Today I resisted. What you may ask? The urge to go on Amazon and get on the Prime Day deals frenzy. How did I end up on Amazon in the first place? Not because I needed something but because, as many of us do, I use social networks. As an organization wizard with a deep passion for creating systems that work for the people who use them (and not the other way around!), I follow a lot of accounts giving heaps of more or less useful tips and tricks. Oh my, do I love a good restock ASMR video, yes you know exactly what I am talking about. Those nice fridges with clear containers, those bathrooms with under-the-sink matching organizers, those perfectly sized boxes for your drawers… Aaaaaah (deep satisfied sigh). And before you know it, you get into the spiral of another video of this gadget you never knew you needed that will change your life forever. It takes a lot of self-control not to be tempted. Our brains are literally wired to crave the new. We basically are an evolved version of a ma...

Today is another day... wake up, brush my teeth, get to the University, spend the rest of the day emptying out the Free Store donation bin. Monday, empty the bin. Tuesday, empty the bin. Wednesday, open the Free Store... then empty the bin. Thursday, empty the bin. Friday, empty the bin. You're seeing the pattern right? This is something we are seeing at the Free Store this summer. We used to fill up the donation bin once a week, now it is once a day. We are getting record amounts of donations, which is great from a waste reduction point of view, but horrible from a resource requirement point of view. Put simply, it takes too much time to sort and clean all the new donations. We've spent some time trying to figure out what's happening (why are we getting so many donations) and we have come up with a few theories. Online shopping is taking off and that means a lot of purchases made were for things that didn't fit properly, or were passing flights of fancy...

The well-worn, Madmen-esque marketing mantra that "sex sells" may still hold up, but a new wave of conscious consumerism has folks many reaching for benefit-corporation over bikini-clad and eco-products over easy prices. But why can't we have both? Who wouldn't want to look hot, fun, beautiful, trendy, cool, sexy etc.  and still do better for the planet and its people? What is known as "fast fashion" is a complex and frightening issue in which the hottest trends are made to appear to come and go so quickly that consumers feel the need to buy more and more with little regard for the environmental and ethical impact of the industry. Fashion is the third most polluting industry in the world, and the second largest consumer of water. Around 13 million tons of textile waste end up in landfills each year. Furthermore, the hazardous production and manufacture process  is horrible for water systems, agriculture and even your own health. Plus, the push for fa...

Packing to move to university can quickly turn into a Tetris-like nightmare. Fitting your life into one minivan isn’t easy- how about fitting all those essentials into a suitcase and carry-on, a challenge presented to many international and out-of-province students each September? What if I told you you’ll be able to find almost everything you’ll need once you arrive, available right on campus, for FREE? Let me introduce you to your new favourite place - the Free Store , a converted house where donated items are cleaned, sorted, and offered back to the university community, free of charge. Though you can downsize all you want, there are still certain items you’ll need whether moving into a university residence or an apartment off-campus. Here is a list of the top things you’ll need during your time as a student- but should NOT pack! Basically any kitchen items Most incoming students will benefit from the all new Dining Hall and will realize they have hardly any need for th...

Photo credit: Jonathan Rausseo I don’t know if you’re anything like me, but the fact that the Christmas lights and trees in the Rideau Centre have been up for weeks already alarms me to no end. It’s really difficult to get into the holiday spirit when I’m still wearing hoodies and carrying around an umbrella; not to mention the fact that midterms were still happening when the first wreaths went up. In any case, our lovely materialistic society is preparing to ring in yet another massive shop-a-thon season. Holiday hours are in effect in every mall and store, and I’m already overhearing people PANICKING about buying the perfect gift. Are you serious, people? But actually? For those of us that don’t subscribe to the crazy person’s newsletter, there is a different way to go about things – it’s called: “Let’s not kill our wallets, the environment, or our sanity.” I read a lovely little article this morning (http://www.justmeans.com/Have-yourself-a-Merry-Green-Christmas/38049.htm...