sources’ long lifespans mean fewer repairs and maintenance costs. Additionally, implementing energy-efficient technology in a small business can create positive customer perception. When customers see solar panels on the roof of a small business or signage inside a small business highlighting its use of energy-efficient technology, they will view that business as environmentally ethical. As a result, those conscious customers will be more likely to support businesses that value sustainability as much as they do. Because of all these benefits, small businesses should consider powering their stores with energy-efficient technology. Luckily, Ontario has many grants and programs that help small businesses lower their emissions by accessing energy-efficient technology. Here are some programs and grants that can help Ontario small businesses transition into energy-efficient establishments. Bullfrog Power Bullfrog Power was launched in 2005 with the goal of making Canada’s electricity habits more sustainable by offering green electricity to businesses and homes. Bullfrog Power implements renewable energy resources like wind, solar and low-impact hydro sources in small businesses and ensures that the energy they install has a positive environmental impact. They offer renewable energy certificates (RECs) so small businesses can replace their unsustainable energy systems. In addition, Bullfrog Power provides programs to educate employees about renewable energy. City of Toronto Eco-Roof Incentive Program: Green Roofs Grant The City of Toronto Eco-Roof Incentive Program: Green Roofs Grant provides small businesses with grants for installing green roofs and cool roofs. A green roof is a roof with gardens or vegetation to remove heat from the air and cool down buildings naturally, leading to less energy used on air conditioning. Cool roofs achieve the same thing but include reflective and emissive materials to reflect heat. The funding is $100/m2, and the grant can approve funding requests up to $100,000. SolarTO SolarTO gives tools to small business owners and homeowners in Toronto to install solar energy. In addition to complimentary consultations, SolarTO provides online visual checks, zoning verification, conceptual layout sizing and assistance with the Toronto Hydro Distributed Energy Resource (DER) application and energy storage at no cost. Small business owners can feel confident about utilizing the benefits of solar energy at their establishments by estimating the installation cost, budgets and future energy bills through SolarTO’s tools. The Save on Energy Small Business Program The Save on Energy Small Business Program is best for small business owners in Ontario looking to install energy-efficient technology without committing to a large installation of renewable energy sources. The program provides $2,000 for efficient lighting equipment and $2,500 for non-lighting equipment, which they install. Some services small business owners can request include LED light installation and fan motor replacement. LED lights emit the same luminosity as conventional incandescent or compact fluorescent lights. At the same time, 95 per cent of the energy is converted into light, and only five per cent is wasted as heat. Therefore, small changes such as lighting can still significantly decrease greenhouse gas emissions.  The Canadian government provides such incentives because they understand climate change is a serious issue. To hit the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 goal, Canadian businesses must do their part by utilizing energy-efficient technology. The more energy-efficient establishments, the quicker we can reach our goal.

Colonization severely suppressed Indigenous peoples’ values and cultural practices and replaced them with a Western outlook. Canada attempted to eliminate Indigenous peoples’ cultural practices, languages, and core values by developing the residential school system, the Sixties Scoop and the Indian Act. Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is an ongoing and continuous effort. Therefore, Canadians should give Indigenous peoples the space to exercise their cultural practices while also learning from them, such as implementing these values into business practices. Indigenous peoples established businesses and trade systems long before colonization. Although some procedures differed based on each Indigenous community, the core values exercised in early trade included reciprocity, care, trust, respect and generosity. Indigenous peoples believe that everything is interconnected, so these core values are extended toward animals and other elements of the earth. Indigenous peoples are mindful of their trade and agricultural operations because if it hinders the earth, it hinders the people that live on it. Therefore, these important principles can enhance sustainability when applied to other Canadian businesses.  How Indigenous peoples would hunt for materials showcases their core value of respect because they always maintained balance in the ecosystem. For example, the Chisasibi Cree practised a rotating hunting area technique. This practice consisted of rotating hunting sites and territories weekly whenever they hunted geese. This practice can teach other non-Indigenous businesses in Canada that how they obtain their products matters greatly to their community’s environmental well-being. Food businesses should consider sourcing their products from local farmers instead of large-scale suppliers to lessen greenhouse gas emissions. Local sourcing can also be used by other businesses, which results in decreased shipping costs and materials. It can also increase and enhance relationships between businesses and local suppliers. Establishing relationships with local suppliers started with Indigenous peoples since they often engaged in trade protocols such as ceremonial gift-giving to demonstrate respect as they initiated trades. These respectful exchanges existed within early businesses such as the beaver trade. The interconnectedness of time is another reason Indigenous peoples aim to be sustainable when consuming goods and trading. This means they consider the importance of the past and future as they view the present. They think about the next seven generations and how their present actions could impact future lives. As a result, Indigenous peoples minimize waste in any way they can. For example, the Tikuna, Cocama and Yagua peoples in Puerto Nariño, Colombia, purposefully use compost in their soil as part of their food system. This makes the soil healthy for planting and growing food. Additionally, plastic materials are either repurposed as garden decorations or burned completely. Business owners in Canada can integrate Indigenous attitudes regarding waste efficiency within their businesses by being mindful of their packaging waste. Plastic packaging from businesses contributes to the three million tonnes Canada produces yearly. Switching to sustainable packaging can make a big difference for the next seven generations. Sustainable packaging options include corrugated bubble wrap, biodegradable packing peanuts, mushroom packaging and seaweed packaging as alternatives to plastic-based options. Reciprocity is also an important principle in the Indigenous outlook. Their holistic beliefs and values regarding reciprocity translate to how they treat the environment. As Indigenous peoples obtain goods from the earth, they simultaneously contribute to the well-being of nature to maintain balance in ecosystems and express gratitude to natural elements. The technique of shifting cultivation demonstrates how Indigenous peoples allow the earth to replenish after obtaining resources. This technique cultivates fertile land for crops until the soil naturally becomes unsuitable. Instead of manipulating the land, it is left alone so that natural vegetation can grow and become useful again for others. Mutual exchanges between businesses and the earth can be made through charitable actions. There are many climate change and environmentally friendly charities in Canada that can help with resources businesses depend on. For instance, if a business requires wood materials, it can form a cause-related marketing scheme with a charitable organization that plants trees and donate money with every sale it makes. Additionally, businesses could motivate community action that helps the environment. For example, businesses could give customers a pack of seeds as a thank you to them and the earth. There are countless other ways to encourage communities to have a reciprocal relationship with the environment around them. Ultimately, Indigenous peoples and their extensive environmental knowledge must be taken seriously. Indigenous peoples’ land accounts for only 20 per cent of the world’s territory but contains 80 per cent of the world’s biodiversity. If more businesses respect and implement Indigenous values in their business plans, it will positively affect the world around us. This way, we can ensure we leave behind a healthy and habitable planet for future generations.

Canadians produce a lot of waste. The 2022 Global Waste Index found that Canada is one of the biggest waste-producing countries in the world. The survey also showed that most of our waste goes to landfills. Canada only scored 53.3 out of 100 for waste management, making it one of the worst countries surveyed. Canadian businesses are not immune to waste generation and are accountable for their waste management practices. With Ontario running out of landfill space, waste reduction will be necessary in the future. While it’s unrealistic to expect businesses to generate zero waste, they can take a more deliberate approach to dealing with the waste they produce. Although this is easier for certain businesses, such as paper-based businesses or packing and shipping companies, many can reduce their environmental footprint through effective waste management. Find alternatives for wasteful items For Lauren Wilson, a Toronto-based soap maker, the best way to reduce waste is to eliminate it altogether. It’s worth considering if your business needs to produce certain waste in the first place. For example, paper products can often be replaced with digital alternatives. This is a simple solution that people sometimes neglect due to convenience and preference. Some business owners prefer the look and feel of paper while completing administrative work, taking notes or generating ideas in brainstorming sessions. These preferences make sense, as a 2021 University of Tokyo study found that people retain information better when writing on paper. One solution for this is using digital paper or smart notebooks. These tools replicate the look and feel of paper while producing no paper waste. Plus, they have the added convenience of automatically sending your notes to cloud-based storage. This allows for enhanced organization in comparison to traditional note-taking. The average American office worker uses an average of 10,000 sheets of paper per year, so this switch can significantly reduce waste and cost. Packaging is another way to explore waste elimination. Although branding is essential for many products, alternative and nontraditional options are available. Wilson, for example, chooses to stamp her soap with a logo and sell her bars without any packaging whatsoever. While this might be feasible only for some businesses, Wilson said companies should think critically about their packaging. They should consider if certain packaging elements bring value to their customers or can be eliminated. On a commercial scale, there are many new packaging ideas, such as mushroom packaging, which is manufactured using agricultural waste products and is entirely compostable and biodegradable. Reuse waste Because her business involves making soap, Wilson has plenty of opportunities to reuse products. The main way she does this is by reusing her soap-making tools. Rather than using disposable moulds and tools, she ensures that everything can be reused. Wilson also likes to repurpose her soap waste. During the process of soap making, there will always be some wastage, Wilson explained. Instead of throwing these scraps out, Wilson processes them into bars. She then markets and sells these bars as soap scrap bars. They are of lower quality, but the prices reflect this. Wilson often finds that her customers are receptive to the product and the price point. Additionally, she regularly gets compliments for her zero-waste manufacturing, so her customers enjoy both a lower price and a more sustainable product. Consider the waste’s end-of-life Many times, businesses cannot avoid producing waste. Wilson explained that the best way to become more sustainable is to consider the waste’s end-of-life. To most people, when something is thrown out or recycled, that is the end of its life. Many of us are disconnected from what happens after something is thrown in a garbage bin. Most of it will end up in a landfill, contributing to Canada’s waste management issue.   It is a difficult problem for the country because landfill space is running out. As much as 2.8 million tonnes of waste annually goes to Canadian landfills. Waste management companies export the rest to different countries through legal and illegal channels. Canadians produce 3.25 million tonnes of plastic waste per year alone. By eliminating or reducing plastic waste, businesses can reduce their impact and stay ahead of the 2030 single-use plastic prohibition. It’s all about attitude “It’s about progress, not perfection,” said Wilson. To her, eliminating waste entirely is the ideal, but an ideal that will most likely never be met. To some degree, businesses will always create waste, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t strive to reduce their impact. Not only is waste reduction the right thing to do, it is also cost-saving. As consumer demands and laws shift to prefer greener businesses, waste reduction is becoming a new practice that businesses will need to adopt. Don’t waste time joining these green business leaders. It’s time for Canadians and Canadian businesses to reflect our values in our waste reduction strategies and raise Canada’s waste management score.

In recent years, sustainable product sales have increased substantially. A report by TheRoundup found that Google searches related to sustainable products increased by around 130 per cent between 2017 and 2022. The report also found that 78 per cent of consumers believe sustainability is important, and 84 per cent say that poor environmental practices can alienate them from a brand or company. Several businesses have implemented sustainable practices to varying degrees, which can serve as inspiration for other companies. Here is a list of some Ontario businesses that have prioritized sustainability. Unboxed Market Committed to offering a zero-waste shopping experience, Unboxed Market is a grocery store located in Toronto that requires customers to bring their own containers to shop with. Products are priced by weight, so customers weigh their containers before shopping, then subtract the container weight after filling it with groceries. By bringing their own containers, customers can control how much they buy and reduce their food waste. Rootree The issue of sustainable packaging is nothing new, and Rootree has had a significant impact on helping Canadian businesses transform their practices into more sustainable ones. Based in Burlington, Ont., Rootree offers a variety of services such as various eco-friendly packaging options, providing digital printing to reduce ink usage and supporting businesses just launching on their path to sustainability. Rootree also practices sustainability in its operations by powering its facilities and offices with renewable energy, planting trees and partnering with other companies to produce environment-friendly products, such as shirts made from recycled bottles. Steam Whistle Brewery Steam Whistle Brewery crafts beer that sticks to tradition and simplicity. Their beer is brewed right in the heart of Toronto using just spring water, malted barley, hops and yeast. The brewery engages in several sustainable practices. Their bottles are created with a higher percentage of glass, allowing them to be reused more often. The company also asks customers to return the bottles after consumption so they can reuse them. Additionally, they use a painted logo on their bottles instead of a printed label, eliminating paper waste, ink and glue from their products. Original Genes Upcycling and reusing old clothing are great sustainable practices, and Original Genes adds a personal touch to the process. This company customizes used clothing with hand-painted designs, giving them a second life. The company’s artists work one-on-one with each customer to ensure each design is unique. Original Genes also shares their sustainable practices with others by offering virtual painting sessions and workshops to teach people how to customize their own clothing. Bullfrog Power Bullfrog Power, a leader in green energy, works to make sustainable energy sources available to businesses across Canada. Their clean energy sources include wind and solar farms, low-impact hydro projects and green natural gas producers. They have helped countless companies and individuals, displacing over two million tonnes of carbon emissions through their work.  They also fund community-based sustainable energy projects for schools, non-profits and Indigenous communities, bringing clean energy to places where it was not previously available. There are many ways to promote sustainability in a business, and the companies listed here are great examples. Businesses can focus their overall operations around sustainability or adapt their current practices to become more sustainable. Either way, sustainability is an ongoing process, and businesses can always grow and find ways to implement new practices.

Consumers are progressively seeing the value of sustainability. IBM Institute for Business Values (IBV)  released a report this year. According to it, 49 per cent of consumers paid a premium on products and services branded as sustainable in 2022. This is a 59 per cent increase in their findings from just a year before. Three out of five consumers reported that socially-responsible or sustainable products made up at least half of their last purchase.  Beyond consumer demand, sustainable practices can lead to better funding. It can also lead to being better prepared for future legislation and a better brand image, according to Sage’s Georgina Lavers.  There are many benefits to incorporating sustainability into a business. However, making false claims about sustainability can damage one’s reputation and lose customer trust.  So, how do businesses become more sustainable without being accused of greenwashing? One method growing in popularity is certification from an external third party. There are many certifying bodies on the market, so it is important to use the right ones to add value. Though there are many, the three below are well-respected and attainable for businesses of all sizes. Bullfrog Power The demand for renewable energy is rising. Deloitte provided a recent analysis demonstrating the large and resilient growth of the renewable market over 2021 and 2022. The report showed that renewables are one of the most competitive energy sources in key areas. RBC Capital Markets echoes the demand for renewable energy in Canadian markets. They are quick to warn, however, it will be challenging to switch over completely. That is due to fossil fuels being a large part of the Canadian economy. That said, the report highlights the importance of adapting to renewable technology to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2030. This presents a complicated problem. The national demand for clean energy is growing, yet the Canadian economy uses fossil fuels. If a business wishes to be powered by renewable energy, how would that be achieved? One solution is Bullfrog Power, a third-party energy company that purchases renewable electricity to make businesses carbon neutral. Installing solar panels for a business can be expensive and unrealistic, which makes it unattainable for many. Bullfrog Power claims that by purchasing their electricity, a business’ electricity is green. This is achieved by paying Bullfrog Power to purchase renewable energy for the power grid on a business’ behalf.  A business can work with Bullfrog Power. In doing so, they can say their electricity is certified by an external body to be renewable and carbon neutral. The company is quick to say that they are not a utility. Instead, purchasing electricity in this way directly supplies renewable energy to the power grid. The electricity is purchased at wholesale cost, so it is attainable to businesses of any size. B Corp For businesses ready to take the next step in becoming sustainable, a B Corp certification may be the right call. B Lab, the non-profit company providing the certification, measures and scores a company’s entire social and environmental impact. If the company scores higher than 80, it can be B Corp certified. The benefits of becoming a B Corp are mainly in marketing to like-minded customers and employees. The B Corp name has become recognized as a leader in sustainability certification, so this may be a good choice. B Lab does not measure or prioritize any single issue within a social and environmental context when doing assessments. Every company, regardless of size, can be assessed by B Lab. That said, B Lab states their process is thorough. This certification is mainly for businesses that are ready to be assessed in depth.  The first step in becoming a B Corp is to take the B Impact Assessment. The Impact Assessment measures a company’s overall practices on governance, workers, community, the environment and customers. From there, a business must make a legal commitment to be accountable to all stakeholders. This accountability takes different forms depending on the business structure. In all cases, though, the legal accountability is towards “workers, communities, customers, suppliers, and the environment – not just shareholders” according to B Lab. Finally, a company must sign an agreement with B Lab. This agreement outlines performance standards, transparency guidelines and commitment to the legal requirement.  Some businesses are eager to earn B Corp certification but are not ready yet. It is also possible for small businesses to become pending B Corps.  Sustainability Excellence Associate   Some businesses or professionals see the value of sustainability but feel they lack expertise. The Sustainability Excellence Associate (SEA) certificate from the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) may be a good option.  The ISSP offers the SEA certification for individuals who want a solid understanding of the foundations of sustainability. The SEA certificate is not only tailored to entrepreneurs, but professionals of all kinds. Its benefits include having a respected professional credential, marketing and learning about sustainability in business. The SEA certification requires candidates to pass an exam of 75 multiple-choice questions. The study materials consist of a study guide, more than 300 flashcards and 42 practice questions.  After someone has been SEA-certified, they can pursue the ISSP’s Sustainable Excellence Professional certification if they wish. Get certified Consumers increasingly see the value of sustainable businesses. If a business does not meaningfully incorporate sustainable practices, they may be accused of greenwashing. A recent example is BP’s massive pushback against the fossil fuel giant’s green energy campaign. Another is H&M’s fast fashion greenwashing in a recent lawsuit. As a business, when it comes to marketing, greenwashing scandals can be worst case scenarios. So, to avoid these scandals, some companies are choosing to certify themselves to earn consumer trust as well as meaningfully lessening their impacts on the environment.

There is a serious imbalance in food distribution in North America.  Within Canada, 58 per cent of the food produced is wasted. Eighty-six per cent of that number comes from food establishments such as restaurants, grocery stores and small businesses.  It’s no surprise that businesses hinder the environment more than individual consumers. However, it is shocking how food businesses don’t see the benefits of reducing their waste.  Firstly, there’s a cost-benefit. Restaurants, for example, save seven dollars for every dollar invested in reducing food waste. Only purchasing the amount of food needed is known to cut costs.  Of course, there is also a significant environmental benefit to cutting down on food waste. Food waste represents 21 per cent of municipal solid waste. By decreasing the amount of food going into landfills, the amount of methane released into the atmosphere is also reduced.  Lastly, reducing food waste by donating it to the less fortunate helps the community. It can bring more balance to how food is distributed. As a result, the gap is reduced between businesses with an abundance of food and individuals who don’t have enough.  Below are some ways for food businesses to reduce their food waste.  Develop a waste audit  This is an organizational tool every food business can use. A waste audit analyzes a business’s waste.The audit is also helpful in determining which type of waste goes to the landfill the most. Conducting a waste audit only requires a business team to follow a few steps. They establish a team, selecta date and ask services to hold off on taking out the trash that week. Afterwards, the team would sort the trash into different bins. Then, weigh all the bins. Lastly, divide the amount of food waste by the combined amount of waste to get a percentage number.   Upon understanding their food waste percentage, a business  can make small, necessary changes.  Doing so will help avoid contributing to the food waste crisis.  Menu changes  There are a variety of changes that can be made to restaurant, food truck and bakery menus. Too Good To Go recommends adding soups to a menu. In fact, they can be made from potato skins, carrot shreds and other food scraps. That way, a business can provide more food options to increase customers and profit but avoid wasting food.  Other creative menu changes that lead to less food waste are turning stale bread into croutons. Or using leftover fruit for dessert toppings.  Lastly, being conscious of portion size and what food products tend to be left over by customers is crucial. This can signify what needs to be cut from the menu. One example includes decorative garnishes.  Find where to donate  Ontario’s Donation of Food Act and the Good Samaritan Act allow anyone to donate leftover food, if it’s safe. Before any businesses donate the food, they must ensure it has not been tampered with and has been stored properly.  Food banks and shelters need non-perishable food that can be stored for decent periods of time.  Due to inventory miscalculations, restaurants may have extra root vegetables or bakeries may have leftover muffins. In these cases, they can go to food banks or shelters. Some soup kitchens and rescue food programs will still take perishable food if they have been stored properly. However, these precautions are different for each organization.  Food can also be given to employees if they are willing to take it home with them.  Consider signing contracts with food inequality organizations Signing contracts with food inequality organizations makes the previous step much more organized. It also serves as a win-win situation for the business and organization.  An article by Sciencedirect states that by signing contracts, soup kitchens will know exactly when and what they are receiving. This helps soup kitchens plan what food to make for the community. Businesses also become more organized with transporting goods and knowing that their surplus will have a proper home.  Any business can practice sustainability, regardless of its size or how established it might be. Businesses, especially those that produce food, need to take the time to understand their place in the environmental crisis. They must take steps towards working with the environment and community instead of against it.   

The average consumer is becoming more concerned about the environmental impact of their consumption habits. Small businesses could benefit from looking into different ways to reduce the environmental impact of shipping their products to customers. Sustainable business practices are not only necessary for a more livable world, but can also be very cost-effective. One way to practice sustainable shipping is by using recycled and repurposed materials to package and ship products.  Many small businesses receive products in boxes and then break down and dispose of those boxes. It is both cost-effective and sustainable to keep these boxes and reuse them to ship out orders. There is no new waste created using this shipping method, and there is no need to buy boxes. Using recycled boxes benefits the business and the environment. Another method to reduce waste and shipping costs is to send out products in their original packaging.  Instead of unpacking the product and repackaging it to send it out to customers, you can recycle on behalf of the supplier and use the original packaging. This is also a time-saving practice because it reduces the need to unpackage products after their arrival.  This method eliminates the need for small businesses to buy packaging materials for shipping. It  also reduces an important amount of waste. The packaging of the product itself can also be made more sustainable by eliminating unnecessary plastic packaging.  Nestlé Canada joined the Canada Plastics Pact (CPP) on January 27, 2021. The CPP is a Canadian initiative.  It rethinks the way that plastic is designed, used and reused and is implementing more sustainable plastic usage by 2025. Many businesses are working to reduce the plastic included in their packaging and shipping methods. Companies like Glossier even allow the customer to choose a lower-waste option for their order. The option has less plastic filler within the packaging.The product is also shipped with the lowest amount of packaging possible to keep it safe.  There is also an important  move towards biodegradable or compostable packaging.  Friendly Mailer is a supplier dedicated to making 100 per cent biodegradable, eco-friendly mailers that are just as durable and tough as traditional mailers. Friendly Mailer is based in Caledonia, Ont., but ships its mailers to businesses worldwide.   Regardless of your business, there are many small ways to reduce the environmental impact of your shipping and packaging practices. Whatever the right eco-friendly method for your business may be, more customers are looking for businesses that are environmentally-aware and conscious of their impact.