2022 LAST-MINUTE holiday gift ideas

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see that I’m softly but surely making a more regular return to posting content. This gradual increase has been in anticipation for the one post I can’t miss all year — my annual holiday gift guide! I’ve enjoyed doing this essentially since I started Ethigirl (aside from 2020 for unfortunately obvious reasons). It’s such a pleasure to put aside everything that happened throughout the year and get out on the hunt to bring you the coolest gift ideas ever.

See all past years’ versions here: 2018 | 2019 | 2021

With this post, I’m bringing you the ULTIMATE last-minute gift guide. As an occasional procrastinator, I’ve looked at a fair share of these kinds of guides myself, and they typically fall short. But this one is cool, local, thoughtful, ethical, sustainable, meaningful, and full of gifts your people will actually LOVE.

A quick disclaimer here: I know each business’ holiday cutoff times are different. I also know availability of each item in your area will be different. I hope some of these ideas will apply to you based on what you can access!

At this point, you may or may not still be in shippable territory. If you’re in an urban area or can access one, local pickup is better for the environment as it reduces shipping emissions — but if you’re in a rural area (like me, currently) or can’t get out to the stores, express shipping might be one of your only options. I encourage you to balance what is accessible for you and what aligns with your values.

So, let's dive in!

Eat Me

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Drink Me

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Eat Me 〰️ Drink Me 〰️

Specialty Food Items From Brunette (Or Another Local Grocery/Online Shop)

Brunette is an online, Montreal-based gourmet food retailer, which offers gifts, goods, and merchandise from the city’s top chefs, restaurants, and grocers. Montreal is such a major food city, with so many iconic spots and celebrities, so a business like this is incredibly cool to have. I ordered a box of their goods for my parents last year, and it was one of their favourite Christmas gifts! If your family is into food, try this site out. Or, pop into your local boutique grocery store and see what treasures you can find! Many of them also have websites nowadays.

From Brunette, I recommend ANYTHING from Stefano Faita, or one of their cool gift bundles.

Fair Trade Food - Coffee, Tea, Chocolate And More From Rosette Fair Trade

Rosette offers an abundance of fair trade goods in an easily-navigable site, and acts as a one-stop-shop for all things ethical! It also stocks Oxfam Fair Trade products, which provides Canadians access to a whole host of products that we can’t normally get here. In 2019, founder Lia Walsh VERY kindly gifted whole box of snacks to try, and everything was so delicious!

Another thing which I love about Rosette Fair Trade is that it sells Palestinian-made products! That’s why this year, I’m recommending the Zatoun gift bundle of Palestinian products, which comes with fair trade olive oil, soap, and za’atar (a Palestinian herb mix). This purchase directly supports Palestinian olive farmers, keeping a traditional practice alive while also economically assisting surrounding communities.

Spices From Diaspora Co.

What it is: Diaspora Co. was founded in 2017 by Sana Javeri Kadri, a third-generation Mumbai native, with the goal of creating accessible pathways to higher-quality, equitable spices and to build long-term partnerships with Indian farmers. Since its inception, the company has grown tremendously, and offers a great array of delicious products. The website has a dedicated page just for gift ideas, so take a look!

What I recommend: Check out The Trio, which allows you to choose three spices as a "starter pack” for your recipient, or The Pantry Refresh, which is comprised of six of Diaspora’s most popular spices.

A Coffee or Tea Apparatus

Hot drinks are one of the best things on the planet, and like many, I’m absolutely obsessed with coffee. This gift idea was inspired by my partner, who amazingly gifted me (and us, quite frankly) an espresso machine this year! Prior to that, I was using a cracked French press for way too long. Replacing that horrible item with something that has actually revolutionized my morning routine was one of the best things I could ask for.

So an espresso machine is one option, or if that doesn’t suit your needs, you could try a pour-over (with a reusable filter, to avoid waste), a different type of coffee machine, a nice kettle, a teapot, or a nice insulated mug/thermos in their favourite colour. I personally have my eye on this stoneware teapot set from United by Blue, a certified B-Corp that removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways for every purchase.

Aside from apparatuses, you could also consider a nice bag of Fairtrade beans or tea! No one will ever be unhappy at that gift.

Zero-Waste Gin From Loop

Loop is a Montreal company that is seeking to solve food waste by using it to create innovative products (thus, closing the Loop!). They started out by making cold-pressed juices, and quickly expanded to a variety of other items, including gin!

The Lime Ginger Gin I’ve linked is made from potato chip waste which Loop rescues from a nearby factory.

Your recipient will be happy to have a delicious and sustainable gift with a very cool party story! According to Loop’s website, you can currently buy the gin at the SAQ (Quebec), LCBO (Ontario), ANBL (New Brunswick), and Highlander Wine & Spirits (Calgary).

Products from Peace by Chocolate

Peace by Chocolate is a wonderful company founded by the Hadhads, a family of chocolatiers from Syria who found themselves as refugees after their original chocolate factory in Damascus was bombed. After living in Lebanon for three years, they were invited to settle in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, where they relaunched their chocolate company.

I can say myself that the chocolate is absolutely delicious and you would be crazy not to buy it. Moreover, 3-5% of profits from every sale are donated to the Peace on Earth Society — a charity which supports global peace building projects.

And as a Maritimer myself, it’s a must-recommend!

Coming up next...

Art

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Music

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Art 〰️ Music 〰️

Artwork and Items that support artists

Cheese Dreams throw blanket from Society6

Specifically over the past few weeks with the rise of AI art, we’ve been having a lot of conversations about PAYING ARTISTS FAIRLY FOR THEIR WORK. This is such an important issue — art is important and we need it to keep us going. As such, what better time than the holidays to gift your loved one a piece of art that you directly supported the artist in order to do it?

There are a couple of different platforms you could look at for this! Some that come to mind for me include Society6, which is a platform on which artists can sell their art by featuring it on a number of mediums, including mugs, prints, rugs, curtains, bedding, and more. The list has actually kept growing and growing throughout the years I’ve been aware of Society6.

Of course, as I mentioned last year, Etsy is a wonderful small business marketplace to source all kinds of gifts, including art and creative pieces. Some of the things I recommended last year are this Sailboat Jewelry Holder, this Cereal-Scented Candle, this absolutely gorgeous Suncatcher, and these Flower Beaded Earrings. But seriously, go take a look yourself!

A Secondhand or Vintage record Player

If you have a loved one who is music-obsessed, I think one of the most thoughtful things you can get for them is a record player, or a physical form of their favourite music. Obviously, having every single song ever at your fingertips like we do these days is amazing, but listening to something on a record player is another experience.

I know that there are a lot of environmental concerns with records and record players, so that’s why I recommend this as something for someone you know will truly treasure it and get a lot of use out of it. As well, consider getting one secondhand — my current one is, and the amount of character and coziness it has is something I never take for granted. I also love displaying my records as artwork on my wall with these record wall mounts from Etsy.

Merch From Their Favorite Artist, Movie, or Show

Did your loved one share their Spotify Wrapped on Instagram (or other music streaming platform version of this)? If not, get them to, and figure out who their favourite artist was this year. Then, find a way to get them merchandise! T-shirts, posters, etc…. and this doesn’t even just have to apply to music. If they’re more into movies or television, the same thing applies.

For every one of your recipient’s interests, there is sure to be a merchandise shop somewhere — either on the website of the thing, or on somewhere like Etsy or Redbubble. A favourite musician will certainly have a t-shirt or pin for sale on their website. Get creative, and you’re sure to find something they’ll treasure forever!

An Instrument

I feel like we all have that person in our life who has always said, “one day I’m going to learn how to play the guitar” (I do — and they’re doing it!). If you do, help them! Learning a new hobby or talent is literally so special and one of the best things someone can do for themselves.

For a secondhand instrument, check out somewhere like Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, Craigslist, or eBay!

Let's dive into the next section!

Beauty

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Home

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Self-Care

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Beauty 〰️ Home 〰️ Self-Care 〰️

Sustainable, Ethical, or Vintage Jewelry

Are you looking for something thoughtful that your recipient will never forget? Jewelry just might be the right fit! If you want something secondhand or vintage, I suggest scouring thrift stores or flea markets, or again - checking out Etsy! Or, perhaps you have something of your own that you don’t wear anymore that you can think they’d love?

There are also a number of sustainable jewelry brands popping up that you might consider taking a look at, such as Mejuri (which I feel like everybody with an Instagram account is aware of at this point) or Vitaly.

As a side note, during research I also came across this vintage musical jewelry box on Etsy, which I just may be obsessed with…

Meaningful Christmas Ornament

If your loved one celebrates Christmas, a special ornament is a great way to their heart.

My family’s Christmas tree is an absolute montage of all our memories, hobbies, pets, and gifts from over the years. We’ve got more “____ First Christmas” ornaments than you can imagine. It’s super sentimental and eclectic, and getting to take them all out and get flooded with memories every year is so lovely.

I think it’s so special to gift that ability to someone else, too!

Ethical Cosmetics/Skincare

There are all kinds of wonderful ethical & sustainable cosmetics and skincare brands out there, but my ride or die is always Lush (as all long-time readers know) — especially for gifts! They are ethical and sustainable by-the-book on every cause, their products are all natural, their employees are treated fairly, they are serious about animal testing, they are vocal about human rights and activism, and most recently, they’ve decided to break up with social media!

Lush has a pretty extensive and wonderful gift selection! I most recently gifted Hello Gorgeous for a birthday, and my recipient was SO happy. I also suggest Charity Pot, a body cream for which Lush donates 100% of the profits to grassroots charities.

Candles from Shy Wolf Candles

Shy Wolf Candles are hand-poured using soy wax in Grey Highlands, Ontario. Founder Julie Klukas gets all her inspiration from rock and roll, tarot, nature, and community. All of the candles have different themes, and they smell absolutely lovely — can confirm! They’re high-quality, long-lasting, look beautiful on a counter, and some of them support cool causes, too.

If you live in Southern Ontario, you can order by December 19th for Christmas delivery!

Some other amazing candle brands I can recommend are P.F. Candle Co. and Mala the BrandMala the Brand.

Your Favourite Book - or a Book that makes you think of them

Is it just me who’s trying to read more in 2023? Getting a book is such a thoughtful and amazing gift! Something you could do is buy them a copy of your favourite and write them a nice note inside on why you’re giving it to them. I promise they’ll cherish it forever.

If you’re looking for book recommendations, check out Indigo’s Best Books of 2022.

And, for our final section...

Experiences, Not Things!

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Experiences, Not Things! 〰️

Lessons — in Music, Languages, and More!

Maybe your person already has the instrument? Okay, gift them a lesson or two!

Or maybe, they want to learn something else! Gifting them lessons is such a great way to help them get started. For me, for example, I’ve been taking French lessons for months on Preply, an online language learning platform based in Kiev, Ukraine. I’ve loved how it’s kept me accountable to actually practice and advance at a skill that’s important to me. If you or a loved one might want to learn or practice a language this way, too, you’re in luck — I have a referral link! Get 70% off your first lesson by clicking here!

donation to a cause they care about - with a small physical token

If there’s an organization whose work they are passionate about, this might be a good option! Some people truly mean it when they say they don’t want anything, and this is a good way to ensure they know you are still thinking of them. This thoughtful option could also go very well paired with another small item, if you wished.

CanadaHelps is a good platform to donate to charities in Canada!

a spa or Hotel gift card

Who do you know that could use a massage, a trip to the Nordic spa, or a stay in a hotel? Aside from literally anyone, this might do the trick for someone on your list! The best thing with gift cards is they are SO last-minute friendly, but something like this isn’t your average $50 to Best Buy — they will truly never forget an experience like this!

I am a huge Nordic spa person (if you’ve never gone yourself, you have to!), so I have to recommend the following spas:

Montreal: Spa Bota Bota
Whistler: Spa Scandinave
Victoria: Ritual Nordic SpaRitual Nordic SpaRitual Nordic Spa

A Travel Gift Card — with a Carbon Offset

If your recipient has decided they’re ready to get on a plane again (especially if it’s to come see you), help them make it easier with a gift card from FlightGift! It’s a service that allows you to purchase a gift card that the recipient can use toward virtually any airline and any destination. I gifted one of these to a friend earlier this year and they were incredibly happy! You could also go the extra mile by advance-purchasing them a carbon offset for their trip through a platform like Less.

Well, there you have it! I sincerely hope one of these gifts is going to get you over the finish line with your gift-giving this year. (Or maybe you haven’t even started yet — no judgement). I know it can be a stressful time of year, so ensure you take time to relax, too.

What did I miss? Which gift did you like the most? Please let me know in the comments!

With love and sustainability,
Ethigirl

how do I eat sustainably during COVID-19? a guide

Hey folks!

I hope you’re doing your best to crawl toward the end of the universally-hated 2020. In today’s article, I'm addressing a fun, yet challenging topic and allll of the nuances that come along with it: eating sustainably during COVID-19. 

So much has changed about our lifestyles as a result of the pandemic. When it comes to our sustainable habits, the same is definitely true. Don't believe me? Well, would you still be comfortable using a restaurant’s reusable utensils right now? Or, have you been buying just a little more takeout than usual?

Photo by Any Lane on Pexels.com

We’re in a whole new world now, and taking care of yourself and those around you has to be your top priority. That means everything else may go out of focus for a little while.

But many of us will still want to be as sustainable as possible during this time -- if not even more so, since the climate crisis feels even more pressing. So, what might that look like right now? In this article, I’ll provide my approach to sustainable eating during COVID through each of the three realms of sustainability (social, environmental, and economic), backing it all up with tangible and direct resources you can use today. 

So, without further ado, let’s dive in.

social sustainability

When it comes to social sustainability, we primarily think about people. We think about things like the treatment of marginalized groups within society, equity, diversity, and workers’ rights. Although many think the pandemic has had an equivalent effect on everyone, the research makes it clear that COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted marginalized communities. For example, more Black people get infected with and die from the virus, and many people in lower income brackets are also the ones working essential service jobs.

As such, there’s a huge role to play when it comes to socially sustainable food. Mainly, it looks like supporting restaurants, brands, and practices that seek to support marginalized groups and workers. You could consider donating your money to funds that combat food insecurity and provide relief to restaurants and food industry workers. Montreal Eater has a big list of those resources here. If you’re at McGill or in Montreal, you should also consider checking out Meals for Milton-Parc and the Montreal Student Initiative for Covid-19 Response and Relief.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Meals For Milton-Parc (@mealsformiltonparc)

Above is a recent post from Meals For Milton-Parc’s Instagram page! It gives a description about what this amazing, student-led organization is doing to support food sovereignty and security in Milton-Parc, a community near the McGill campus that is home to a group of houseless folks.

Moreover, this time is an excuse (in my opinion…) to eat out more. It’s a great excuse to take a break from cooking, and it directly assists restaurants, who are greatly in need of our support right now. You might consider specifically supporting BIPOC-owned restaurants. Cult MTL, for example, has a big Montreal-based list of Black-owned establishments. As well, when eating out, you might wish to go physically pick up your order or to contact the restaurant directly, because delivery apps take a pretty large cut of the restaurants’ earnings (as much as 25-30%!).

economic sustainability

Many people don’t totally get the term ‘economic sustainability’, which is fair since our mainstream conceptions of environmentalism seem to argue that financial systems are the root causes of climate injustice. While the aforementioned is pretty true, that doesn’t mean we can’t still use our money to fight for good (just look at the huge list of ways you can do so above)! Economic sustainability refers to the ways in which we can support “good economic growth” — that is, growth which doesn’t hurt the earth or its people. 

The main way you can practice economic sustainability is by shopping locally! And the good news is, that’s pretty easy nowadays. COVID has influenced most brands to create online shops, meaning you don’t have a reason to support giants like Amazon anymore. 

This photo shows two individuals shopping at a store (wearing their masks, of course!)
Photo by Anna Tarazevich on Pexels.com

There are also so many incredible local businesses and restaurants, wherever you are — it’s up to you to check them out! To start you off, this article has lists for every part of Canada. And as we are in the holiday season, you can use your gift shopping to introduce your friends and family to all the amazing new establishments you’ve discovered recently. 

Also, consider looking for products at your local stores which have the Fairtrade label! Fairtrade is an ethics standard that certifies the fair treatment of all workers in the supply chain. From experience, the products also taste absolutely delicious because they’ve been made with care, by people who were paid ethically and treated the way they should be.

environmental sustainability

A very aesthetic reusable bag photo…which you can replicate by bringing your OWN tote bag to the grocery store to be sustainable!
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Finally, environmental sustainability refers to the obvious: protecting the planet’s natural resources through our every action. As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, many of our typical individualistic environmental efforts have been compromised somewhat by the pandemic — taking our own containers and reusable cups to the restaurant or cafe doesn’t feel as safe anymore. For my part, my takeout consumption has also increased by a lot. On the positive, at least, many of us are travelling a lot less due to the rapid implementation of stay-at-home orders. This is great for reductions in our transportation-based carbon footprint. 

But when it comes to fighting back against environmental degradation during the pandemic through our food choices, there are numerous actions we can take! As I somewhat mentioned previously, if you’re ordering takeout, consider going to pick it up in-person (at least if it’s walkable). Doing so will save a carbon footprint-inducing car trip for someone else. You can also request that your restaurant leave out the single-use utensils and napkins so as to avoid that extra bit of waste. Moreover, taking your reusable bags to the grocery store is still safe, so keep doing that!

You might also consider buying more of your groceries locally, meaning both travelling to small, local shops as well as selecting products grown/produced nearby! Practicing both of these techniques will help reduce your food miles, a concept that argues in favour of reducing your culinary carbon footprint. It’s hard to know the exacts when it comes to this topic, and there’s lots of nuance, but it’s a good starting point. Finally, if you’re located in Quebec, you could check out Lufa Farms, which is a local foods delivery service.

a Lufa Farms fresh produce basket! Consider ordering from Lufa Farms for safety, convenience, and sustainability.
Source

conclusion

Well, there you have it! A rundown of many of the ways in which you can eat sustainably during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay calm, take care of yourself, and do your best — there’s lots we can all do, but don’t get overwhelmed trying to tackle everything at once. 

As a final plug, I want to share an article I wrote for a project that I did this past spring in another class. I believe it ties together all of the pillars of food sustainability in a meaningful way. Check it out here; I hope you enjoy it! Let me know in the comments what else you’re doing to stay sustainable during the Coronavirus!

with love and sustainability,

– ethigirl :)

How to Host a Sustainable Dinner Party (in a Pandemic)

I originally produced the following essay and community cookbook for a university course taught by Dr. Alex Ketchum titled GSFS 401: Food, Gender and Environment.

Introduction

As someone with a passion for sustainability, which has taken specific root in food studies over the course of this semester, I began my project with a clear research question in mind: what does “perfectly sustainable” food and cooking look like, and can I represent that through the medium of a dinner party? I chose a dinner party because I wanted to harness the power of a social gathering among friends and food to cultivate a collection of experiences with sustainability and food. I believed hosting an experiential learning opportunity was the best way in which to do so. Therefore, I contacted a group of friends and instructed them all to bring a dish they felt was sustainable, along with the promise of an evening of discussion, meal sharing, and photo-taking. On March 16th, however, as COVID-19 social distancing measures started to take serious effect, I had no choice but to cancel my event and brainstorm a new plan. I opted to host the same event, instead over video call (specifically via Zoom). To my gratitude, my friends agreed, and my research question then evolved just as my plans had. Not only did I now wish to understand what a sustainable dinner party looked like, but I also had to manage this new factor of doing everything remotely. 

The experience of a Sustainable Zoom Dinner Party taught me many things, even if I learned them differently than I originally expected to throughout the exercise of this assignment. My essay will relay those findings as follows: first, I will discuss the three parts of my methodology — the dinner party experiment, my community cookbook, and a literature review. Next, I will present my results and a discussion, and come to a conclusion of what someone must consider when wishing to host an event like mine. My scientific research-inspired essay framework was greatly influenced by “Mishkos Kenomagwen: The Teachings of Grass”, a specific chapter in Indigenous botanist Robin Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass, which describes her work understanding and arguing in favour of the importance of Indigenous knowledge. Her chapter is profoundly compelling and makes a strong case for experiential learning. In sum, in this essay I argue that in order to host a sustainable dinner party in a pandemic, you must incorporate three tenets: gratitude, accessibility, and environmentalism. Through the lens of each tenet, you must also specifically consider the food, the dinner party itself, and the impact of COVID-19. 

Methodology

The Dinner Party Experiment

The idea behind hosting a sustainable dinner party stemmed from my belief that I could only successfully come to conclusions on such overwhelming terms by consulting with other people. Similar to a scientific experiment, more participants leads to more inclusive research that accounts for as many factors as possible. As such, I created an event and invited a group of my friends to help with my research by preparing a meal they personally felt was sustainable, and then responding to a series of discussion questions during the (virtual) event. A shortcoming of my sample was its lack of diversity. All participants are in their early twenties, study social science-based undergraduate degrees, and live in major Canadian cities. However, for my purposes, I contacted individuals who I believed would be most likely to participate. 

A Community Cookbook

Following the Zoom Dinner Party, I had each participant provide me with several materials: the recipe they cooked, their rationale for its sustainability, and some photos. I compiled all of these elements, along with my own personal submission, into a sustainable community cookbook titled Defining Sustainable Food: A Cookbook (Appendix A). This visual component of my research represents how eight students living and studying in urban areas responded when asked to represent their ideas of sustainable food and cooking.

You can view the cookbook below:

Literature Review

The third component of my research was to consult a diversity of other research on my topic, including peer-reviewed articles, journalism, and other texts like blog posts and interviews. This element of my methodology recognizes the value of past work on this subject, much of which required emotional labour to produce. It also seeks to make up for shortcomings in diversity in my experiment, since there were other groups and issues I wished to represent and discuss.

Results & Discussion

Tenet 1: Gratitude

The first of the three tenets I argue one must consider when planning a sustainable dinner party (while social distancing) is gratitude. My initial inspiration for including this tenet was my realization of how grateful I am to my participants for contributing their time and labour. I feel more than honoured to be close to so many individuals who were willing to go above and beyond to participate in a friend’s class assignment, particularly during times like these. Through this project I have discovered the true strength, depth, and meaning of the relationships I’ve developed throughout the past several years. Additionally, however, I wish to argue that gratitude in relation to a sustainable dinner party during a pandemic only begins with a recognition of how valuable it is to have friends who will share a meal with you. An understanding of gratitude is incomplete without concrete efforts toward justice. We may be grateful for the farmers who produce our food, as well as the essential workers who process our grocery order, but we must also support their fair treatment by advocating for living wages and by purchasing ethically-made products. 

Hosts must consider where the food on the dinner party table will come from, and understand that sustainable food is fair trade. According to scholar Michael K. Goodman, who cites Barrett-Brown and Raynolds, the fair trade movement works both “in and against the market” and seeks to improve the living and working conditions of Global South farmers and producers. Goodman also mentions that, according to Oxfam, fair trade promotes “trade, not aid” and challenges the “ways of trading that keep people poor.” Concretely, these elements may look like purchasing products made by people with the right to unionize who work in safe conditions and are paid enough to support both themselves and their families. Sustainable food, therefore, supports sustainable livelihoods. Finally, when considering gratitude in regards to the dinner party itself, participants should recognize it not only in the context of their relationships with those around the table, but of their relationship with the land they eat upon. Many sustainable dinner parties will be held on unceded Indigenous territory, meaning it was stolen by colonizers who caused the violent loss of cultures as well as hundreds of thousands of lives. Many event hosts represent this issue through land acknowledgements. However, as scholars Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang wrote in their article “Decolonization is Not a Metaphor,” acknowledgement is not sufficient. Many scholars and activists use the term “decolonize” as a verb to describe the accommodations they are making in colonized spaces, without realizing the very real implications of the word itself.

Finally, creating space for gratitude at a dinner party in a pandemic must not only acknowledge the role of grocery store employees, cleaners, healthcare workers, and public transit drivers and maintenance workers in making it happen, but it must also fight for their fair treatment. As journalist Owen Jones argues, the movement during COVID-19 toward celebrating essential workers as “heroes” is necessary, but incomplete without advocacy from the privileged. Jones writes that “no floor can be cleaned remotely,” and yet those risking their lives to provide services like these are systemically underpaid and unfairly treated. Sustainable dinner party attendees who can (and should) work from home during this pandemic should spend time fighting in favour of normalizing essential workers’ higher wages and safer conditions, including access to personal protective equipment and sufficient distance from customers. It is additionally important that we extend our action-based gratitude during this time to our favourite establishments, such as restaurants, cafes, and bars. Many businesses still offer zero-contact delivery, and others provide the option of purchasing gift cards or merchandise online. Food writer Alicia Kennedy cites vegan business owner Chris Kim, who states that small businesses are relying on limited income during this time to prioritize their staff’s needs, like job security and reliable income with which to support their families. We owe those who keep these valuable establishments running the ability to do so. Therefore, sufficient gratitude while hosting a sustainable dinner party in a pandemic extends beyond recognition and into concrete action.

Tenet 2: Accessibility

Some experiment participants discussed the many costs associated with trying to live more sustainably, such as sacrificing additional income, time, or waste-intensive products, which can make participation in the movement exclusionary. Thus, a consideration of accessibility when preparing for and hosting a sustainable dinner party must encompass the many challenges and barriers that marginalized community members face on a daily basis. A sustainable dinner party during social distancing should still allow and encourage the participation of everyone, regardless of their situation. 

First of all, sustainable food itself evokes many accessibility issues. As dinner party participant Anna suggested, many grocery stores simply do not offer sustainable options, and access to grocery stores differs greatly depending on where you live.  For example, scholar Adi Segal discusses food deserts, a term which describes lack or difficulty of geographical access to healthy and nutritious food establishments, usually in lower-income areas. In New York City, small grocery stores (known as bodegas) are far more likely to exist in the neighbourhoods of East and Central Harlem than in the Upper East Side, and these bodegas are less likely to offer nutritious food options than those in the latter neighbourhood. Moreover, while many restaurants exist in all three neighbourhoods, those in East and Central Harlem are more likely to be fast-food establishments. Food deserts therefore limit access to healthy food options and further curb sustainability efforts. Additionally, disability rights blogger Crippledscholar argues that some things environmentalists tend to label as unsustainable, like straws or single-use packaging, make the lives of disabled folks easier. For example, when able-bodied environmentalists advocated for removing peeled, packaged oranges from supermarket shelves, it was harmful to the agency of disabled individuals for whom these products are incredibly valuable. 

Moreover, as dinner party participants Husayn and Juliette discussed, movements such as the zero waste one require additional labour for things like remembering to bring reusable bags and selecting more sustainable products at the store. This topic should be kept in mind in regards to accessibility because according to journalist Alden Wicker, this additional labour disproportionately falls on women since it has become included in domestic labour responsibilities. For these reasons, sustainable parties should adopt a BWYC (Bring What You Can) policy, both physically and intellectually. Participants should not be worried about preparing a perfectly-sustainable dish if it is not within their means to do so, and this experience should be a learning opportunity for everyone. No one should feel gatekept, or as though they do not have the knowledge or resources that qualify them to attend. 

Finally, in regards to accessibility and Coronavirus, one positive point to hosting a dinner party remotely is that it increases access to those who might not otherwise have been able to attend. For example, if I had held my event in my home, those who could not access stairs would have been excluded. Dinner party participant Juliette also addressed the impact of COVID-19 on mental health, stating how finding the motivation to eat and to cook has become more challenging with these new measures. As Ed Yong of The Atlantic wrote, human contact is a coping mechanism for many and social distancing has greatly reduced it. The effects of Coronavirus also negatively impact those with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, elderly people, those living in abusive homes, and Asian people dealing with an increase in racism. There is, evidently, no shortage of accessibility concerns one must consider when hosting a sustainable dinner party during the coronavirus. The host and participants should do their best to address as many as possible. 

Tenet 3: Environmentalism

No discussion of sustainability is complete without addressing issues of environmentalism, and rightly so. Although a sustainable dinner party must mitigate its impact on the environment, there are aspects of western environmentalism that override social sustainability in negative ways. For instance, in regards to food, environmentalists usually advocate for reducing or eliminating consumption of animal products, which is certainly important since up to 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from meat. However, as dinner party participant Delphine pointed out, being vegetarian does not necessarily mean being sustainable. Junk food, for example, is often vegetarian, but it creates packaging waste. The food sovereignty movement also reminds us how meat is significant to many cultures, and can be farmed and eaten in less carbon-intensive ways. Additionally, while an in-person sustainable dinner party event should encourage those involved to reduce their footprint through low-carbon transportation and low-waste dinnerware, holding the event remotely mostly eliminates these concerns. 

Finally, in regards to the relationship of COVID-19 to environmentalism, dinner participants Mariam and Husayn argued that sanitation concerns have increased waste. According to Mariam, products such as bunches of bananas are now wrapped in plastic, and Husayn shared that some grocery stores no longer allow shoppers to bring reusable bags. As a broader social dialogue, many social media posts have gone viral discussing how social distancing measures have decreased pollution, and how we should then conclude that “humans are the virus.” However, as writer Sierra Garcia argues, the negative social impact of the pandemic more than reduces a cause for an “environmental win.” This sentiment is also reminiscent of ecofascist, overpopulation-based environmentalism arguments, such as the one in Paul Ehrlich’s famous book The Population Bomb. Theories like Ehrlich’s blame Global South women for causing environmental problems through their role in increasing populations. To avoid unjustly blaming already-marginalized groups, a sustainable dinner party in the time of quarantine should discuss the systems which foster climate injustice, such as capitalism, globalization, mass industry, and corporate greed. Our learnings from COVID-19 should be less about reducing overpopulation and more about overhauling our systems to accommodate everyone, because it is possible. 

Conclusion

This essay provides a framework in regards to how one might host a sustainable dinner party during a pandemic. It has discussed the varying issues and considerations related to food, the event itself, and the impact of the Coronavirus on planning such an event. The community cookbook attached also represents a meaningful visual representation of this essay’s findings and should be read alongside it. Together, these elements conclude that hosts must incorporate three main tenets: action and justice-based gratitude, diverse considerations of accessibility, and environmentalism through an intersectional lens. Indeed, it discussed many considerations within the realm of each tenet, and hosts and participants should do their best to incorporate as many as possible. Future research should prioritize hosting such dinner parties with more diverse participant samples, therefore incorporating as many concerns and uplifting as many voices as possible. Moreover, sustainable dinner parties held following the COVID-19 pandemic that may not be forced to exist remotely might still consider including this as an option for participants who are unable to attend in person.

Works Cited

Broaders, Anna, Juliette Escande, Delphine Polidori, Mariam Grigoryan, and Husayn Jamal, video call with the author, April 04, 2020.

Coté, Charlotte. “‘Indigenizing’ Food Sovereignty. Revitalizing Indigenous Food Practices and Ecological Knowledges in Canada and the United States.” Humanities. Vol. 5, no. 57 (2016): doi:10.3390/h5030057 

Crippledscholar. “When Accessibility gets Labeled Wasteful.” Crippled Scholar, March 4, 2016. https://crippledscholar.com/2016/03/04/when-accessibility-gets-labeled-wasteful/

Derfel, Aaron. “Montreal public health scrambles to avoid community spread of COVID-19.” Montreal Gazette, March 17, 2020. https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/montreal-public-health-scrambles-to-avoid-community-spread-of-covid-19/

Garcia, Sierra. “‘We’re the virus’: The pandemic is bringing out environmentalism’s dark side.” Grist, March 30, 2020. https://grist.org/climate/were-the-virus-the-pandemic-is-bringing-out-environmentalisms-dark-side/

Goodman, Michael K. “Reading fair trade: political ecological imaginary and the moral economy of fair trade foods.” Political Geography. Vol. 23 (2004): 891-915. doi:10.1016/j.polgeo.2004.05.013 

Jones, Owen. “The undervalued heroes of the coronavirus crisis need our thanks - and our support.” The Guardian, March 21, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/21/undervalued-heroes-coronavirus-crisis-cleaners-supermarket-workers

Kennedy, Alicia. “Vegan Business Owners Share Coronavirus Challenges and Hopes for the Future.” Tenderly Magazine, March 31, 2020. https://medium.com/tenderlymag/vegan-business-owners-share-coronavirus-challenges-and-hopes-for-the-future-4aaee234f459

Kimmerer, Robin. “Mishkos Kenomagwen: The Teachings of Grass.” In Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions, 2013.

Segal, Adi. “Food Deserts: A Global Crisis in New York City - Causes, Impacts and Solutions.” Consilience: The Journal of Sustainable Development. Vol. 3, no. 1 (2010): 197-214. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26167795 

Tuck, Eve and K. Wayne Yang. “Decolonization is not a metaphor.” Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society. Vol. 1, no. 1 (2012): 1-40. 

Van de Kamp, Mirjam E., S. Marjie Seves and Elisabeth H. M Temme. “Reducing GHG emissions while improving diet quality: exploring the potential of reduced meat, cheese and alcoholic and soft drinks consumption at specific moments during the day.” BMC Public Health, vol. 18, no. 264 (2018): 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5132-3 

Wicker, Alden. “The complicated gender politics of going zero waste.” Vox, May 9, 2019. https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/5/9/18535943/zero-waste-movement-gender-sustainability-women-instagram

Yong, Ed. “How the Pandemic Will End.” The Atlantic, March 25, 2020. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/03/how-will-coronavirus-end/608719/ 

How to Live Sustainably + Ethically in a Dorm Room

Hey there, folks! Today I’d like to talk about something which is very close to my heart: living consciously when where you live doesn’t necessarily make it the easiest. Specifically in this post, I’m going to start a conversation surrounding all the ups and downs of dorm living! 

In my first year at McGill University — which was over two years ago now — I lived in residence. It was certainly a challenging experience for me. However, one of the wonderful upsides of my dorm experience was getting to learn all about sustainability! Coming from a small town, our dining halls’ compost and recycling bins were my first exposure into waste sorting, which sparked a larger interest for me and eventually led to me launching Ethigirl the following summer. What’s more, I actually worked in our dining halls this past September teaching this year’s residence students all about waste sorting!

Me working as a Waste Educator in McGill University’s dining halls, courtesy of this article!

So, needless to say, I think that residence can be an amazing incubator for sustainable living! You just need the right tools. And that, friends, is what I want to explore here! Keep in mind that many of these tips and tricks can be applied in all sorts of living situations, whether you’re still living at home with family, in an apartment, travelling a lot, or any other experiences you might be currently having. 

Whatever your situation, what’s important is to remember to do your best. Nobody is going to be perfect: that’s just not the way our system is currently designed. However, if everybody does a little bit, we’re on our way to a much better system. So, let’s get into the suggestions!

Make a Reusables To-Go Kit

Something that has been a lifesaver for me in creating less waste is ensuring I carry around the proper tools that will allow me to do so. If I don’t have my reusables easily accessible to me, then chances are I’m going to do the convenient thing and take the disposable option. 

The main things that I like to carry around are a reusable utensil, a water bottle, and a thermos. Of course, I also always pack my lunch or snacks in a tupperware, jar, or bento box, but I don’t carry these around on a just-in-case basis considering my back is only so strong and my bag is only so big! Bonus tip: I always save my empty pasta jars to store smoothies, drinks, or dried goods like beans or oats! 

I feel so much more put-together and responsible when I have these things with me. I also think it’s important to recognize that although we often see these “reusable kits” as being aesthetically beautiful, complete with all kinds of bamboo and glass, this doesn’t have to be the case. Use what you have: whether that be a washed-out yogurt container or literally just a fork from your utensils drawer. 

When I lived in residence, our dining halls actually provided us with reusable to-go containers, as well as coffee mugs that we could receive a discount on drinks with if we used there!

Choose Ethical and Sustainable Dining Options Whenever Possible

Every school is different, and I must say that I was spoiled with ethical and sustainable food options at my dining halls. However, there is a way to eat better regardless of your meal hall’s situation!

First up, choose Fairtrade products absolutely whenever you can. The most common Fairtrade products that you might see are coffee, tea, and chocolate. If you aren’t familiar with what Fairtrade is, as one word it represents a rigorous certification that companies and goods can apply to have their goods certified under. The holistic standards which are considered include the wages and conditions within which the employees work, whether companies can prove no child labour was used, and how sustainable the materials and practices used to make the goods are. If you’d like to read more about Fairtrade, you can here! As a long-time advocate and an involved member of the movement, I can tell you that I wholeheartedly support everything that it is. 

Next up, choose locally whenever possible. My school occasionally offered fruits and veggies that were grown at on-campus farms and partnered with many other local producers. Local foods usually mean long-term partnerships and stronger connections with producers, as well as less “food miles”. The less distance the food has had to travel to get to your plate, the better this is for the environment!

Finally, choose meatless or animal product-less meals whenever you can. As a vegetarian, I’m very aware that this isn’t feasible for everyone to do all of the time, and I’ve had my own struggles with it. Many dining halls also do not offer nutritious or great-tasting vegetarian and vegan options for students. However, challenge yourself to eat a couple or even just one of these types of meals a week! You might even consider trying out Meatless Mondays, which are exactly what they sound like. If you want to read more about why reducing your animal product consumption is just so impactful, check out this article. 

Reduce Your Energy Consumption (Even Though You Don’t Pay for It)

In first year, I lived in a really old building within an absolutely freezing city; therefore, I am not going to tell you to turn off your heat. 

However, maybe just turn it down when you leave the house?

Try to remember to stop using passive energy, whenever it is possible for you. If your residence has common rooms that you use a lot like mine did, perhaps you can turn off the heat and lights when you’re not occupying them! Furthermore, remember to turn off all your lights when you’re not at home. Though certainly not anywhere close to the biggest factor in climate change, these are small, very mindless activities that can be negatively impactful. And when you don’t have to pay an energy bill, you have no individualized incentive to remember not to do them. So, here’s your reminder!

Get Involved!!!

Let’s shift to some more collective ways to make a difference. 

University is the absolute best place to get involved with activism, charity, and politics, and you’d be crazy not to give it a shot. It’s a live-in hub of incredible people doing inspiring work and creating limitless movements on the daily. The people that I have met at university are the ones who inspired me to start Ethigirl, to become a vegetarian, to learn more about politics, and to generally be more open-minded, more passionate, and to learn every single day. You have access to a holistic world of education that extends far, far past the classroom and even challenges what you learn there. You can hold accountable large institutions because of the sheer mass of people who will support your actions. 

Needless to say, I feel extraordinarily privileged to have the means to attend university and grow past the person I ever thought I would become. However, even if you’re not a university student, you can still join a club, an association, or an organization. Try to access a host of different offerings, such as charity, fundraising , or political clubs. 

Our protest signs from the Montreal Climate Strike in September (which over 500,000 people showed up for!)

Some specific examples of events or initiatives you could become part of (or even organize!) could include clothing swaps, climate strikes for Fridays for Future (an excellent and incredibly timely thing to get involved in which I discussed here), or other environmental advocacy groups. Whatever you do, just try out as many as you can until you find one where you feel at home. 

Conclusion

I hope some or all of these tips were helpful to you. Please keep in mind that even if you’re not a university student, or even a student at all, many of these things are just as applicable! Creating less waste, buying better, and getting involved in communities of organizers are all things you can do regardless of what you’re up to in life at the moment. 

Got any other tips? Let me know in the comments below! Looking forward to hearing from you.

With love and sustainability,

Ethigirl

making the sustainable business movement truly sustainable: shifting the value proposition

Practically every day, I discover a new social business. It's so exciting to me to see how rapidly the field is growing. Change is happening in all sorts of ways and everywhere.

However, today I wanted to talk about value proposition in social business, also known as the reason people should buy your product rather than anyone else's. Many social businesses rely on sustainability for their value propositions. This works upfront for a little while, but it can't be the focal point.

Why? Ironically, it's not sustainable.

Let's look at the example of all the companies popping up who sell items like t-shirts with cute, sustainability-related slogans or bracelets that clean up ocean trash.

These products are awesome, and everyone might consider buying one of them. But... are you really going to buy more than that?

After you've purchased that one, that's probably enough. You've supported the cause sufficiently. And who needs five ocean trash bracelets?

That's why it's important, for the fate of the social business movement, for these companies to look beyond ethicality or sustainability as their focal points. They need to find a more comprehensive value proposition.

Consumers, in the long term, look for quality and value. Even for me, a person whose life is pretty centered around the pursuit for products that help rather than harm the planet and its people, I need these things in order to consider purchasing something. Even if I love a cause, if I'm not going to wear or use something, the chances I pick it up are slim because it's just going to go to waste.

That doesn't mean the cause shouldn't play a large role in marketing and branding. We know that consumers are more and more looking for sustainable and ethical products, so of course it's important for corresponding brands to get that message out there. It just shouldn't be first, and it shouldn't be by itself.

This whole concept might sound kind of sad to you: really, people are that selfish? And that shouldn't be the takeaway at all. In fact, this actually makes a lot of sense. Social business is all about empowering people, right? So shouldn't the end goal be for "social" business to need not exist anymore? We want to get to a point where social business is so common that we don't need to call it that.

And by creating businesses with amazing products of great quality, value, and utility, but which also help rather than hurt the earth and its people, we're modeling what that world and future will look like.

Australian-founded and Ghanaian-made clothing brand Yevu is an excellent example of this philosophy. They're a social business, but their branding puts forth a message that this component of their brand is entirely obvious, and consumers should get used to it. I found out about Yevu through this piece by Forbes, which tells the rest of their brand's story.

Who else employs this methodology? Everlane is another great example. Go take a look at their website and see how long it takes you to realize sustainability is at the heart of their brand. For me, it took about thirty seconds. I found the first indicator at the footer of their homepage, where there's a tagline that says, "Exceptional quality. Ethical factories. Radical transparency."

Notice that? Exceptional quality comes first in this piece of messaging. That's something that carries throughout their branding. At the forefront of what they want consumers to notice is how amazingly simplistic, yet entirely gorgeous their products are. And I can't help but wonder if this is why Everlane is so successful.

Yet another example is Patagonia. I've read a few of founder Yvon Chouinard's books, in which he speaks about this very thing. And Patagonia is a little different in how their website looks; when I was researching for this article they had a banner advertising their recycled duffle bags, as well as a link to their hemp collection and an article about extinction.

Indeed, there's no hiding what Patagonia stands for. But it works for them because of how well-established the Patagonia brand is. They put their logo on almost all of their products.

Moreover, the story of how Patagonia first built its brand is quite telling. You can read more about it in Chouinard's book, Let My People Go Surfing. He started Patagonia (under another name) to solve the problem of traditional rock climbing equipment hurting the rocks. So he made something better. But people didn't buy his tools solely because they were better for the rocks. They bought them because it was easier to climb with them.

So, let's build brands that help people - and not just the people who made the products, but the people who buy them, too. It's the only way social business will succeed in the long run, and it's the only way we create a model of business that puts the vendors and the consumers on a level playing field.

refusing straws won't stop climate change. if we want to have a real chance, we should do this instead.

I want to start out this post by stating that our purchases and our boycotts have a tremendous amount of political power, and by reminding us all that we shouldn't stop trying to do whatever we individually can.

We should all be eating less meat. We should be refusing straws, ordering less takeout buying secondhand or ethically-made goods, buying fair trade or local foods, taking less showers, taking fewer flights, using public transit, picking up litter, choosing experiences over gifts, becoming minimalists. There are tons of things that we can all do, and we should all be doing them.

But you know what? Even if you don't, I couldn't care less.

Yep, that's right. I preach all day and night about conscious consumerism, about voting with your dollars. And I believe every word I say! Supporting small, ethical businesses and influencers means everything to their owners. Any time one of you tell me "I thought of you while clothes shopping", I do a happy dance. Every time you buy from a fair trade company, some of those profits go directly to the farmer or employee. You can so clearly, so directly impact lives in this way. And we shouldn't ever stop.

But we also need to stop obsessing. Because these acts are just the very, very START of what needs to be happening if we are ever to achieve climate justice and equality. Refusing a straw is great. But what happened when that was the issue everyone decided to champion? Companies jumped onto that bandwagon because it was easy and they thought they could ban them and magically become ~~green~~ in the eyes of consumers.

And in the background of our spotlight on straw bans, this week, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, approved the Trans Mountain Pipeline. I'm literally not exaggerating: Trudeau passed a single use plastics ban one day, and the pipeline thing happened only several later.

The single use plastics thing is awesome and worthwhile and about-freakin'-time, but it's also so blatantly a Trojan Horse. Canada gave us this ban because Canada thought it'd distract us from the larger enemy: the oil. Also, companies want us to focus on these smaller-scale things because for them, it's a distraction from their broader and more systemic offences.

Plastic comes from oil. Quite frankly, every single thing we're trying to use less of comes from oil. So, why aren't we tackling the root cause?

Conscious consumerism, and conscious capitalism more broadly, is absolute bullshit unless it's accompanied by a fight for changing the systems behind consumerism and capitalism.

So refuse straws and buy secondhand clothes, but also: organize in your community. Attend climate strikes. Write to your MPs, other government officials and ministers, and heck, even the Prime Minister. Join school clubs that petition administration to divest in oil. Influence local stores to carry more fair trade or local products. Volunteer for radical and grassroots organizations in your community. Educate yourself on how to be a good ally for Indigenous communities near you, and do it. Take classes, either at your school or online. I promise you that there are so many ways to tackle these systems.

Promise that you'll try. Promise that you won't stop at buying bracelets off of Instagram made of ocean trash. Promise that you'll show up, physically, that you'll challenge yourself to keep doing more.

Because while it starts at a straw ban, it absolutely doesn't stop there. But if we create the illusion through how, what, and when we're supporting that it does, those pipelines keep getting built. And we miss tackling the systems past and underneath the straw bans.

As always, I'm open to conversation. Drop me a comment or send me a message.

With love and sustainability,

ethigirl