What Are YOU Willing to Do to Save the Planet?

More than 5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide switched off their lights for Earth Hour 2011. 

Were you one of them?

An incredible example of how great things can be achieved when people come together for a common cause, Earth Hour 2011 ushered in a new era where participants went beyond an hour to commit to lasting action for our planet.

In support of Earth Hour, Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre will be upping the ante and holding an EARTH WEEKEND at their head office in Pickering. 

At 5 p.m. on Friday, March 30th, Monarch will turn off their lights until 9 a.m on Monday, April 2nd. Only essential lighting will be turned on during business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) on Saturday, March 31st.

Earth Hour begins at 8:30 p.m. on March 31st.

You CAN make a difference.

To learn more, visit www.earthhour.org.

Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre Presented with Phase II Eco-Business Cerficate

(l-r) Melissa Foley, Kevin Samson, Gary Strange, Peter Forint, Neil Samson, Sarah Overholt, Amanda Willson-Suppa, Kate Beranger

Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade representatives paid a visit to Monarch's Pickering showroom recently to present president Neil Samson and his team with their Phase II Eco-Business Certificate.

From the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade's e-newsletter, The Bulletin:

"On Tuesday, November 1st, APBOT representatives were on site at Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre in Pickering to present the company with their Phase II Eco-Business certificate. The certificate was presented by Peter Forint of Wardell Professional Development, Chair of the Board of Trade's Eco-Business Advisory Committee, and Gary Strange of First Durham Insurance and Financial, the first vice-president of the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade.

Whereas the Phase I certificate is awarded to businesses who make a commitment to take steps to make their business more sustainable, Phase II rewards the follow-through and the tangible efforts made by a company.

Congratulations to Neil Samson and the team at Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre. This is truly an accomplishment of which the company can be proud."

Reduce Your Ecological Footprint During Waste Reduction Week, October 17th to 23rd

www.eco-business.ca

As an active member and proud supporter of Durham Sustain Ability's initiative EcoBusiness, Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre encourages you to take the first step in reducing your ecological footprint during Waste Reduction Week (WRW).

"We buy a wastebasket and take it home in a plastic bag. Then we take the wastebasket out of the bag and put the bag in the wastebasket."
                                                                  ~ Lily Tomlin

Organized in Canada by a coalition of non-government and not-for-profit environment groups from each of the 13 participating provincial and territorial jurisdictions, Waste Reduction Week is intended to raise public consciousness about waste and its environmental and social ramifications. The goal of the week-long program encourages people to get involved and act now to sustain our planet for future generations. 

From WRW's Business Resource Kit (downloadable here):

What can you do? Everything! Waste reduction starts with every individual, every business, taking responsibility for their consumption and waste. By following the hierarchy of the three Rs (Reduce-Reuse-Recycle) you can make a significant impact.

Visit the Waste Reduction Week website at www.wrwcanada.com for a list of resources that can help you perform a business waste audit, assessment of your community and more!

Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre Celebrates Earth "Weekend"

Last year, approximately 60% of Ontario residents turned off their lights for Earth Hour.

Were you one of them?

A global initiative designed to raise awareness of climate change, Earth Hour began in Australia in 2007 and spread quickly throughout the globe by 2008.

According to The World Wildlife Fund, last year 128 countries showed their commitment to saving energy and leading greener lives by celebrating Earth Hour.

This year, Earth Hour will take place on Saturday, March 26th from 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. local time.

At Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre, we're upping the ante and will be holding an EARTH WEEKEND.

Our lights will be off from Friday, March 25th at 5:00 p.m. until Monday, March 28th at 9:00 a.m. Only essential lighting will be turned on during business hours on Saturday.

You CAN make a difference.

To learn more about Earth Hour, visit the Earth Hour website.

Monarch Kitchen helps EcoBusiness celebrate its 100th member

As the first business to join the Durham Sustain Ability (DSA) EcoBusiness program in 2007, Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre was on hand recently as DSA welcomed its 100th member--Search Engine People Inc. from Ajax, Ontario.

DSA is a non-profit organization that helps communities, schools, businesses, and individuals throughout Durham Region become more sustainable. By following their cost-free program, local businesses are learning to become greener by supporting initiatives in such areas as transportation and equipment, energy, water, pollution and waste reduction and conservation.

EcoBusiness members are encouraged to carpool to work, install low-flow toilets or automatic water faucets in bathrooms and invest in low-energy appliances or solar-panel roofing.

"There are also many things that businesses can do that involve no cost," explains Neil Samson, president of Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre.

For example, employees can take waste-free lunches to work and turn off lights when they're not needed. If companies don't have a green bin or recycling, they can take their recyclables or organic waste home and dispose of them there.

What are you waiting for? Become an EcoBusiness today! To learn more about becoming a member, click here.