The 5 Best All-Canadian, Eco-Friendly Purchases Our Editors Made In April

When it comes to shopping, the hands-down most sustainable approach is to buy as few new things as possible. That said, there are some purchases that make living greener a little easier—and some essentials you can swap for lesser-waste options. From solid body care to a practical grocery shopping cart to non-toxic plant fertilizer, our editors share the eco-friendly—and Canadian!—products they loved this month.

Bag to Earth Small Organic Compostable and Biodegradable Food Waste Bags, $6 for 10

“We're lucky to have curbside compost pickup in Toronto, and a few years ago I bought a chic ceramic countertop compost container on Etsy. It's easy enough to wash but I'm always paranoid that I'll drop it when I'm carrying it outside to empty into the curbside bin. Enter these 100% compostable food waste bags, which fit perfectly inside my container. They're made in Napanee, Ont., easily available at Canadian Tire and are sturdy enough to reuse several times before composting.” —Maureen Halushak, editor-in-chief 

Ember Wellness The Body Serum Bar, $65

“I spend a lot of time slathering serums and oils and creams on my face, but I'm incredibly lazy when it comes to taking care of the skin on my body. I'd just never found a texture that works for me, until I tried this serum bar from Toronto-based brand Ember Wellness. It's packed with moisturizing ingredients, like shea butter, avocado oil, squalane and vitamin E, and the solid format glides on like a dream and makes it easy to apply from head-to-toe. The design itself is absolutely genius, with scalloped edges that act as a built-in massage tool.” —Andréanne Dion, senior style and beauty editor

VoomCart Ultimate Foldable Shopping Cart, $350

“When an international team of climate experts studied the biggest things you could do to decrease your carbon footprint, living without a car was number one. (The second was replacing your gas-powered car with an EV, the third was cutting out one long-haul return flight). I know that not everyone in Canada lives in a place where you can walk, bike or take transit instead of driving, but living in downtown Toronto, it's important to me—for both eco and economical reasons—to not own a car. But, with a family of four, including two growing kids, hauling my groceries home is an increasing problem. (We go through at least eight litres of milk a week.) I'd been relying on a rickety and increasingly broken shopping cart or a cab ride home. Then, I got a press release about the VoomCart, launched a few years ago via Kickstarter by a pair of Toronto moms who had used well-designed strollers with their kids and wondered why the same quality and user-friendliness hadn't been applied to grocery carts.

This shopping cart is amazing—it carries up to 32 kg of groceries, which is enough for a sizeable shop. It's easy to use and push, even up the hill to my house from the grocery store. It also converts to a dolly to get up my front steps. Then, when I'm done, it folds up like a stroller and gets stashed away in my basement. Yes, it is pricey for a shopping cart, but it's worth it to me—especially given all that I'll save on hassle, taxi rides and carbon emissions.” —Gillian Grace, deputy editor, digital 

Beezy Eco Foaming Hand Soap Refill Tablet, $3

“I picked up one of these hand soap refill tablet from Beezy Eco, a Nova Scotia brand, at the One of a Kind a few weeks ago. It comes in plastic-free packaging, and you just pop the tablet in your dispenser and add water to make 250mL of product. The soap lathers up great, it's lightly scented (I picked Citrus!) and it's not drying to my hands.” —Aimee Nishitoba, art director

Jocelyn’s Soil Booster Worm Manure, $30 for 700g

“People always tell me I have a green thumb, but the truth is that I just have really good light in my house. I’m actually super lazy when it comes to watering my indoor plants and I don’t ever fertilize. So when I say I’m excited about Jocelyn’s Soil Booster, that’s saying something.

This soil booster a non-toxic, odour-free alternative to chemical fertilizers—it’s basically probiotics for your plants. What I love even more is the process: food waste from homes and workplaces gets collected and fed to worms, and those worms produce manure that's great plant food. It's keeping food waste out of landfills and helping plants thrive.

The bonus for fellow lazy plant parents? The worm manure acts as a sponge and helps the soil hold onto moisture, so I don’t have to water as often. I just sprinkle a handful on the soil around the plant and water well. It’s low-effort, high-reward—and my plants are loving it.” —Sun Ngo, creative director