Guide to Shop Sustainability-Focused Edmonton Area Businesses

There are a lot of other local, sustainably-focused organizations you can integrate into your day-to-day. 

• You can volunteer or donate with Leftovers Rescue Food, an Alberta organization that works to reduce food waste and increase food access (keep edible food out of the landfills and redirect it into the hands of those who need it most).
• You could volunteer, donate, or attend workshops led by Operation Fruit Rescue of Edmonton, whose mission is to raise awareness about food security by hosting fruit preserving workshops, tree pruning workshops, fruit picks, and more, empowering Edmontonians with skills needed to grow, harvest, and preserve locally-grown fruit in their backyards.
• You can volunteer or come out to learn from the Prairie Urban Farm, a one-acre, mixed crop, community food system at the University of Alberta that teaches about growing food, food security, and food resiliency.
• Consider adjusting your eating habits. Although there is some debate about whether vegan/vegetarian eateries are more sustainable, but addressing food security and shifting food production and eating habits needs to start somewhere—so a Meatless Monday for instance, using vegetables picked up from the local farmers market, or at a local Vegan or Vegetarian spot like The Moth Cafe, An Chay, or Padmanadi, may be a really great individual step to take towards a more sustainable planet.
• Speaking of Farmers’ Markets—knowing your local farmer and producer, and shopping to support them, is certainly a way to incorporate more sustainability practices into our everyday. Luckily, Edmonton’s got lots of Farmers’ Markets to choose from, like the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, 124 Grand Market, Callingwood Market, Bountiful Market, and Edmonton Downtown Farmers’ Market.
• Or maybe you want to be come your own urban farmer! My Own Greenhouse Cynthia Strawson is helping create hobby greenhouses for serious gardeners so you can take control of your own food security.
• Even bringing your own mugs or reusable straws to get things like bubble tea is a positive, tangible, individual action you can take! (I love bubble tea). 
• And although not local, using things like the Flashfood app can help you save money on fresh food like meats and produce that are nearing their best before dates to help fight against food waste.
• Listen to sustainability-focused podcasts like What on Earth? a sustainability podcast produced in Edmonton by the Alberta Emerald Foundation and Hoopla Media, for more tangible ideas on integrating sustainability into your life.
• Find and execute actions from sustainability resources, like this How to Participate in Earth Day tip sheet from Alberta-based Y2Y (Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative). 
• Choosing to align, work, partner with or spend money at companies that are dedicated to sustainable practices. For instance, I’m a proud TELUS Ambassador because TELUS is not only the Most Giving Company in the World (most dollars donated to charity and most volunteer hours spent supporting communities), but they also invest in innovative technologies and sustainable business practices that are meant to build a better future—powering smart, more efficient, greener cities and championing sustainable tech and innovation. (This is not sponsored by TELUS, I’m just very proud to be a #TELUS_Partner lol). 

Got more ideas? 

Let me know by emailing me or leaving a comment on this post.

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