One of my favourite weekend outings is to visit our local farmer’s market. I love seeing all the artisanal baked goods, gourmet dips, cheese, cured meats and handcrafted trinkets and products. My favourite part about the market is buying my weekly supply of fresh produce. Most Edmonton markets have had to adjust their operations this year with many offering curbside pick-up, ensuring physical ..read more

Our house is significantly clutter-free. Every few months, my family looks around to see what we do not need or use any longer. We categorize these items into three groups: donations for  charities, the Reuse Centre or an Eco Station. Before making a decision on an item, we ask “can it be repaired, reused or recycled?” Phones, computers, CDs, light bulbs and cables are tricky items to know what ..read more

Since its temporary closure in April, many of our customers are missing the Reuse Centre. We want to share this post written by one of our volunteer bloggers. Radhika shadowed two of our attendants in January and describes her behind-the-scenes experience. In January, I had the chance to meet and talk with two of the Reuse Centre employees about their roles and what their day-to-day looks like ..read more

* This post represents the views and opinions of the writer. The views and opinions are not those of the City of Edmonton or the Reuse Centre. These views are not intended to endorse any one particular individual or company but provide a list of resources and services to readers.Many people make goals to adopt more sustainable behaviors. If you are like me and "reusing and reducing waste" is one ..read more

This post is a summary of how to start composting. For a thorough and detailed guide, check out edmonton.ca/compost. Composting is reusing your waste and turning it into useful decayed organic matter. This is the stuff you can mix with your garden soil to provide your plants and flowers with rich nutrients. Home-produced compost will enrich soil and reduce the need for chemical fertilizers for ..read more

I've never been a big fan of practices that are considered wasteful or that may be harmful to the environment.  Maybe that's because I grew up watching Captain Planet guard the earth and The Raccoons protect the forest.  I was taught to be aware of pollution and to be a good global citizen by putting litter in its place.  Graphic by Charlene As a kid, I was lucky enough to participate in ..read more

Today, let’s spend some time in the kitchen. No, I am not cooking a specific dish. I am going to share how simple changes in the kitchen can have an important and significant impact. Among some of the things wasted in our day-to-day life, food waste is a huge problem.The statistics say that 58% of all food produced in Canada is lost or wasted (Second Harvest and VCMI, 2019). An excellent place ..read more

It is finally spring and we are through with yet another winter! The first thing that comes to my mind when spring approaches is warmer days but also spring cleaning. Spring cleaning is currently a trend as many people are finding themselves without things to do at home. Like a lot of people, if you are also at home socially distancing from others, you can spend your time doing some cleaning and ..read more

This year was the first year I actually did something for Family Day. I took my brother and my grandpa to the Reuse Centre for Family Day festivities. We stayed for about 2 hours making a wind chime, envelopes with calligraphy, and visiting some educational booths. For younger kids, it seemed like the glitter tattoo station and DIY wind chimes were the most popular, there were lineups for both ..read more

When I got married 10 years ago, I didn't have a huge budget. I made my own invitations, and my best friend helped me with the decor and planning. Yes, it was stressful (mostly for my friend, haha), but at the end of our day, we were so proud of what we were able to do with a limited budget. I think most people take pride in showcasing something they have made themselves. It is very ..read more