Kelowna adds new organization to its green initiative roster

Recently, a small group of individuals gathered on a sunny, winter Sunday to talk about...trash.

Yes, trash.

The purpose of the meeting was to get to know one another (some of the members present had only previously interacted on their Facebook group) and to organize around how to make an impact in Kelowna.

The mission? To support and promote businesses adopting sustainable practices, and to teach individuals about how to become more conscious of their own consumer habits.

We are already seeing rumblings of the plastic-free/waste-free/zero-waste lifestyle movement entering Kelowna’s business scene, with The Globe restaurant at Big White now offering glass straws with drinks, and most coffee shops in town, like Pulp Fiction Coffee House, giving cup discounts to customers who bring their own mug.

But thus far, no formal group has coalesced around this concept, and that is why this little gathering on a Sunday afternoon was so exciting.

Waste Conscious Living, the name the group has chosen to represent themselves, sees this as an opportunity to connect like-minded people in not only this city, but across the Okanagan, to propel the ideas of waste-less living into the public eye in a big way.

Their immediate plans include creating a repository of businesses on their website that clues locals and tourists alike in to the amazing bevy of businesses around the Okanagan that are supporting sustainability in their own way.

This includes retailers who have opted out of providing single-use plastic bags, or restaurants choosing to serve dishes with reusable cutlery, like chopsticks, instead of the throwaway variety.

In this way, Waste Conscious Living hopes to make the waste-conscious lifestyle more accessible and convenient for everyone.

Waste Conscious Living has already amassed quite a following on social media and plans to leverage that by promoting people, places, and causes that align with their mission.

Know of a business rocking sustainability on the local scene? Or are you a local business looking to become more sustainable? The group is happy to assist you along your journey with simple waste-conscious solutions to fit your business.

Send a message to hello@wasteconsciousliving.ca and find them on Facebook and Instagram.

To help kick-start the group’s community efforts, they will be hosting their first social meet-up on Tuesday, March 27th at Tree Brewery.

Join them for beers, tacos, and sustainability chatter! Event is free to register.

Interested in learning more about Waste Conscious Living? Ryan Cope will be providing a monthly column talking all things eco-friendly, touching on many topics that focus on living and maintaining a waste conscious life.