Fisker Karma - One of the more luxurious options available at this years Eco-Drive Booth at the Canadian Auto Show

Driving to work, I cannot help but notice the exact same cars on the road every day, all the way from my home town to right around the corner from my office. I’ve taken the leap to carpool and I’m sure that many other people also have the opportunity to commute with coworkers, friends, or family, so I’m asking why they don’t?  If the average daily commute for a Torontonian is over half an hour[i] , why aren’t more people opting into carpooling as a way to be greener? Well, it’s probably for the same reason that 70%[ii] of Canadians prefer to drive themselves to work over using public transit; for convenience.  But just because we don’t want to extend our travelling time by carpooling or waiting for buses and trains, doesn’t mean that some people haven’t made an effort to be more eco-friendly commuters.

Green transportation has become a growing wave in today’s society, to the extent that it’s become a factory standard.  Most of us have adopted smaller vehicles and more fuel efficient cars, some even embracing the hybrid or electric models to not only help make a difference for our environment but also to save some green in our wallets.  But how much we are willing to invest in automotive eco-alternatives is very similar to investing in green cleaning products, or any green products for that matter – it’s fully dependant on performance being our number one priority.

Well, last weekend, the Canadian International Auto Show gave us a glimpse into the focus being driven behind sustainability, performance and luxury.  The Eco-Drive Booth featured an array of environmentally friendly affordable options including hybrids and electric cars from Nissan, Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet (you can find more information about these cars here).  Of course, going above and beyond reality for most of us was the Fisker Karma featuring a variety of sustainable options ranging from 100% Recycled interiors to Certified Rescued wood trim from California wildfires[iii].

Although we would love to be able to indulge in that sort of green luxury, most of us remain realistic about how we can make our commute a little greener.  What kind of change have you made to make your commute more eco-friendly?  Do you take the bus, train or carpool? Or have you made the leap to a hybrid or electric car?  We’d love to know how many of you have become greener commuters!

[ii] http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110824/canadian-commuting-toronto-110824/

[iii] http://configurator.fiskerautomotive.com/configurator.aspx?UserQuoteID=374172

Dear Planet People,

We live year-round on a small island in Northern Ontario and our water supply is drawn directly from the lake, requiring very little treatment (10 micron filter & uV light).  We also use a septic system, so you can see that the use of any harsh chemical cleaners on the island is not only disruptive to the environment, but affects us on a personal level as well. We can’t have chemicals leaching into the lake, (our water and fish supply) and we cannot release them into our septic system as it relies on good bacteria to function properly.  Because of this, we are always looking for cleaners that are safe for ourselves, and also compatible with our environment.

I rent out boats, motors, canoes, kayaks, paddleboats etc, all of which require constant cleaning. I have one square stern canoe that has been stored in the rack and not used for about five years. I thought this would be a good opportunity to give the Gloves Off Tough Stain Remover product a try. I was quite amazed how well it worked. There was no fizzing, bubbling or fumes, it just lifted the years of dirt, mildew and rotting vegetation. I am sure that a chemical or strong soap would have worked also, but I am very happy to know that I could get the same result with an all natural product.

Doug
Temagami, ON

Thank you Doug for the wonderful review of our Gloves Off Tough Stain Remover!  We are so happy that you gave it a try and were so impressed with the results.

We’d love to hear everyone’s success stories from using any of the Planet People products, so don’t be afraid to share!

In 2011 we launched our Gloves Off line of tough cleaning products across Canada at big box home improvement centers including Home Depot and Canadian Tire. Gloves Off is a new line of cleaning solutions that are tough enough for the pros, but made with safe, non-toxic ingredients that tackle your toughest cleaning challenges. The Gloves Off line includes; Tough Stain Remover & Degreaser; Calcium, Lime & Rust Remover; All-Purpose Cleaner & Disinfectant; and a Triple Action Carpet Care Cleaner. Now you can clean safely and effectively without the use of toxic chemicals like bleach, chlorine, or ammonia – so you won’t need those gloves anymore! You can learn more about Gloves Off on our website (www.glovesoffclean.com) or by visiting our facebook page (www.facebook.com/glovesoffclean)

During the launch we heard from consumers that they wanted some cleaning tips for their toughest cleaning challenges so we put together some how-to videos that give some tips and tricks in order to tackle some of the most common difficult stains and messes. These videos include how to clean wine stains, how to clean a coffee maker, how to deep clean carpets & upholstery, and how to clean & disinfect your kitchen – all without any harsh and toxic chemicals! In 2012 we plan to create more videos with tips – if you have any cleaning tips or ideas of challenges you would like us to tackle, please let us know by emailing us at info@planetpeoplco.com.

We are also currently hosting a *Submit & WIN* promotion where if you submit a video or photos to us showing us how you have effectively cleaned with one of our Gloves Off products and we will reward you with a FREE Planet People prize pack. For more info visit http://www.glovesoffclean.com/common/pdf/SubmitWin1.pdf

Thanks to our amazing fan base on our iQ Facebook page, we collected some great ideas from our “How do you Re-Use Contest”. So, we’re introducing the #iQReuseTips Series! A daily Re-Use Tip created for you, by you!

Every day on Facebook and Twitter, iQ will feature a Re-Use Tip of the Day, created from your very own entries. With so many great comments and neat ideas, this is a great way to share them with all our fans!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/iqcleaner and on Twitter @PlanetPeopleCo to look out for your daily Re-Use Tip!

Week of October 10

–Next time you need a funnel, go to your recycling bin instead of the store.  2L pop bottles make great funnels
–Baby food jars can make creative air fresheners. Here’s a recipe for scented gelatin filled jars: http://bit.ly/pHs3IB
–Kitty litter containers are made of tough food grade plastic. Keep them out of our landfills by re-using them as floor washing pails.
–Need a toy for your puppy? Make a new tug a war rope by tying old shirts, towels and bed sheets together. It’s fun and easy!
–Make your lunch a liter-less one by using only re-usable containers!
–Old toothbrushes are a great tool for cleaning small nooks and crannies in the bathroom
–Save paper and save forests.  Switch to online or E-Billing options where you can
–Those Styrofoam trays from meat packaging are great to keep around. Wash and disinfect to use them for paint pallets or craft trays
–Have a lot of broken crayons? Remove their wrapping and melt them in cupcake wrappers in the oven. Fun shapes & new crayons!

Week of October 3

–Use Bull dog clips to close snack bags.  This keeps your food fresh for longer and reduces the amount of waste you create! There’s another advantage to buying prepackaged salad. Those 455g containers are great for holding anything from cookies to toys!

–Hand me downs will never go out of style.  You loved that shirt once, give someone else the chance to love it too!

–Using batteries means we have to find responsible ways of disposing them.  Find the facts you need here: http://bit.ly/p8UQDC

–Cloth Diapers 101: http://bit.ly/axmLyP Better for our environment and safe for our babies

Using a re-usable BPA free water bottle can save thousands of pounds of plastic waste.  Switch now.

Week of September 26

–If you’re finished reading your magazines, drop them off at the local library, hospital or waiting room for other people to enjoy
–Use curb alerts http://bit.ly/nkomNi when you have something to give away.  One person’s trash is another person’s treasure!
–Have an even number of lids and jars?  Put those orphaned lids to use with one of these great ideas: http://bit.ly/pBy2vB
–Furniture doesn’t have to have only one life.  Re-finish, re-purpose and re-use: http://bit.ly/bFceJr
–Have a favorite liquid hand soap?  Try buying Family sized bottles and refilling your counter top dispensers
–Freecycle is an amazing network that lets you find and giveaway free items at a local level! http://bit.ly/6dln
–Have a collection of worn out clothing?  Cut pieces out of each and make a wonderful quilt:  http://bit.ly/rffaJS

Week of September 19

–Upcycle clothing is a new wave. Check out this amazing store and see how it keep old clothes out of our landfills; http://bit.ly/qb7Fcw
–If you think your towels have seen better days, give them a new life as wash clothes or rags to clean your car!
–Throwing out an old dishwasher? Save the cutlery basket and use it as a caddy to transport cutlery and condiments out onto the patio
–Do you love to read? Instead of buying books new, check out your nearest used bookstore to pickup a story that has a story of its own!
–Simple but classic: collect rain water in your very own rain barrel.  Find the tools you need here: http://bit.ly/mVNT2D
–Love to buy shoes? Shoe boxes are great to re-use for storage. You can label and stack them perfectly to keep your home organized
–Glass jars are great for more than just food.  Store buttons, nuts, bolts, or add some classic design to your home http://bit.ly/imzqHX

Week of September 12

–We re-use cardboard boxes to ship, receive and send out all over again.   Give your boxes a chance to live more than once.
–Tired of your old shower curtains?  Put them to new use under your camping tent to keep the ground dry
–Re-using toilet paper rolls as seed planters is a great idea for your garden: http://bit.ly/qjqTPh
–If you’re having a garage sale, save up your plastic bags and give them away with purchases.  Re-Use passed from one neighbor to another!
–Finished eating all your Clementines? Decorate and Re-use that little wooden box as a window sill garden: http://bit.ly/pw67Fe
–Feeling like baking some bread? Re-use your old bread bags to keep your new loaf fresh!
–Ever had a cooler full of melted ice? Don’t waste it! Use it to water your plants!
–Just because you use plastic plates and plastic cutlery does not mean you have to throw them out! You can always wash and re-use!
–Give those 2 L Pop Bottles a new use as a sprinkler!: http://bit.ly/puq6l5

This past weekend, the Planet People team participated in the 2011 Live Green Festival in Toronto. The festival took over much of Yonge Street for the day and featured live music at Dundas Square and organizations of all types promoting ‘green living’.

A wonderful and friendly crowd looking for ways to go green was able to learn about innovations including electric bikes, organic soaps and beauty products, and up-cycled clothing. Planet People promoted iQ, our new line of household cleaners that help consumers save on plastic waste by 80%.

Thousands of residents from all over Toronto (as well as tourists from outside the country!) had the chance to learn about iQ, asking the many questions that surround today’s cleaning products in the age of greenwashing. It was our chance to get great feedback from all levels of green enthusiasts who had tried iQ and spark interest in those who were new to the brand!

After seeing all of the exciting products being offered at the festival, I have two favourites in particular. First, one company has managed to manufacture an organic laundry soap that has the wonderful smells of a bakery! Red Velvet cupcakes and Root Beer were just two of the many scents available. Although this was incredibly tempting, my heart was set on GOclean Waterless Car Wash. Made with all organic ingredients, this fabulous product is great for the environment, saves water and my car loves it! It’s definitely on my cleaning shelf now, right next to iQ.

Thank you so much to everyone who faced the super hot sun in order to check out all the amazing opportunities for us to be green.

Now that I have found a new green innovation that I love, I have to ask; what’s your favourite green innovation that you think everyone should know about?

Early in the month of June, iQ was honoured with two amazing media hits promoting our new and upcoming brand.  Treehugger; an online media outlet devoted to driving sustainable products featured an in-depth interview with our Brand Director, Ami Shah on how iQ is re-designing the world of sustainable cleaning.  Take a look at the coverage found here.

 The Las Vegas Review Journal also hosted a piece on environmentally friendly cleaning products featuring iQ as a breakthrough solution to household cleaning; http://ow.ly/5CqFp.  With its non toxic solution and commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, iQ is the first consumer concentrate system that really is the smarter solution for our homes and our planet.

 Finally, on June 30, the Ottawa Citizen published an impressive piece on the benefits of refills in household cleaning. The story also ran online here.   Including iQ as one of the brands to take note of for the future, the article comments on the benefits of iQ in decreasing waste consumption, offering competitive prices at a variety of retailer locations, and even includes a quote from our very own Eric Green; President of Planet People.

 iQ is thrilled with this coverage and encourages news readers to take a look at these articles.  If suggested by these outlets, will it influence you to take a second look at iQ the next time you’re shopping for cleaning supplies?

On a yearly basis, The Packaging Association of Canada hosts the PAC Leadership Awards to acknowledge brands dedicated to combining sustainability and innovation in packaging design. 

 This year, Planet People entered iQ’s patented re-usable bottle and REFill technology as a contender for the Sustainable Packaging Competition.  Planet People’s Brand Manager, Ami Shah, surprised us all, returning with not one, but two awards from the 2011 Packaging Association of Canada Awards Gala! 

Winning both the Gold award for the Sustainability Competition and the Best of Show for the overall PAC Sustainable Packaging Awards, iQ received two beautifully crafted tree sculptures made from recycled aluminum with a reclaimed wood base.  These awards help illustrate iQ’s commitment to innovative and sustainable packaging solutions and we are greatly honoured to be selected as this year’s winning sustainable brand.

Angela Van Roon

As a student at Wilfrid Laurier University, I had the opportunity this past month to create a marketing plan for one of my classes that would help drive awareness and trial of the iQ brand.

An executive from Planet People came into our lecture and told us about all the benefits of the brand.  Having never heard of it before, I decided to do a little of my own research; scanning hundreds of pages of mommy blogs, eco friendly products, award winning reviews and I never came across a single bad word about the brand!

Why, because it’s not a green washing ploy, just a different approach to cleaning.  The problem is that consumers are very sceptical about spending money on something they are not absolutely positive will do the job, especially as green cleaners tend to have the image of compromising on performance.  I completely understand this because I am one of those consumers.  So, my group began brainstorming on how to tackle this misconception.

We learned how many millions of bottles end up in landfills every year, how much wasted energy is used to produce them and finally, the unnecessary amounts of pollution created by transporting cleaners made of 90% tap water.  Of course this became the central idea of our campaign; getting consumers to re-think the impact that conventional cleaners have on our environment.

Refill the bottle you already have; decrease your impact on the environment, use a product safe for your family while still having the high performance you really want out of a cleaner.  It really is just common sense and I went about convincing my family and friends to try the iQ brand, and with no doubt, they all loved it!

Planet People has revolutionized something so simple into something that can make a huge difference in the way we use and interact with our environment.  We need to realize that every little thing makes a difference and iQ is definitely a step in the right direction.  It was a pleasure working on the iQ brand, helping a company that truly cares about people and the environment and created a product that really is the smarter solution for our future.

Angela Van Roon

School of Business & Economics
Wilfrid Laurier University
BBA Class of 2011

Recently Planet People had the pleasure of participating in the City of Toronto Live Green Festival. For two days, a normally congested strip of Yonge Street was transformed into a sea of Green, as eco-friendly product and service providers rubbed elbows with environment-conscious Torontonians. The show was a big success, with more than 40,000 people visiting the festival to learn how to ‘go green’. (To learn about the festival more visit http://www.toronto.ca/greentorontofestival/.)

All shades of green were represented on the day.

The ‘Dark Greens’, as they are called, were out in full force. Dark Greens are shoppers who place a huge priority on ‘eco-friendliness’ while shopping for products, and who describe ‘most’ of their purchases as ‘green’ ones. This group represents less than 10% of consumers but is growing fast in some parts of the country … and they’re also the ones who asked the toughest questions at our Live Green Festival booth!

Next up were the ‘Light Greens’ – shoppers for whom a product’s environmental impact is a consideration, but not always the principal criterion when making a purchase. Light Greens sometimes ‘buy green’ and make up about 3/4 of all consumers!

The group that we enjoyed meeting were the “Green Considerers”: a smaller group of shoppers(about 10%) who have contemplated ‘buying green’ but haven’t yet taken the plunge. I guess you could call them Green Wannabees. There were lots of those types kicking the tires at at the festival, and many told us that they wanted to go green but just hadn’t figured out how.

To those Green Considerers, we say go for it. You don’t have to go out and buy a new hybrid vehicle; baby steps are fine. Try skipping the car when heading out for your next errand and ride your bike instead. Or opt for reusable bags at the grocery store. Or dip your toe into the waters by foregoing a traditional product in favour of an eco-friendly one…

Who knows, you might end up finding your true colours, no matter what shade of green they might be.

I’m sure this has happened to you shopping: you have decided on what you want to purchase (for me this most likely means clothes or shoes) and head to the register only to have the cashier ask, “would you like a bag for 5 cents?” My response is always “No thanks”.

Lucky for me I have a big enough purse that I can either stick the item right into it or use a reusable bag that I keep in there.  It’s not that I’m being cheap – I think it just makes sense. I save the use of unnecessary plastic, I get to use a bag that’s both comfortable on my shoulders and fashionable AND, yes, I save 5 cents. I think re-usable bags are perfect for any kind of shopping too – I mean, who says they’re only for grocery shopping!

For some of my favourite re-useable bags, see below. It’s no longer the average canvas tote anymore. There are choices galore! Colors, graphics, sizes, etc. They even come with convenient storage sacks so they can easily roll up and store in your purse. So the question is – why aren’t we all using them?

Interested in seeing some new designs in eco-friendly bags? Check out www.lavishandlime.com.