How Beadle is GREEN

The store:

When renovating Beadle we decided to sand down the walls and keep the “rough texture” that was left behind instead of ripping out the drywall and starting new. It added some character to the space while reducing the waste that would have ended up in a landfill.

When buying our fixtures we decided to purchase gently used shelving. About 80% of our fixtures and props are reused/repurposed. In many cases saving them from being added to the landfill.

We use halogen lights which are 10-20% more efficient than incandescent lights. Each bulb produces more light per wattage reducing the amount of bulbs needed. 95% of our back room/production space uses mainly florescent lighting. Our window display lights are on a timer dramatically reducing the amount of time they are on.

The packaging:

Can a business have beautiful packaging AND reduce waste?

Whenever possible our packaging is made with recycled paper and is recyclable. We use packaging from a Canadian company that is made in a small factory here in Toronto. Our plastic bags are Oxo-biodegradable. This means they break down without needing to be composted.  Does it cost more? Of course, but in the long run it benefits our earth.

The products:

All of our products are handmade in Canada. Many are made in home-based businesses right here in Toronto. This drastically reduces or in some cases eliminates the use of fuels for shipping and supports our local economy.

We have several products that use recycled materials to create something new and beautiful. Fabienne Good’s wallets are made using plastic shopping bags. The plastic bags are cut up into strips, then woven on a full size fabric loom and sewn into the colourful eco-wallets. Keeping thousands of plastic bags out of the landfill each year.

Cherie doesn’t own a car. She is a member of a car sharing company using a car only when really needed.  She lives and works in the same building, buys food locally whenever possible and goes to her suppliers using public transit.