By Karen Halley, GreenUP Communications and Marketing Specialist So far this year, the weather has been up and down like a yo-yo. Over the past month, we’ve seen temperatures as low as -25 and as high as +10 with days that have brought us everything from frigid winds and freezing rain to meltwater and puddling […]

By Karen Halley, GreenUP Communications & Marketing Specialist Valentines Day is considered by some to be just another over-consumptive holiday; another opportunity for retailers to push loads of chocolate, cards, flowers, and balloons onto consumers, that all too soon end up in the landfill. There’s no need to boycott the day of love. Let the […]

By Jaime Akiyama, GreenUP Transportation & Urban Design Programs Coordinator Each year when winter approaches my family eagerly awaits all the fun activities that will keep us active: skating on the canal, skiing, snowshoeing, hours spent building snowmen and climbing snow banks. Ah, beautiful winter! Unfortunately, when winter actually arrives, more often then not, snow […]

By Karen Halley, GreenUP Communication & Marketing Specialist Are you looking for some last minute holiday gifts? With less than a week left until Christmas, the GreenUP Store has you covered with unique environmentally-friendly stocking stuffers that are under twenty dollars each, and are sure to keep you on the ‘nice list.’ Santa brings the […]

By Karen Halley, GreenUP Communications & Marketing Specialist It’s holiday shopping season and according to statistics, Canadian shoppers are planning to spend an average of $1,507 each this year. When it comes to giving, 46% of shoppers will be buying tangible gifts and topping the trend lists this year are apparel, toys, and personal electronics. […]

By Kristen LaRocque, GreenUP Store and Resource Centre Coordinator As the age of conscious consumerism continues to evolve and pick up steam, we hear a chorus of rally cries, “Shop local! Shop sustainably and reduce your carbon footprint!” Let’s unpack what these phrases mean in the context of Christmas gift giving in 2017. Shop Local! […]

By Karen Halley & Kristen LaRocque As the holidays approach, the work and family party planning begins. Unfortunately, amidst the festive celebrations comes a marked increase in waste production. Each year, Canadians increase their waste by 45 percent between Thanksgiving and Christmas. That is almost half a million tonnes of holiday waste going into the […]

While Black Friday has become the official start of the holiday shopping season for many, GreenUP invites you to think about your purchases this Black Friday, and to consider their impact on the earth. Consumerism and manufacturing have a considerable environmental impact: emissions, excessive energy consumption, air pollution, and the inevitable end-of-life space that products [...]

By Danica Jarvis, GreenUP Environmental Educator October marks one of my favourite holidays, Halloween, which is a time for a celebration of all things spooky. It’s time to carve pumpkins, decorate our homes with strings of bats and spiders, and tuck rubber snakes and rats under fallen leaves for unsuspecting trick-or-treaters. As you dig your […]

By Karen Halley, GreenUP Communications and Marketing Specialist Those of us who enjoy adventures around town on two wheels have had the opportunity to ride our bikes in warmer and drier conditions this fall. Nice weather sure makes commuting, market trips, and recreational rides more convenient and enjoyable than in the typical cold, fall weather […]