The toll of the Covid-19 pandemic on retailers has added fuel to the “buy local” movement across the country. At the same time, there is growing demand for products and services that support sustainability and a green economy.

Buying local not only supports the economy through directly funding small, medium and large businesses, but it also helps to create and retain jobs and plays a critical role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by international shipping and supply chain activities. 

There are a number of incredible green businesses in BC, and we at the CORE Cleantech Cluster, want to make treating friends and family with surprises a bit easier this year. Build back better through your holiday shopping, and support made in BC companies and products. Check out our top green gift recommendations for all of the personalities on your shopping list.

Conscious cleaners

• Banish the stink from your kitchen with indoor compost powder from BinBreeze. Their odor absorbing carbon powder claims to freshen by eliminating odors and rid your kitchen from pesky fruit flies. 
• Bulky plastic packed laundry soap is harmful to the environment. Plus it can be heavy to transport home from the grocery store and takes up a lot of storage space. Take care of the environment and your clothing with eco-friendly laundry detergent from Tru Earth. This hypoallergenic product cuts back on plastic waste with a dissolving laundry strip.
• Over 1 billion plastic toothbrushes are added to landfills every year in North America, and these can’t be recycled or broken down. Make the switch to zero waste toothpaste and bamboo toothbrushes from Nelson Naturals. Bamboo is naturally biodegradable, and the toothpaste comes in reusable glass jars.

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Green thumbs

• Fresh greens in the middle of winter? Yes, you can! Grow your own microgreens with a home kit from GrowZorb.
• Start your indoor smart garden with plug-in plants from AVA. This system reduces water use with its self-watering system, and packaging is made with almost zero waste.
• The traditional holiday card has gone green. Send a greeting that turns into an organic microgreen plant from Gift a Green. 

Conscious fashionistas

• Do good and look good, too. Tentree offers sustainable casual clothing and promises to plant 1 billion trees (10 for every item purchased) by 2030.
• One-third of the plastic in rivers and oceans comes from clothing. Say goodbye to fast fashion and discover organic apparel from Ecologyst and Novel Supply.
• For DIY fashion, use fabrics made from textile waste at Fabycle. They collect overstock fabric to create products that give materials a second life.

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An appetite for sustainability 

• The shift to plant-based diets has prompted innovation in your favourite foods. Explore plant based alternatives to smoked salmon made from Save da sea 
• Enjoy ethical tea from Nelson-based Virtue Tea. Their products are directly sourced from small artisan growers in Asia who use earth-friendly practices.
• Bring the circular economy home with homeware and decor made from chopsticks at  Chop Value. They have already recycled and transformed close to 32 million chopsticks that otherwise would have ended up in landfill.

Foresight is pleased to have supported several of these companies. Find out more about our programs that help launch and scale cleantech solutions.

Interested in connecting with the cleantech community, collaborating on new technologies, or exploring investment opportunities? Check out the CORE Cleantech Cluster