Go green with these local PG businesses

Plastics are taking over the planet. So much so that recycling programs are having trouble keeping up.

Whether we like it or not, a lot of what we consume ends up polluting beautiful Mother Nature.

Thankfully there has been a significant shift in recent years towards environmental awareness.

It doesn’t take much- even the smallest person can evoke big change, and for many of us it starts within our very own community.

In honour of Earth Day coming up this Sunday, we’d like to give a shout out to a few of the local gems that put in serious effort to make our planet a greener, cleaner place to live.

Shine Hair Salon

Shine Hair Salon has been a contender for the Chamber of Commerce ‘Environmental Awareness Award’ for a couple of years now, largely due to their unwavering dedication in combating oil spill devastation in our oceans.

This “Green Circle” certified salon utilizes discarded hair and ships it off in bundles for the absorption of oil spills, minimizing adverse consequences to the environment.

They also divert excess chemicals from hair solutions to a hazardous waste facility, instead of the usual industry standard which simply dumps them into the local water supply.

Shine Hair Salon- we thank you for your valiant efforts in keeping our planet healthy!

UNBC

Known as ‘Canada’s Most Green University,’ UNBC is always striving to improve their earth-friendly potential.

The rightfully bestowed title was inspired by an annual recognition put on by MediaCorp Canada Inc., who selects 70 of Canada’s top employers as recipients.

UNBC has staked claim as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for a sixth straight year in a row, boasting as the only employer-based out of Northern B.C. to do so.

This world-renowned institution earns their reputation through purposeful efforts in earth-friendly food strategies, its Green Fund and Green University Planning Committee.

You can see green initiatives at every turn, such as the on-campus Farmers Market, Good Food box program and eco-friendly building retro-fittings.

Students and faculty can feel good that there campus parking fees support UNBC’s green projects.

Play Grounds Cafe

It’s no wonder Play Grounds Cafe made our green list- from the biodegradable takeaway packaging to the extensive recycling program made easily accessible to patrons and employees alike, this fine establishment clearly puts the environment before profit.

And to boot, they support a ton of local farmers and other small business ventures by showcasing many fine products available in our city.

The Play Space is chock-full of high-end, wooden toys for your kids to explore which means there are hardly any toxic plastics in sight!

Soak in all the glorious earth-friendliness while you enjoy a cold beverage from a super cool glass mason jar.

Let’s be honest, winning the 2017 Chamber of Commerce ‘Environmental Awareness Award’ didn’t hurt either.

The Green Sheep

The Green Sheep is a lesser-known business making waves in the environmental impact community.

This eco store focuses on online sales that offer organic, reusable, biodegradable or re-purposed products for baby and the entire family.

Their goal is to supply eco-friendly toys and essentials for those who are wanting to reduce their carbon footprint.

You can find bamboo toothbrushes, reusable metal straws, lunch supplies and just about anything pertaining to baby.

Has all of this inspired you to pitch in and help out the environment yet?

Sign-up for the Annual City Wide Spring Clean-Up hosted by the City of PG and REAPS on Sunday, April 29.

We’re all in this together!