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GREENLIGHT: So Let’s Say It’s A Few Days Before Christmas And You Need Gift Ideas

by Claudia Chan | If you’re still putting together a few last minute gifts here at the tail end of the holiday countdown, allow me to throw a few green-inspired ideas at you…

1. Get in on a CSA box (Community-supported Agriculture) with Sole Food. Give the gift of weekly fresh, seasonal vegetables from an inner-city farm that supports DTES residents/apprentice farmers.

Full Share – $500 ($25/week for 20 weeks)
Half Share – $300 ($15/week for 20 weeks)
Salad Share – $150 ($15/week for 10 weeks)
Winter Share – $450($20/week for 15 weeks)
Family share including delivery – $35/week

2. From the Soap Dispensary on Main St.: refillable premium bio-degradable soaps in a little wooden box with a plant-based sponge.  They’re a great, practical and eco-friendly gift that should encourage all of us to do a little bit more cleaning on the regular.

3. Ulat wool dryer balls make great stocking stuffers. Not only are they locally made and cost-effective, they’re energy-effective (they decrease drying time from 30-50%). A set of three goes for $30 at Benny’s on Union Street.

4. How much sweeter can you be than Mellifera Bees? Melissa Cartwright makes the best honey in town, produced from hives all over the city and the Lower Mainland. We’re talking about delicious, highly aromatic, hand-crafted honey infusions! There are jars with lemon, cardamom and vanilla infusions available for $15 at Harvest Community Foods.

5. Get nerdy! For those who enjoy foraging and are curious about wild things that grow here on the Coast, this is the book for you. You can find Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast at the Homesteader’s Emporium for $24.75. It’ a great identification book to bring along for all your walks in the woods.

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Claudia Chan is an advocate of all things green. Born and raised in Vancouver, she is inspired by the work of local urban farmers, eco artists and policy makers who make this city the most lush and livable to work and play in. Her mission with Scout and her “Greenlight” column is to impart her enthusiasm for bike lanes, community gardens, farmers’ markets and more to her fellow Vancouverites.