With climate change now an undeniable phenomenon and sustainability the only logical path forward, this Earth Day month, we took a look at what we could change in our own retail stores to be better global citizens.

We started with the fact that we sell clothing which we all know is a huge problem when it comes to global emissions, polluting waterways and filling up landfills.  Yikes.  There were two paths we chose to follow.  The first was to focus on filling the stores with sustainable brands like: Toad & Co and Aloha Shoes. Brands like these have a mandate to produce fashion responsibly which is important for us and our clients.

Next, we started a semi-annual clothing drive to help our clients divert their unwanted fashion from landfill. Our No Ragrets Clothing Drive which runs for the entire month of April, continues to be a success: lots of clever people are cashing in on the $15 credit at Coriander Style that we are handing out in exchange for your pre-loved-but-still-in-great-condition donations. To further the life of your donations, we are forwarding them to Events for Life, an organization dedicated to providing day programs for individuals with special needs in Thornbury, Meaford, Collingwood, and surrounding areas, for their fundraiser clothing sale in May.

 Next, we tackled our packaging. That is to say, what we as a retailer could do directly to cut down on unnecessary wrapping for your purchases. Thus, our “Say No to the Bag” initiative was born to reward shoppers who bring their own bag when scoring some sweet Coriander Style finds. A whopping 70% of people now say “no” to a bag which gets them a ballot to enter the monthly draw for a $25 Coriander gift certificate. 

And, of course we need to brag about a couple of our great Earth friendly products.

Our oldest and most enduring eco-friendly offering at Coriander Life is a perennial customer favourite, Moss Creek Wool Dryer Balls. We sell a lot of these dryer balls. Indeed, over the last five years we have sold more than 5,815 wool balls.

These fluffy wool balls help lift your items, helping to circulate the air and cut down on each load’s time in the dryer which in turn lowers electricity consumption and the resulting impact on your wallet. 

In addition, the inherent properties of wool softens your clothes naturally without dyes or perfumes. We love these fuzzy balls!

Another product that we love is the gift wrap company, Wrappily.

This company, based in the States, is certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and engages with suppliers and vendors that uphold the highest standards around the environmental, social, and economic issues facing the paper industry.

Every year an estimated 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper is used in the U.S. alone, most of which ends up in the landfill. But Wrappily is a sustainable solution.

Recycling is the best solution to dramatically cut down paper waste and newsprint happens to have the highest recovery rate of any recyclable material. In fact, paper fiber from newspapers can be recycled up to seven times. Any new material required for paper production is often sawdust, a remnant from lumber yards. This diverts waste and makes the paper making and paper recycling industry highly efficient. 

“While changing your wrapping paper may seem like a small switch in your life, there is magic in incremental change. Collectively, individual choices make a huge difference.” – Wrappily

 See our entire selection here (did we mention it’s currently on sale?!) and enjoy giving beautifully presented gifts wrappily ever after.

While no retail business is perfect, we are making decisions based on the environmental impact of every aspect of what we do. Coriander strives to act responsibly and effectively, to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Everyone has a role in saving the planet. We understand that we are just borrowing this beautiful spaceship from our future generations.