Recently I met up with Liliana Segal, the founder of Green Chair Events.  She is extremely passionate about the environment and she gave me some insight about her company.

After working as an event planner with other companies for over 18 years, Liliana realized the large amount of waste that was produced from events and wanted to do something about it.  Since she was working for other people, she had no power to change what they were doing, so she decided to start her own company, Green Chair Events.

They’ve been running for over a year now, and their mission is to educate people on green alternatives when running an event.  They want to inform people that a green event can be elegant as any other event, but most people just don’t have the knowledge and resources to know how to pull it off.

So what makes Green Chair Events eco-friendly?  They follow the basic rules of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

-       They minimize what they buy and only buy things that are high quality so they can reuse them for many years. They also create artful pieces from basic recyclable materials, such as a boat steering wheel from old wooden table legs.

-       They make sure everything is handled in an environmentally responsible way.  Left over food is donated to community kitchens.  Leftover flowers are donated to seniors homes and the Flowers For Food Society,  a program where leftover flowers are given to homeless people to sell in exchange for monetary donations.

-       They also provide a carbon footprint report and make comparisons of how big a carbon footprint is when doing a green event vs. a not green event.

-       They created the “Green Dream Foundation” that helps non-profits put on a sustainable event.  They teach volunteers to run an event sustainably, they provide special discounts for non-profits and let them borrow decorations for free.  They also send their green team over at the end of the events to divert the leftovers responsibly.

So what sets them apart from other green event planners?

Not only are they green, they want to teach people how they can be green.  They have an education system in place so people are aware of the possibilities available to them.  Their Green Team goes to every event to educate people; they bring the proper bins so waste can be handled responsibly and stand by the bins so no contamination occurs between recyclables.  Their ultimate goal is that all events in Vancouver are green events.  They are not concerned about their competition, as Liliana’s ultimate goal is to have green events be the norm so we can reduce the impact of events on the environment.  You cannot have a green event without a team, facility, and a plan in place and Green Chair Events makes this possible.

For more information about Green Chair Events, check out their website at http://www.greenchairevents.com/

I recently came back from a trip to Montreal, and while shopping there one day I came across some eco friendly footwear.  If you’re looking for a green alternative to traditional footwear, check out Simple Shoes.

Their sustainable shoes have soles that are made from recycled tires and are biodegradable.  They use a number of eco friendly materials including hemp, organic cotton, and eco-certified suede and leather.  And their packaging uses 100% post-consumer recycled paper.  They even have a line of shoes that are vegan friendly!

Having a summer wedding?  Consider a pair of Simple sandals as an alternative to traditional footwear.

These eco friendly shoes are not only stylish they’re affordable too!  Check out their website to find your nearest retailer: http://www.simpleshoes.com/

At this year’s EP!C we were fortunate to participate as exhibitors in the Eco-Friendly Wedding Showcase. The convention was hosted at Vancouver’s green convention centre; a beautiful building which boasts a 6 acre rooftop garden, a rainwater recovery system, and a seawater heating and cooling system.

Weddings

The green wedding showcase debuted at this year’s expo. We are very grateful to Green Chair Events who co-ordinated the showcase.

Some of the vendors that were in the Wedding Showcase included:

• Caroline Calvert Couture – Vancouver local custom gowns, created with natural fabrics.
• Amoda Flowers – Sustainable flower design. Amoda Flowers are fair trade, locally grown, wild crafted or organically grown.
• Sweet Naturally – Wedding cakes and cupcakes created with fresh and natural ingredients.
• Love Green Weddings – Green wedding planning services.
• Evergrow Christmas Trees – Live Christmas tree rentals, very popular for Winter weddings.

And of course there were lots of green vendors that were not wedding related. We can’t list them all, but here are our favorites:

Shirtland Drycleaners – A Vancouver dry cleaning service that uses a non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning solvent. I especially love how they use 100% biodegrable plastic bags that are automatically cut to the size of the garment.

U.S.E.D – A company that designs their products using recycled seatbelts. Their bags are so unique!

EP!C is an annual event, so if you weren’t able to make it this year, make sure to check it out next year May 13-15, 2011.

We first encountered Sustainably Sweet at the Bakers Market in Vancouver. Corinne had bought the Brio Bars – raw energy bars made with all natural ingredients . Our verdict: Absolutely delicious and surprisingly filling. With our busy work schedules, we often don’t have time for breakfast. These bars however, kept as full until lunch. We contacted Stephanie Burlton, the head baker, to learn more about Sustainably Sweet.

Raw energy bar made with all natural, whole foods, free of artificial flavours and chemicals.

Jahzel/Corinne: How did you start?

Stephanie: It’s something (baking) I’ve always loved doing. Especially for my friends birthdays. It made me happy and feel complete. With much encouragement from my friends, I decided to create Sustainably Sweet and to make my passion what I do for a living.

Jahzel/Corinne: Why did you decide to go green?

Stephanie: I don’t think people realize how big an impact their food choices make. It makes a big difference. What I want to provide is the choice for products that are better for the environment.

Jahzel/Corinne: How is Sustainably Sweet eco-friendly?

Stephanie: I am different from many eco-friendly bakers in that I am not fully invested in organic ingredients. I use them, but it’s not my focus. Sustainably Sweet minimize carboon footprint by being completely free of animal products. The amount of resources we use to feed livestock and process meat is staggering, and because of this I felt that it was more important to cut out animal products rather than focusing on all organic ingredients.

Jahzel/Corinne: How do you bake without animal products?

Stephanie: It depends on what animal products you are replacing. For example eggs, if the eggs were originally being used as a binder an excellent alternative is ground flax seed.

Jahzel/Corinne: How else are you green?

Stephanie: I use natural (unbleached) wheat, natural cane sugar, minimize packaging as possible, and use reusable molds for cupckae binders. I am also personally dedicated to living a sustainable life. I do all the basic things like recycling and compost – I bike everywhere!

Jahzel/Corinne: What is the future of Sustainably Sweet?

Stephanie: I defintely want to add cakes and pastries in my menu. In the future I would like to go into catering. I am currently in culinary school to achieve these goals.

Thank you very much Stephanie for meeting with us, we’re excited to have you as our green partner!

100% vegan - a sweet way to reduce your environmental impact

Learn more about Sustainably Sweet - Energy Bars, Cupcakes, Cookies and Treats

During the Grassroots Wedding Fair we met Michael Rendulic, a very talented videographer based in Port Coquitlam B.C. We jumped at the chance to interview him to find out more about his company, AVinhouse Event Videography.

AVinhouse Event Videography is a professional video production service that specializes in capturing family memories. Michael describes his service as, “the perfect solution for restoring and producing family heirlooms, tributes and corporate events.”

The video style that Michael creates is what sets him apart from other videographers. With a background in audio, he is able to combine both visual and audio to create elegant and at times, a dream-like state in his videos.

When asked how he was eco-friendly, Michael replied that he very much lives in the digital world and emphasizes this fact by showing us the interview notes he had been taking using his iPhone. Along with his no notebook rule, he also exclusively records in digital rather than tapes, and uses the newer Macs that are built to be eco friendly.

My favourite video of his is the Grassroots Wedding Fair tribute.

The Grassroots Wedding Fair from Michael Rendulic on Vimeo.

Check out more videos from AVinhouse Event Videography.

We’d like to congratulate MJ Marceau, who is getting married on August 7^th, and has won 200 cards for her wedding.

This was the very first year for the Grass Roots Wedding Fair, and we had a great time.  There was a diverse range of vendors and each was eco-friendly in some way.  Delicious appetizers were provided by One Planet Catering, there was some great entertainment with a wide range of music including Flamenco music by Singing Guitar, some really adorable ceramics by Eikcam, as well as unique Carrot Cake Lollipops by Sweet Naturally Bakery.

Thank you to all those that stopped by our booth.  We hope to see you again at our next wedding show on March 7^th at the Fraser Valley Wedding Festival.  For more information visit their website.

Merry Christmas everyone! Before we celebrate the New Year, we want to share the gifts that we made for each other. All my friends are creative, but we are creative in very different ways. Our mission to create eco-friendly gifts for each other took us on very different paths.

Corinne knitted up a storm and made a blanket for our friend Harv, and Mario gloves and toque for me. I hope she gets her Etsy site up soon, as I’m positive that I will be asked where I got my Nintendo inspired accessories.
Harv baked both of us a delicious container of cookies and brownies. He also did without wrapping paper and used colourful magazine pages instead.
I went the art route and drew a customized My Little Pony for Harv. The print came from our favorite FSC Printer, Linxprint. For Corinne, I made a flash game of her favorite childhood cartoons. You can play it here.

I love Christmas. I love the decorations, the scents, the presents and the parties. What I hate about Christmas is how absolutely poor it makes me. Not only are the holidays hard on the budget but also on the environment. In fact the Christmas season produces the most waste out of all the holidays: the result of 3 billion tons of extra garbage generated mostly from cheap and often meaningless gifts. Christmas does not have to be a commercial and wasteful affair. Here are some ideas on how to make your Christmas more eco-friendly.

Setting the Scene
Set the scene with a cozy Christmas fire, candles, and scents. Burning wood is a great sustainable way to heat a room. Wood is carbon neutral and releases the same amount of carbon dioxide when burned as when it rots naturally. Make sure you get your wood from sustainably managed resources. To make your home even more inviting and cozy, place pine cones or orange peels on top of the burning wood to create delicious smells. You could also try scented candles. Natural soy or beeswax candles are great options as they are biodegradable.

Choosing A Christmas Tree
Buy a locally grown tree with a Christmas tree growers’ association label. This ensures that your tree has been sustainably grown. Once Christmas is over, your tree can be converted to mulch in a seasonal recycling program. Talk to your city’s waste disposal to learn more about your local recycling program. Artificial trees are popular alternatives. However, take proper care to ensure that you do not purchase a petroleum-based product that may have been flown from China. Another option is renting a tree. Vancouver based Evergrow Christmas Trees rent potted trees. They deliver and pick-up the tree and you can request to have the same tree year after year.

Decorating Your Tree
Use garlands instead of lights. Or if you can’t go without lights, make sure to use low energy LEDs. LEDs come in the same brilliant colours as standard lights but only use a fraction of energy. Compliment previously purchased ornaments with dried fruit, pine cones, cinnamon sticks, and hand-made decorations.

Presents
This year my friends and I decided to save money (and the environment) by making gifts for each other. We will be posting our creations at a later date. Crafts are not the only eco-friendly option. Here are some ideas:

• Oxfam Unwrapped donation. A gift of peace on behalf of your loved ones.
• Gifts that can be experienced. (E.g. Concert or sport tickets)
• Food is always great. A basket of organic jams, herbal teas, or baked goods.
• Eco gadgets like staple free staplers or Eco kettles
• Recycled stationery. Take a look at Poo Poo Paper.
• Bamboo products. E.g. Towels, robes, bamboo serving bowls.
• Cloth diaper starter kit. Try the GDiaper.

For more green Christmas ideas read A Greener Christmas by Sheherazade Goldsmith.

With Christmas fast approaching, and a general tendency to be creative / crafty, I’ve made my own Christmas decorations this year.  They’re really easy to make, and they’re all natural!
Here’s how to do it:

What you need:
2 cups of flour
1 cup of salt
1 cup of water
Mix the flour and salt together and gradually add the water until a soft dough forms.

Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, roll it out and cut it into shapes.

Pierce a hole in each one so you can hang string through them later.  Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for about an hour.  It might be longer or shorter depending on how thick the dough is.

Remove from oven and let cool.  Decorate as you like!

The finished Christmas ornament, decorated with sparkles!

I love to make stuff.  I have so many projects on the go all at once in different kinds of mediums.  I’ve been artsy fartsy ever since I can remember and when I was six my mom taught me how to knit, and I’ve been knitting ever since.  However I’ve kept it a secret and was a “closet knitter” for the longest time.  It has such an old lady association attached to it and I was super embarrassed to let any of my friends know that I knew how to knit.  That’s all changed now, and I’m actually knitting a lot of my friends gifts for Christmas.  I started to look into some alternative types of wool that were out there and there are now a lot of eco-friendly options that are readily available.

Toque I made and another project i'm working on.

Red Heart wool has a variety of options.  They have yarn that is recycled from old acrylic yarn, and recycled cotton yarn as well as bamboo wool.

Pattons also has a wide variety of bamboo blend yarn, as well as yarn that is soy based.

My favourite brand of yarn, Moda Dea, has their own line of bamboo yarn as well.  It’s super soft and great to knit with.

Another big yarn company, Bernat, also has bamboo wool.  They have a few eco-friendly options, and a lot of their wool is FSC certified using recycled material from mixed sources.

And the great thing is that most of these brands are available at your local Michael’s store.  Or you can order online from the craft site Herrschners.   They usually have a lot of great deals and you can usually find what you’re looking for on their site for a lot less than what you would pay at a retail store.

If you’re into crafting, but not so much knitting, check out Ready Made.  They have some really great project ideas for making things out of recycled materials.  Anything from planters to furniture you can find a lot of great inspiration on their website.  They also have a magazine that you can subscribe to and a book out as well (both of which I love).

Happy Crafting!