Green Calgary's Blog

Summer in Calgary has officially kicked off! This means that market season is now upon us. There are tons of markets scheduled for the rest of summer and even multiple ones happening this upcoming weekend. As mentioned in one of our previous blog posts , shopping local is a great and easy way to be green. At the markets, you will find a variety of goodies ranging from vintage clothes, to farm fresh produce, and maybe even some beeswax wraps to reduce your plastic wrap consumption. Shopping local has plenty of benefits including helping the economy. Did you know that spending $100 locally ensures that $68 stays in the community? This article explains this notion in more depth and also talks about the importance of supporting your neighbors and becoming an active member of your community. These local businesses also tend to have a smaller carbon footprint than their big brand counterparts, which is another reason to spend your money locally. There are also advantages to buying loca

June 15th is Neighbour Day, a yearly celebration of Calgary's ability to come together. It was started in 2014 as a way to commemorate the way Calgarians helped one another during the 2013 floods. It's that spirit that makes Calgary feel like a big city with small town charm. Green Calgary serves communities through its rain water harvesting programs, its support of community events, and its workshops and products. In the 41 years that Green Calgary has been around, we've seen Calgary change and grow, along with the challenges to our urban environment. Those challenges are constantly shifting but at the heart of them all are people who are trying to make a difference. So, we encourage all Calgarians to get out in their communities this Neighbour Day. Find an event, go for a walk, shop at local businesses, and connect with the other people in your community. We are all integral to our neighbourhoods and the actions we take in our communities affect those around us. S

A whopping six million tonnes of organic wastes in Canada is produced annually, according to Waste Management World. Fortunately for the good of the earth, all of this waste can easily be converted to compostable fertiliser for your garden. With Earth Day not too far away, there are plenty of hacks to  turn your garden into an eco-friendly paradise . Help our city of Calgary  go green with these easy to implement  changes to your garden. These five simple tasks will leave you with a stunning backyard paradise, giving the nature around you the chance to grow happily. 1. Solar Lamps to Light The Way One easy eco-friendly swap is to implement solar-powered lights and lamps. No need to reach for an outdoor outlet with the  convenience of solar-powered lamps . With a variety of solar lamps, you can light your pathways, driveways, even your back porch sitting area. This eco-friendly hack not only saves electricity, but  uses sustainable power sources . 2. Choose Native Wild