From Jack Johnson to Paw Patrol, we鈥檙e always being reminded to reduce, reuse and recycle. And with Earth Day just weeks away it鈥檚 a good opportunity for us all to consider the earth鈥檚 natural resources and what could be done to minimise our impact. For a little inspiration, look no further than some of the businesses in town.
An eco-conscious heart
Winner of last year鈥檚 Green Business Award, Gillespie鈥檚 Fine Spirits is a small distillery with a big, eco-conscious heart.聽
鈥淲e believe that, as much as we can, we should take as little from the planet as possible and that if you can refurbish and reuse, we have a responsibility to do so,鈥� said Kelly Ann Woods, mixologist and co-owner at Gillespie鈥檚.
She and her partner, John McLellan, went out of their way to upcycle and re-purpose as much as they could, even before they opened their doors.
鈥淢ost of our equipment that we distill with is refurbished from other industries,鈥� she explained.聽
One still was most recently used in honey production, she explained, while the other was refurbished by McLellan from a double boiler that came from Purdy鈥檚. Even their mash tun had a previous life as a dairy cooling tank.
At the front of house, they have a beautiful collection of glassware, all of which is sourced from thrift stores in town.
鈥淲hy buy something new that鈥檚 not nearly as good quality if you can get something that looks better, made of much better material?鈥� Woods explained.
It also adds character to their bar lounge area, she said.聽
鈥淧eople come in and they feel like they鈥檝e stepped back in time.鈥澛�
Sometimes people will recognise a piece as something their grandma once had.
Wood鈥檚 favourites are two beautiful pieces of wood that once belonged to an old bridge in Squamish that collapsed.聽
鈥淭hrough these two pieces we feel connected to a bigger thing. We鈥檙e currently using them as shelves but we鈥檙e trying to figure out what to do with them next 鈥� how we can share them with others because they鈥檙e part of Squamish鈥檚 cultural history.鈥�
They鈥檙e always on the lookout for 鈥渘ew鈥� things and sometimes 鈥渘ew鈥� things find them. Like a beautiful hanging that was once outside a sake producer in the 1800s, or the purple lamp gifted to them by the mayor.
鈥淲e live in an age of throwing away resources. I believe we need to reconsider that,鈥� she said. Which is why you won鈥檛 find any straws behind the bar. A local farmer turns their grains into compost; their zested lemons go to either Frost Bites to be transformed into delicious syrups or to lemonade stands; and their cacao and gin botanicals go to Be Clean Naturally.
In this way, in addition to leaving a minimal footprint of the earth, they鈥檙e doing what they can to support other local businesses trying to do the same.
Locally sourced material聽
Though the doors aren鈥檛 yet open, behind the brown-papered windows Joe DeFranco, co-founder of Joe Pesto鈥檚 Pizza, has been working hard to make his wood-fired pizza restaurant dream a reality.
In addition to taking on all the usual tasks of opening a restaurant, DeFranco has spent the past seven months handcrafting everything inside, from tables to counter tops. All of which have been created using local timber that鈥檚 been either upcycled or repurposed.
Aside from a few small items, everything has been pre-owned, even some of the paint.聽
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e bought anything new,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a great way to save money and keep stuff out of landfill. There鈥檚 so much stuff these days,鈥� he explained.聽
鈥淚 can come to Squamish ReBuild and buy something for $3 that at Home Depot would have cost $30. And the quality is so much better.鈥�
The bar top has been crafted from hardwood floors and some of the tables from giant burls. Even the wood used to fire the pizza oven comes from local trees that have been cleared to make way for new developments. The log sort downtown is also a great place to find additional timber, he said.
Other items, he explained, such as his booths and crockery, have been sourced from restaurants that are closing in Vancouver.
鈥淲hen you walk in and see these giant pieces of wood, it really adds character. There鈥檚 no place like it. It has a real, Squamish feel.鈥�
Joe Pesto鈥檚 is due to open downtown in the early summer.
鈥淚ts own story and energy鈥�
Before they could open, the entire building needed a makeover, explained Les McDonald, owner of the Copper Coil Still and Grill.
鈥淚鈥檓 a fairly environmentally conscious guy. I love Howe Sound and care about it deeply,鈥� he said, which is a big reason why they used as many re-purposed pieces as possible during their renovations.
鈥淥ne thing I鈥檝e noticed about renovations is how much waste is created. We were able to do the reverse and reuse a lot of things.鈥�
This includes the sinks, toilets and antique mirrors in the bathrooms that came from Squamish ReBuild.
The additional beauty is that each re-purposed piece comes with its own story and energy, he explained, including the front end of a 1939 Dodge truck featured on their wall, which he found out in the woods. 鈥淚 just got lucky and came across it.鈥�
Yard sales have also been a great source.聽
鈥淣ot only are you recycling and reusing, I like the fact there鈥檚 a positive community impact 鈥� people are able to reuse things while helping others make a little money for their family.鈥�
There鈥檚 also an entire wall built out of pallets which would otherwise have been destroyed, he explained. 鈥淎ll that wood comes with a previous life, and it adds so much character.鈥�
Other environmental touches include LED lightbulbs, coffee cups, local thrift store finds and deep-fry oil that is recycled into biodiesel.
Rescued from the landfill聽
Helping make these and many other repurposed dreams come true is Squamish ReBuild, a local, not-for-profit building supplies centre where people can purchase and repurpose used building materials.
From doors to sinks, toilets and tools, since 2011, they鈥檝e helped divert 22 metric tonnes of construction waste from ending up in landfill, explained operations manager Paige McIver.聽
Everything is between 50 and 90 per cent off retail prices, she said, with the most common shoppers being homeowners looking for materials for repairs, renovations or craft projects.
鈥淲e like to say, check at Squamish ReBuild first, then go to Rona!鈥�
ReBuild also gives back to the community, and the team has just been involved in helping create Squamish鈥檚 new Men鈥檚 Shed 鈥� a creative workspace where men can work on projects and connect with one another to help combat isolation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a pleasure to be part of something that feels good,鈥� McIver said.
鈥淧eople donating things feel good that they can bring them here rather than the landfill鈥� and the people who shop here feel good too. There鈥檚 a real sense of karma.鈥�
It鈥檚 also a great way to get locals to think about other ways to dispose of waste, she explained, and an opportunity for people to be part of the solution.
For details visit squamishrebuild.ca.聽
