Green Shopping
The Earth's General Store in Edmonton, which opened in 1991, carries eco-conscious products including cleaning supplies, personal care products, clothing, bedding, books, DVDs and CDs. These range from big-ticket solar ovens and dual-flush toilets to a range of recycled, post-consumer paper products. Purchasing the latter can make a difference, since the paper industry, with its emphasis on virgin timber, is the third-greatest contributor to global warming emissions. The Clean Calgary Association, partly funded by the City of Calgary, has been offering environmental education, products and services since 1975. Its EcoStore, opened in 2005, carries composting supplies, water conservation products, low-water gardening supplies and green books, office supplies, and household and personal care products. Calgary is also home to The Healthiest Home and Building Supplies Store, which has a green building consultant on staff. The store offers environmentally-conscious options for flooring, kitchens, bathrooms, paints and finishes. Going green on a renovation project could also pay financial dividends, given the new federal ecoENERGY program, which offers more than $300 million in retrofitting incentives for industry and homeowners. An increasing number of conventional retailers are also now offering green products. As well, purchasing local, organic produce from, say, a farmers' market reduces environmental impacts, including those from transportation. Five green factors to consider when making purchases:
Green Stores
Claudia's Choices
Earth's General Store
Clean Calgary Association
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Our consumer behaviour can have a tremendous impact on the environment. Fortunately, a growing number of Alberta retailers are selling green products that significantly reduce that impact.