Cloth Produce Bags will Change your Apples.

I am now that lady who judges people wrapping their produce in plastic. Yep, the thought of plastic wrapping my fruits and vegetables makes me feel a bit nauseous and I'm sadly tempted to be that crazy as to inform other shoppers that they are lame for using plastic. I know. Don't worry, I hold it in check (well mostly, since I will admit that it's likely judging looks escape...). Not very yogic of me. 

I grew up with a mom who wrapped everything in plastic like most people. All produce had to be in those thin plastic bags for fear, gasp, that maybe they would get contaminated with salmonella or leprosy between the bin and their trip to the crisper. 

How ridiculous of me to actually believe that fruit and vegetables in the store's bin had magically appeared there without touching ANY OTHER SURFACE. It was my husband's brief stint working at Safeway while we lived in BC that opened my eyes to how I was being a bit ridiculous. As if all that produce hadn't already been handled by dozens of other hands, to be rearranged several times a day. I was deluding myself if I thought that they were 'germ' free prior to the moment I picked them up.

Andrew also pointed out that plastic doesn't allow produce to breathe (another little trick he learned as a produce guy) so it's not the best choice for storage, cloth would allow fruits and vegetables to stay fresher, longer in the fridge. So why was I still shoving even whole fruits and vegetables in plastic bags?

Soon after I purchased my first cloth produce bags- Lioli (love it or lose it) pogsacs. I was instantly in love. They are easy to clean, come in different sizes and I love that there are mesh and solid options, depending if I want bulk items like nuts. (Credo bags also have a fabulous selection, or you could make your own like my friend Jen did. Although not her site, DIY from Design Sponge).

They have never posed a problem, although weirdly I have had cashiers ask if they could look in the bags if I don't already have them open (Canadians, we're so polite!). 

It has now progressed to when I forget the bags, I still don't use plastic. I mean, why would I need to group my apples together? Or my contain my carrots that are already bunched? They are all going to be thoroughly washed regardless of whether they are in a bag or not, and I'm fairly certain no one has bled, vomited or peed on the basket, cart or till rotating thingy. If they did, my wash would kill most of the germs that haven't already died from being exposed to oxygen for so long. 

We are so paranoid about germs, sometimes I think it's ridiculous. 

So the next time you're out grocery shopping- consider NOT wrapping your apples in a plastic bag. Just set them loosely in your cart and see what happens. When you get home, give them a good scrub, like you always would, and wonder at how the world didn't end- you didn't catch syphilis from that apple. Who knew?

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

My Ultra Cool Lunchbox: A lesson on impulse buys

A few of you commented on my pretty stainless steel lunchbox and were wondering where I got it and what the company was. Really, I didn't elaborate much because if I could have a 'do over' in the lunch box department (geez, how weird is that) I totally would. But, in the sense of honesty and spreading the lunchbox WORD, let me clarify :)


First off, WHY did I choose a stainless steel lunchbox instead of plastic or glass? 


We all know that plastic is terrible. It's made from petroleum, lasts forever, breaks down into tiny 'nurdles' which are eaten by fish and then us, leaches toxic chemicals in our food and causes a crap-ton of pollution. I wouldn't even say that plastic containers are convenient; in that they NEVER get rid of the food smell (ick), are gross to clean and I never heat my food in plastic. The only aspect of plastic that is nice is it's lightweight.


Glass would be a wonderful alternative if it came in stackable and attached lunchbox forms. We use a lot of anchor glass containers for food storage (fridge and freezer) and when I have extra foods I bring for lunch. They require less energy to create, are made from renewable and are a completely recyclable resource. Plus you can heat your food in them. The downside- they may break, and I haven't found attachable 'lunchbox' forms yet.

So- stainless steel it is. You should know that stainless steel does require quite a bit of energy to mine and form. Depending on where and who, the steel could have been mined in a destructive manner (think razing mountains). So, in order to get your environmental benefit from this lunchbox, you need to use it.


Alright, down to the nitty gritty. This is where I wish I had done some research before my impulse-buy at P'lovers. My lunchbox is a Zebra. I LOVE the convenience of having something that holds my lunch and is ONE unit with a handle. It's SO easy to clean and displays my 'Plastic Bags Blow' sticker very well.


However. I *wish* I would have bought a different lunch tin. Therefore I will tell YOU about my wish list lunchbox (sigh).


Life Without Plastic. The company is Canadian and they do quite a bit of research on all the products they carry. They carry a variety of options and there are some pretty similar lunchbox containers to mine. They also carry this AWESOME wool insulated bag that Beth Terry from Fake Plastic Fish reviewed glowingly. Seriously, how cool would that be? 


My favourite by far, the 'To-Go Ware 2-tier Tiffin'. If you're in the states, you could order directly from the To-Go Ware company. 


Why it is so beautiful:


- It's stackable with a handle, made from high grade stainless steel.
- BEST: each container can function on it's own! (Currently my lunchbox only shuts with BOTH containers attached. I need an elastic to only bring one section). Seriously, you have no idea how convenient it would be to have the option to bring only one.
- It has a plate and little sauce-nut-extras tins and is dishwasher safe (if we had one that would be cool... currently we have 'Dishwasher Andrew').
- According to the To-Go Ware website, the top section can hold liquids!! (Currently, mine leaks all over the place...).
-Also according to the To-Go Ware website, these tins are made in Mumbai India, is certified ISO for human rights and environmental protection.


Lessons learned from using a stainless steel lunchbox:

• Consider whether you could actually use each section separately. You're not always going to have two different foods to bring for lunch.
• Stainless steel doesn't keep things hot or cold, BUT having a cover would help.
• If there isn't a plastic-rubber seal around the edges, really check the tightness of the closure. If you like liquidy things, find something with a really tight seal.

The biggest lesson: you can't reheat steel in the microwave... so you'll need to remember to bring a bowl or plate as well. Although this 'may' seem like an extra step, I actually really like eating my lunch out of a bowl from home. If I'm lazy, I'll just bring my reheatable stuff in my glass anchor containers.


I heart my lunchbox, and have used it consistently over the past year. Once you get through the 'new habit' stage it's just as convenient as gross icky plastic.


There you go! I hope that was helpful and that you'll take the leap into the ridiculously awesome world of stainless steel lunchboxes. :)


Happy Weekend! (upcoming: an update on my community yoga group!)


article and photos copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

BYOContainer without getting funky looks

Fridays... they happen to be special in that I buy my lunch at a local grocery store. I usually only schedule a few clients on Fridays so I can catch up with paperwork... and risk walking to Pete's Frootique for some SALAD.


Not just ANY salad, but a 500 zillion ingredient option, build your own salad!


My issue, which I have emailed them about (and received non-commital answers), was that they packaged these salads (two sizes, large and small) in non-recyclable or compostable containers. Sure the containers are made with post-consumer recycled content, but the waxy coating isn't recyclable- so into the landfill it goes.


Trying to trouble shoot around this, I figured bringing my own bowl wouldn't be well accepted... ('who IS that weirdo treehugger anyway??'). I realized that the best solution would be to bring my stainless steel lunch container, about the size of the salad and see what they said.


It took about a month to muster the nerve. You see, I'm a pretty awkward person, especially when it comes to dealing with customer service people. I had these visions of having to explain myself, strange looks, flat out 'no's, being embarrassed etc etc.


Finally, one morning I just took a deep breath, bundled up against the snow, and marched over to Pete's, trusty container in hand-mitten.


I fretted the entire time I was in line, while the guy was filling up his mixing bowl with my ingredients and then: 
'Can I ask you a weird favour?' (geez I'm so awkward)
'yesss.....?' (cautious look)
'Could you put the salad in here' (shoves the container to the dude)
'Sure.' 


Sure?? Wow, that was anti-climatic. Thank goodness! The salad fit completely and he even complimented my BYOBag: Plastic Bags Blow, sticker. YES. I am COOL! Now I only need to worry about the cashier... Who didn't even blink when I opened the lid and said: 'See, it's a small salad'.


Today was my fourth or fifth time doing this without anyone even giving me a weird look! Seriously a fantastic experience. Today one of the cashiers said they were thinking of providing a discount for people who brought their own containers. YES. I am emailing Pete's tonight.


My next step is to bring my own take out container when we go to certain restaurants that I usually take the food home. I'm not as sure how that will go... but we'll see.


It's all about taking a step away from the disposable lifestyle. A fantastic site is: TakeOut Without Campaign: fill your stomachs, not the landfills. (love that!). A wonderful organization supporting those who wish to rethink how they live their lives. Every small change in habit will eventually lead to beautiful things. 


Just as we move in our yoga practice towards healing our bodies and minds, so we can practice in stages to change how we treat our Planet. 


Happy Weekend!


article and photographs copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Yogoco; Eco Yoga Mat Bag!

Yoga accessories... do we need them, should we simply let them go, are they essential to practice... In a Lulu Yoga World, my first Punk Rockah Yogini reaction is to reject these trappings. Annnnd, then I tried to practice in pajamas, jeans, on the floor without a mat. In five seconds I go from Punk Rock Yogini to Prep-Yogini (eco-prep of course) who covets green clothing, mats and bamboo blocks. Sigh.

Cue Yoga Mat Bags. Most yogis know that bringing your mat to class can vary with complexity and hassles. Depending on what you want to bring, it can involve showing up with your bag to bringing a change of clothing, keys, face cloth, towel and water.... perhaps if you shower afterwards (I'm thinking Bikram or Hot Yoga) extra things like shampoo and soap may need to be added.

For myself, I always bring at least a headband, hair tie, my purse, house keys and bottled water. In the winter I bring a hat, mittens and scarf. I prefer to have a yoga mat bag and since I like pretty things, my current bag is well, a little bit shiny and colourful and is a lulu bag sadly. Andrew was using my very first yoga bag, until the zipper broke and he's been using a rubber band, stick and some flare keeping it together.


I have been trying to find an eco-friendly version that is equally functional and beautiful as those sold at Lululemon without any luck... until now.

A few weeks ago Avi, owner and founder of Yogoco Yoga mat bags contacted me regarding reviewing the Yogoco Mat Bag. I had seen these bags before and drooled excessively, what a beautiful bag. Prior to reviewing the bag I had a few extra questions concerning the construction which Avi answered readily and in detail. She was fabulous in addressing my concerns and clarifying the process.

A Yogoco bag combines eco-ness and uber functionality to create a beautiful, sturdy and "green" bag. The company takes pre-consumer t-shirt fibers collected from the cut and sew process of a local fabric house. The fibers are sorted by colour and blended to create new fibers for the bags. The result are fluffy fibers that they can use as stuffing and padding or spun into new yarns, retaining the colour of the t-shirt fibers. 

This assures that Yogoco isn't contributing to the cotton industry which as of 2002 was 73% genetically modified and uses one of the highest amounts of pesticides and chemicals to produce along with monocultures that are extremely destructive to soil. Further, they aren't dying their yarn which would potentially contribute to chemical run-off in the factory and saves huge amounts of water.

When I asked about using scraps from organic cotton fabric, Avi reported that essentially 10% of the material used does come from organic cotton. However, she pointed out that organic cotton is still a growing industry and difficult to attain.

Yogoco bags are also made in the USA, which is fantastic as it facilitates monitoring of clean and environmentally safe working conditions and drastically decreases the carbon footprint compared to sourcing work to eastern countries.

I received the bag last night and it is BEAUTIFUL. My yoga mat fits with a TON of room in the large mat compartment, so if I ever do require a mat replacement and choose a larger mat there will be no problem. I could probably roll up both Andrew and my mats and have them fit in that bag. Awesome. (inspecting the ONE tag with twine!)


The extra compartment for towel, water bottle etc is also great. It has a handy extra pocket on the inside for keys and hair ties and it's large enough that my cloth mat will actually fit! This bag is going to be perfect for our summer Yoga in the Park where last summer I was carrying about ten different things as both my cloth and rubber mats didn't fit in my regular bag.

I was a little worried about how the bag would arrive with packaging and Avi did not disappoint! The bag arrived with minimal taping in a cardboard box (which will be re-used as a gift box this xmas). Inside were minimal tissue (made from recycled paper) and the bag which was stuffed with recycled butcher-type paper. All of the recycled paper will be used either as gift wrap or tissue this xmas by myself a few friends. Even the *one* tag attached to the bag was minimal and tied with rustic looking twine. No plastic at all. WOOT!


According to Avi and the Yogoco site, they use soy and vegetable-based ink and recycled paper on all tags, brochures, business cards and postcards.


Two glitches: 1) the nylon lining on the inside of the bag. Avi explained that (especially for Hot Yoga) having a wipeable lining that was easy to clean and would slip the mat and clothing in the bag was essential. She also indicated that the lining consists of 5% of the weight of the bag and that they are searching for a US made, sustainable alternative.

2) The price. Although I believe that the price reflects what needs to be paid when we aren't supporting slave-labour wages and poor working conditions along with innovative design and beautiful fabric, the reality is that the bags are not cheap. However, I always feel that investing in local, sustainable companies who make quality, durable products are worth the extra money and saving-time. So this "glitch" probably would just result in a little extra thought on saving up. My goal is to invest once in something I feel great about and never have to buy another bag.



This bag is the epitome of green and I heart it very much! It would make a fantastic gift for a Yogi/ni, ecoholic or not. Seriously, I did a happy dance at the post office and in the apartment. (the bag with the cloth AND rubber mat inside!)



Many Blessings and soon to come- Slow Christmas and what that means :)


Article and photos copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Beltane, Rain and Hemp Bags... An uplifting Combo

Sigh. Thank goodness it's Friday and Beltane. I'm in need of some spiritual rebirth. Our brief sunny tease has been replaced by rainy spring-ness. Which, despite the doom and gloom, has given way to beautiful leaf buds waiting... waiting to spread and gather sunlight. They're so cute! (tree buds outside our balcony tonight!)

I love to wear black. It's just so flattering.... and goes with the craziest handmade earrings I can find! Unfortunately I have been informed that it gets a bit old, so in the spirit of spring (and to help boost my own!) I went to visit the Bhavana Yoga Boutique here in Halifax.

Tucked upstairs from the vegetarian restaurant Heartwood, which I really have to convince Andrew to eat at, this Boutique is super cute and welcoming. The owner; Krista, is a super sweet and friendly Yogini who teaches yoga at the new 108 Studio in the farmer's market. She carries wonderful alternatives to the crazy Lulu-bots being spewed forth lately. From Jade Yoga mats (beautiful eco-alternatives, see a 

more indepth review of rubber eco-mats here) to sustainable and soft Halfmoon cork blocks (I ADORE mine!) her boutique is a fantastic yogic experience. (picture curtosy of Bhavana's home page- it doesn't do the store justice!)

During this latest visit I was able to purchase a beautiful Skyler top. Skyler is a Canadian company that hires talented mothers who have the freedom to work from home, supporting their essential roles as mothers. Fantastically progressive. Bhavana also carries Karma and Cura clothing both made in Vancouver BC (which Krista reports Cura is closing up shop!). I Heart my new chocolate Cura shorts, perfect for outdoor practice. I'm also excited to see if Karma's bamboo eco-line will be carried there!

Finally, I found my non-nylon solution to the portable, tiny awesome flip and tumbles... Envirosax. Now, I have seen the nylon versions everywhere, and although cute and small, they are still nylon. I already have two nylon spheres of plastick-y death thank you very much. While at Bhavana I spied.... NATURAL Envirosax options!! WOOT!! I did a little dance. Andrew laughed. Bhavana carries bamboo, linen (ouu fancy!), and hemp roll-up bags! I chose hemp, which is a fantastic, renewable source that is extremely strong and doesn't require the nasty chemical changes that bamboo does (check out the

Oldies but Goodies post on this for more details). Also, linen seems a bit much for a bag... I mean, I had a linen skirt once and had to iron it constantly... which means I never did. 

They come with their own tiny bags.... which I think is a wee bit wasteful, a bag for a bag??This bag with a bag is contained in a (recycled) paper box... Sigh. I am forever warped. Regardless, it fits nicely in my purse and has been used several times! I'll probably upcycle my bag's bag (lol) into a cute pouch for something...

On top of all these beautiful, innovative products, Krista offers regular workshops out of her Boutique, including an Introduction to Ayurveda. 

On this happy note, Happy Beltane and Spring!

Blessings :)

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch... A Nurdle-y Creation

In keeping with plastic being catastrophically horrible Andrew and I quickly made the switch to reusable bags. Our problem, easily, was remembering to bring a bag for groceries (this is still challenging actually!). Carrying those large, cumbersome bags to the grocery store was annoying. Also, as soon as we'd leave a few bags in the car, they would get brought inside, upstairs to our apartment and put away after the groceries were unpacked... never to return to the car AGAIN.

Plastic has permeated our lives and except for those which are incinerated, every single bit of plastic EVER created still exists today. Every Single Bit (The World Without Us; Alan Weisman). Plastic gets broken down into tiny bead sized bits called "nurdles" and are being ingested by fish in every ocean on the planet. Yum. What about recycling you say? Unfortunately, plastics are usually recycled into one-use only products that can then no longer be recycled (downcycling as plastic degrades with each recycling). Unless stated, all plastic that you are purchasing is virgin plastic that will live on forever. Although a step, recycling plastic only delays the inevitable. Further, most municipalities only accept certain numbers or types of plastic. Halifax ONLY accepts #1 and #2 plastics. You put all plastic in the bag anyway you say? I truly do not believe that the recycling plant workers who have to sort through thousands of blue bags actually check each and every bottle for the recycling number, keeping those that are a "go" and throwing the rest away. You can assume that if a bag contains non-recyclable plastic (like yogurt containers) that the ENTIRE bag is thrown into the landfill/dump. The best step- reduce your consumption of plastic. (For a more indepth and informed discussion on plastic- check out Fake Plastic Fish's blog here for a nice rundown of "why plastic is bad" and her stellar link "The 7 Misconceptions About Plastic and Plastic Recycling).

Finally, the ocean garbage patch. Ugh. David Suzuki estimates that it's 620 000 square kilometres (20 times the size of Vancouver Island) and 30 metres deep. Of garbage and plastic. Plastic diapers, toothbrushes, bags... Plastic in our ocean doesn't really decay- it can last up to a 1000 years, but then scientists aren't exactly sure... it degrades SO slowly that after half a century we still can't get an accurate measure. These tiny plastic nurdles are mistaken to be zooplankton by Lantern Fish, and outnumber zooplankton 6 to 1. Yup. Those chemical leaching, oil soluble plastic nurdles being gobbled up by fish, accumulating all the way the food chain to us (David Suzuki Foundation and "Waves of Disaster" by Roberta Staley). (pic- Me fishing for nurdle-filled mackerel on my father's lobster boat, Atlantic Ocean. Note the constant fog).

Alright. So this info (only the tip of the plastic-y mountain) results in some major reluctance around using anything plastic. In order to help us remember to actually HAVE a reusable bag, we needed something other than those awkward, annoying big bags. 

Cue- "Flip and Tumbles". No matter how many reusable bags you own, if they are always left at home they aren't being very useful. Flip and Tumbles are these cute little bags that fold up into small compact two inch balls that fit into your purse! They're kinda like Popples (for those of us that remember them!). The bags are made from nylon (ugh- another plastic!) but are recyclable (and if not in your home town, the designers will recycle those shipped back to them). I was a little nervous about trying them, another gimmick to get me to buy (and I am internet ordering jinxed!) but we have seriously used these bags hundreds of times since we bought them. They are SO easy to just roll up (and FUN) and throw into my purse, or Andrew's bookbag. For those spontaneous shopping moments, like when I remember randomly that we need more toilet paper, and haven't actually planned a shopping trip; we have bags! Also, they are much easier to carry with you on quick small grocery shopping event. I LOVE mine :)

The next and on-par with my life altering DivaCup purchase, were my pog-sacs by Lioli. You can read about them here, but truly they have changed my grocery shopping experience. Here I was with my reusable bags, filled with plastic produce bags. So annoying. Although I started just placing the produce straight into the bag, with organic produce, contamination can be an issue. Plus, sometimes I wanted a BUNCH of carrots. These little cotton mesh and solid bags (unlike the nylon=plastic ones I was seeing everywhere in Halifax) are unbleached, fair-labour and easily washable. They allow your produce to breathe easier in the fridge than the plastic does- so it will last longer. Until now Lioli was the only company I was aware of that was Canadian owned. 

Until... CREDO. Credo bags are a Montreal based company who makes mesh cotton produce bags... wait... IN Canada!! They even offer 100% certified organic produce mesh bags! For those Haligonians out there, these bags are sold at P'Lovers in the ParkLane Mall. However, when I checked for a certification seal on the tags there were none to be found. The website also doesn't divulge any third party certification seals and with all the greenwashing going on recently surrounding false certification seals this is a little off. **UPDATE: please read Judy, Owner of Credo Bags' comment below regarding certification of organic mesh bags! Thank you Judy!** 

Also, I LOVE my solid Lioli bags, as I place bulk organic rice, grains, peas, bean sprouts etc in them. No solid bags are available through Credo.

Two small steps and my "Nurdle" Impact or NI has decreased!

Blessings! (and Happy Earth Everyday!)

Decreasing Nurdles- No More Plastic!

This post is part of Fight Back Friday's hosted by Food Renegade! Check it out for more awesome Food Rebel posts!

For two years my fiancé and I lived in Vernon BC, nestled between three gorgeous lakes in the Okanagan Valley. We were like platypi surrounded by King Penguins... we didn't ski, hike, canoe or camp. At all. (Hence moving back to the maritimes!). While living in Vernon I did acquire a taste for good local wine, yoga outside and anything "eco". One day, while in the local tiny health food store I picked up these little cloth cotton bags called "pog-sacs". Weirdest name EVER. The reason why I bought them, the tag had the coolest colours EVER. 

These little produce-or-grain bags (pog-sacs) are made from unbleached cotton and purchased with fair wage-fair labour. At this point in my eco-career we had already become expert bring-our-own-bag people but I was still using those annoying little plastic dealeys for my veggies and fruits. These little cotton bags were something new- I no longer had to buy those silly plastic "sacs" that make my green pepper mushy and get thrown out! 

It only took a few shopping trips to realize that, well what do ya know, these little bags with the beautiful coloured tag are Kick Bum!! I could fit 5-6 apples in one mesh bag, or carrots, or even a medium sized green leaf lettuce! They breathed better in the fridge so my produce stayed fresh for longer. The kicker- they are SUPER easy to wash/dry (no special anything! WOOT). 

These little pog-sacs made the wondrous journey with us across the country and started their new life here in Halifax. I quickly realized that I needed more than just two. I wanted a whole bunch with a few solid ones for rice or nuts! I searched the city and all I have found are silly nylon mesh bags. Nylon is derived from petroleum, it is a synthetic polymer or: plastic. Nice.

Side note: Did you know that since their creation approximately 50 years ago, each and every single piece of plastic EVER made still exists (The World Without Us- awesome book). That equals about 1 billion tons of plastic. Also, us humans in the world use about 1 trillion plastic bags a year. A million bags a minute. Every minute. As far as science can tell synthetic polymers may take a thousand years to break down, even an order of magnitude (10 times=10 000 years) in the ocean. When plastic is said to "degrade" what marine biologists are finding is that they break down into tiny plastic particles (nurdles) that are being ingested by all sea animals, either killing them or passing the plastic-disease to the next predator to come along- ending with humans. 

SO- back to my pog-sacs. Very important to stop using plastic bags. 

Nylon just doesn't cut it. Finally I sucked it up and googled them. Wonders of wonders- they are actually run by a Vernonite that lived about two streets over from our first apartment overlooking Kalamalka Lake. LOL. I ordered a sampler from her even though I HATE ordering from the internet and am usually cursed. My beautiful new Lioli (love it or lose it!) pog-sacs came about a week later! YAY. They are perfect, large enough for lots of bulk rice or nuts/oats and large AND small mesh bags for potatoes, or apples or bananas. I Heart them a lot. They are different, eco and practical!

Update: Our local health-organic food store allows us to fill our grain bags with rice-granola etc, no question. Also, another Canadian company- Credo, creates mesh grain bags **IN Canada** and according to a comment left by Judy- the owner- have certified organic options. Read my post to find out more about Credo. Despite the pros, the owner of Lioli is super sweet, friendly and I prefer their solid bag options... :)

Blessings!