We’ve been hearing more and more about the benefits of buying local lately. And we’re one of the steadfast contributors to this important conversation here at vLife. Why? Because research has shown that by buying locally sourced products, you’re supporting your fellow community members, growing your local economy, and reducing your carbon footprint. So, it […]
Tag Archives: sustainable shopping
18
Jan
Jan
Big Corporate Local or Small Indie Local? “Supporting local” doesn’t necessarily mean supporting small local businesses in your community. “Local” is term that gets tossed around a lot lately. In fact, it’s used so much that it’s become a little kitsch. But what does it really mean? Well, technically, local can be used to refer […]
Buy Local, Local Economy, Local Supply Chain, Small Business Tips, Support Small Business
Real Challenges of Being a Small Business Owner
28
Dec
Dec
They say money makes the world go round. For the most part, the phrase is true. But to say just big money turns the wheel is wrong. Small businesses and their owners make up 40% of the Canadian GDP and employ 60% of all Canadians. From small bakeries to the rise of online shops, small […]
Buy Local, Holiday Gift Ideas, Local Gifts, Uncategorized
Christmas, Boxing Day, and Sustainable Shopping
07
Dec
Dec
Sustainable boxing day shopping can mean one big thing – more stuff. Look, I know Christmas at its core is about the spirit of it all, but come on. Gift getting, gift giving, who doesn’t love it? But as Christmas ever encroaches and boxing day sales loom, I’ve been giving more and more thought to […]
Buy Local, Local Economy, Support Small Business
Nova Scotian Local Deals this Canadian Black Friday & Small Business Saturday
09
Nov
Nov
Here we go again, Canadian Black Friday shopping. We’ve all seen those clips on YouTube – the ones of endless shoppers and pandemonium in a Walmart. Don’t get me wrong. Black Friday is tempting. I have had the same laptop for longer than Cyber Monday has even existed. And, unfortunately, even a sustainability nerd like […]
Buy Local, Local Economy, Local Supply Chain, Uncategorized
Sustainable Shopping that’s Affordable Too
28
Sep
Sep
Sustainable shopping that is also affordable is hard. But even harder is global warming – a real, looming, and ever-growing problem. Recent hurricanes Fiona and Ian are very real proof of that. Global warming truly is a persistent and universal problem. And, for me, this knowledge gives this sense of powerlessness. I’m sure many of […]
19
Jul
Jul
Sustainability is one of the most important issues that the world faces today. As our use of plastics increase to astronomical amounts, we are observing how our harmful use of plastics can contaminate not just our environments, but every single microbial being that inhabits it. Frankly, grocery stores are no exception to this trend. Your […]
12
Mar
Mar
A zero waste lifestyle transition can be daunting. There has been a huge shift in the number of reusable bags available at grocery stores over the past few years. This is wonderful, but when we looked at our weekly waste, the majority was still made up of single-use plastic packaging for produce and dry goods. […]
02
Mar
Mar
We spoke to many buy-local shoppers when first designing our vlife solution for connecting folks with more small local businesses. When vlife was just a dream and some wireframe sketches, we conducted a buy-local shopper survey* where respondents openly shared their motivations and frustrations with us. And we found many commonalities. The main points being […]
26
Feb
Feb
Buy Local shoppers in Nova Scotia got some exciting news recently. Now we can more easily support local food providers with the “Taste of Nova Scotia” stickers or “Get Your Hands on Local” signage in many of the larger grocery stores! We’re all about supporting small and local here at vlife. So it’s awesome to […]
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