WELLINGTON COUNTY – “Let’s Go Zero Waste” is an online directory of businesses that help people reduce household garbage.
“It is very beneficial for people looking to lower their waste,” said Connie Lewis, who co-owns the directory with her two daughters.
They created it a few years ago when Lewis’ daughters were “kind of freaking out because of the environment,” she said.
“We couldn’t find anywhere to get bulk food in jars, other than Bulk Barn, and we couldn’t find refilleries,” she noted.
They realized they could work together as a family to fill that gap by creating an online directory.
Now the directory, which gets about 400 views a day, lists over 1,800 businesses, Lewis said.
And “quite a few are in Elora and Erin,” she added.
Lewis said the businesses listed in the directory all have a “zero waste or low waste factor,” such as secondhand stores, lending libraries, and “cafés that do takeout in returnable containers.”
She notes “most big thrift stores” are not included in the directory because they throw many donated items into landfills.
“We are going to be doing a blog post on that,” she notes.
The directory website features a blog that “runs you through all the zero waste stuff,” Lewis said, like zero waste shopping, zero waste camping, composting and plogging, which is when people go jogging and pick up litter at the same time.
Lewis said her daughters, who are 23 and 25 years old, support the directory by writing blog posts, covering expenses, and handling the technical aspects of the website.
“It’s been very expensive,” Lewis notes. “That’s why we decided to put a donate button on.”
Lewis said she probably spends between six and eight hours a day working on the directory. She’s also a tutor, and has reduced her tutoring hours from 30 hours a week to 10 to make time for the directory.
“It’s almost addictive, because we have to get this out there,” she said.
“People want this.”
Businesses interested in being included in the directory can fill in an application through the website, and Lewis and her daughters “can get that listing up within a day or two.”
The directory can be found at letsgozerowaste.com.
County businesses
Elora businesses listed include: Dar’s Country Market, Home Hardware, Thrifting with Jodi, The Evelyn restaurant, Porch Light; Mrs. Greenway, One Earth Refillery and Lost + Found Café.
Erin businesses listed are: Candy’s Homemade Perogies, The Wild Child Marketplace, Thrift4U, Erin General Store and Refillery, New 2 You, Bookends, and Holtom’s Bakery.
Four Fergus businesses are listed: Coneybeare Honey, New to You, One and Only Handmade Marketplace, and Fraberts Fresh Food.
Three of the businesses listed are in Wellington North: Affordable Recycled Trends in Palmerston, Bee-yond the Hive in Mount Forest, and The Eco Den in Mount Forest.
