Fall Cleaning with a Conscience: Find a Home for Your Gently Used Items

This bit of extended warm weather has helped put many of us in the mood for fall cleaning. And since we tend to accumulate possessions over the holidays, fall is a great time to clear out some of the items we don’t want and make room for something new.

But what should you do with all the stuff you don’t want?

At Monarch, we are committed to being responsible stewards of the environment and encourage our clients and fellow members of the community to think twice before simply tossing personal or household items away. After all, your trash may indeed be someone else’s treasure.

Smaller items like books, clothing and textiles can easily be dropped off at your local Salvation Army, Goodwill or Value Village. If you have outdated electronics piling up in your home, visit recycleyourelectronics.ca to locate the dropoff location nearest you. In Pickering, you can drop off your used electronics for free at U-Pak.

For larger items, consider one the following options:

Habitat for Humanity ReStores

If you’ve never visited your local ReStore, prepare to be amazed! ReStores are retail facilities that sell new and gently used building supplies and household decorating items. Donations generate revenue that covers 100% of their administrative costs. That means 100% of the donations they receive go directly into their Build Fund -- providing safe, decent and affordable homes for low-income families in your community.

Furniture Bank

Furniture Bank offers full-service furniture removal across the GTA. They pick up gently used furniture and housewares from your home and transfer them to individuals who have recently transitioned out of homelessness and displacement. Your donations help turn an empty space into a true home. Click here for a list of items they accept.

Habitat for Humanity Recognizes Monarch’s Commitment to the Environment and Community

Many thanks to Habitat for Humanity Durham for recognizing Monarch in their Spring 2015 e-newsletter for its ongoing commitment to waste reduction during the home renovation process.

 

Monarch believes companies must conduct sustainable business practices and be responsible stewards of the environment while seeking profit only in a manner that leaves the earth healthy and safe. A proud supporter of Habitat for Humanity for 15 years, Monarch encourages homeowners to think twice before taking old cabinetry, appliances or fixtures to the dump.

“If you are contemplating a renovation and are updating items in your home that are still perfectly functional...think about donating them to Habitat for Humanity," says designer Amanda Willson-Suppa.

A non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to improving the lives of economically disadvantaged individuals through home ownership, Habitat for Humanity is committed to helping low-income families caught in the vicious cycle of poverty. 

If you're planning a kitchen or bathroom renovation, give Habitat for Humanity a call before tear down begins. Their volunteers will remove your old kitchen cabinets, appliances or bathroom fixtures at no-charge and issue you a tax-deductible receipt for the value of your donation.

Use Your Power to Change Climate Change -- Join Us As We Count Down to Earth Hour 2015

At Monarch, we believe companies must conduct sustainable business practices and be responsible stewards of the environment. As we do every year around this time, we're gearing up to power down for Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28th, 2015.



Last year, hundreds of millions of people in 162 countries and 7,000 cities participated. 

From EarthHour.org:

From a symbolic lights-off event in one city, Earth Hour has grown to the world’s largest grassroots environmental movement creating massive impact around the world, thanks to the power of the crowd.

In 2014, with the launch of Earth Hour Blue, the first-ever crowdfunding and crowdsourcing platform of its kind, we raised funds to combat wildlife crime in SouthEast Asia, distributed thousands of wood-saving stoves to families in Madagascar, and successfully petitioned to pass a law banning the use of plastic bags in the Galapagos.

In the past eight years, you have shown us how individuals can come together to effect positive change. This year, we hope that you will continue to Use #YourPower to Change Climate Change.

Join the movement at http://www.earthhour.org/join-the-movement

Be a part of our annual lights out event on March 28, 2015, 8:30pm local time.

Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre Cleans Up the Community

 

Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre takes part in the 10th Annual 20-Minute Pickering Makeover.

As kitchen and bath designers, the Monarch design team is accustomed to orchestrating dramatic, often life-changing, makeovers for their clients.

Last Friday, Monarch staff took to the streets of Pickering for the 10th Annual 20-Minute Pickering Makeover.

Since 2005, Pickering has joined forces with neighbouring municipalities for the GTA-wide 20-Minute Makeover, an opportunity to pick up litter around City streets, parks, schools and workplaces in our community.

From businesses and schools to community groups and neighbourhood associations, over 70,000 participants have taken part in this annual event since its inception. The Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre team is proud to have played their part in this important community initiative.

Will You Turn Off Your Lights for Earth Hour?

An annual event hosted by the World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour encourages individuals worldwide to show their support for the fight against climate change.

Last year, 1.8 billion people in 152 countries and almost 7,000 cities participated. Thirty-nine per cent of Canadians -- or 13 million people in 511 cities nationwide -- joined in. 

This year, Earth Hour begins at 8:30 p.m on Saturday, March 23rd. Millions of Canadians are expected to turn off their lights...will you be one of them?

During last year's Earth Hour, power use in Toronto dropped almost 7 per cent.

In support of Earth Hour, Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre will be holding an EARTH WEEKEND at their head office in Pickering. At 5 p.m. tomorrow, Monarch will turn off their lights until 9 a.m. on Monday, March 25th. Only essential lighting will be turned on during business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m) on Saturday, March 23rd.

 You CAN make a difference.

To learn more, visit www.earthhour.org.

EARTH HOUR COUNTDOWN: Take the One Planet Challenge!

Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre is counting down to Earth Hour – Saturday, March 23rd, 2013 – with tips on how you can make small changes that have a huge impact on the future of our planet.

Did you know…

• lighting accounts for up to 15% of your electricity bill?
• that by replacing normal bulbs with energy efficient ones can save you up to 70% on the cost of lighting?
• up to a third of your household heat will escape through an uninsulated loft?
• double-glazing can save you money by reducing heat lost through your windows by half?

Today’s tips (courtesy of One Planet Living) involve changing your habits in the home.

One Planet Living’s 10 Top Tips for Changing What We Do In the Home to Help the Earth

1. Turn off lights and appliances when not in use
2. Invest in cavity wall and loft insulation can lower your bills
3. Use energy efficient lights and appliances – they make a huge difference to your electricity bill
4. Switching to a green tariff is now easier than ever
5. Insulating the hot water tank and lagging hot water pipes will cut down on wasted energy and save you money
6. Turning down the thermostat by just one degree will still leave you feeling warm and comfortable, but could cut your energy bills by as much as 10%
7. Draught-proofing your home and drawing your curtains at night is a simple yet effective way to cut costs
8. Fit a water meter and a flush saver and see the difference it makes to your water bill
9. Collect rainwater in a barrel and use it to water the lawn
10. Encourage wildlife by leaving a wild area in your garden

Interested in doing more to help? Click here to take the OnePlanet Challenge!

Take the One Planet Challenge

Their calculator will measure your ecological footprint and carbon emissions and provide you with a personalized action plan packed with practical things you can do to achieve One Planet Living and make it easier for you to shrink your footprint.

EARTH HOUR COUNTDOWN: One Planet Living's 10 Top Tips for Changing What We Eat to Help the Earth

At Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre, we believe companies must conduct sustainable business practices and be responsible stewards of the environment.

Professionally and personally, our team members are committed to reducing their ecological footprint. As we count down to Earth Hour on Saturday, March 23rd, 2013, we will be reviewing ways we can be kinder our planet with tips from One Planet Living, a division of World Wildlife Fund.

According to One Planet Living, if we carry on living the way we are now, by 2035, we will need to find second planet – identical to Earth – to meet our growing demands for energy and resources.

From One Planet Living: 

We need to change the way we live, work and play. Today. We each have an average ecological footprint of 2.7 hectares – which means that everyone on the planet uses on average 2.7 hectares of the world’s surface to supply us with food, fuel, and materials to clothe and shelt us. But the planet has just 2.1 hectares of land and sea to go around… 

In other words, we are living in serious ecological debt. And it is a debt which is growing EVERY DAY. 

As the world’s climate heats up, fish stocks disappear, forests are destroyed and biodiversity declines, one thing is clear: we face a massive global ecological credit crunch. But our debt to the earth is one that no-one can afford.” 

One Planet Living is about enjoying a high quality of life within our fair share of the earth’s resources. One Planet Living is a model based on ten simple principles which provide a framework to make sustainable living easy and affordable for all:

• Zero carbon 

• Zero waste

• Sustainable transport

• Sustainable materials

• Local and sustainable food

• Sustainable water

• Land use and wildlife

• Culture and community

• Equity and local economy

• Health and happiness

What can you do? WWF has researched a set of Ten Top Tips that offer suggestions about small changes we can make to the way we live, work and play.

One Planet Living’s 10 Top Tips for Changing What We Eat to Help the Earth

1. food that is in season is tastier - and costs less to process and package
2. cut down on meat and dairy produce - the rising cost of grain production is making prices soar
3. waste less food - the US Department of Agriculture says Americans throw out 11 million pounds of fruit and vegetables every year. Only buy what you will actually eat
4. compost organic waste - create free, fertile soil to grow your own food in.
5. buy fairly traded goods - and help over 7 million farmers, rural workers and their families in 58 developing countries
6. buy local food - it costs less to transport
7. try growing your own fruit and vegetables - for the same price as your weekly shopping bill you could buy enough seeds to supply you with your own fresh, organic vegetables all-year round
8. avoid heavily processed products - fresh food costs less to produce, and therefore costs you less
9. drink tap water, not bottled water - its free!
10. buy MSC certified fish and fish products - the MSC label guarantees they have been fished sustainably

Eco-Friendly Kitchen & Bath Design Solutions: Discover the Beauty of Cork Flooring

If you are one of the increasing number of homeowners who are trying to incorporate as many eco-friendly products into your new kitchen or bath design, Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre can help.

Monarch believes strongly in the importance of sustainability and our team of designers are as committed to the environment as they are to you.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be examining several different ways you can make your new kitchen or bath renovation "greener."

We thought we'd start at the bottom and work our way up. In this video, interior designer Candice Olson discusses the benefits of using cork flooring.

Beauty, comfort, durability and sustainability...cork floors have it all!

 

Monarch Kitchen Honoured by Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade

Monarch Kitchen and Bath Centre is pleased to announce that we have once again been recognized for our sustainable business practices. On Monday, April 23, 2012, Monarch designer Sarah Overholt visited the office of Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade and accepted the Eco-Business Level III award on Monarch's behalf.

Sarah Overholt, Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre (centre, left) and Don Terry, OPG (centre, right)
are presented with an Eco-Business Level III certificate from the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade.

From the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade:

"The Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade (APBOT) officially launched Level III of their Eco Business Program at the APBOT Offices today. The release of the Level III Checklist marks the third and final step in the Board's Award Winning Eco Business Program. Companies that have completed Levels I and II of the program are eligible to submit their Level III checklist and certificates are granted to companies that achieve compliance with 80% or higher on the checklist

"It is fitting to launch this third and final Level of our Eco Business Program here on April 23rd, the work day closest to Earth Day which was celebrated around the Globe yesterday," said 2012 Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade President Gary Strange of First Durham Insurance and Financial. "As a long standing member and former chair of the Eco Business Advisory Committee, it is with no small degree of pride that we take this next step." 

The special launch event was attended by many local dignitaries including Mayor Steve Parish and Councillor Joanne Dies of Ajax, Mayor Dave Ryan of Pickering and Peter Bashaw representing the office of Corneliu Chisu, MP for Pickering Scarborough East. Mayors Parish and Ryan brought greetings and words of congratulations to the Board of Trade. 

Level III certificates were presented to Don Terry representing Ontario Power Generation and Sarah Overholt representing Monarch Kitchen & Bath Centre."

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.

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!

The Ultimate Outdoor Kitchen: Going Back to Basics at Durham Region's First-Ever Community Sunday Supper

Buy tickets online at www.thefridgewhisperer.com

Over the last few weeks, we've been talking about what you need to create a beautiful outdoor kitchen and living space. When it comes to recreating the ultimate outdoor eating experience, however, Durham Region's own chef Deb Rankine has decided to make it a community event.

Rankine, author of The Fridge Whisperer Cookbook Series, has teamed up with Algoma Orchards, Canada's largest independent apple grower and producer, and Pingle's Farm Market for the Region's first-ever locally sourced Community Sunday Supper on Sunday, September 11th from 5 to 7 p.m. Guests will be able to shake hands with the hardworking people who help put dinner on their table every night: local growers, ranchers, farmers and others in the food production chain.

What's on the menu? Whet your appetite with organic baby greens tossed in a herb vinaigrette and pitchers of fresh apple cider to quench your thirst. Enjoy a traditional roast beef dinner with roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables, and wrap it all up with a tasty apple cobbler à la mode.

The two-hour rain-or-shine event will take place at Pingle's Farm Market (1805 Taunton Rd. E., Hampton--just five minutes from the Oshawa border) and will move to the greenhouse if it rains.

Tickets for this ground-breaking event are $15 each (plus HST) and can be purchased in person at Algoma Orchards in Newcastle and Pingle’s Farm Market. For more information and to buy tickets online using PayPal, visit www.TheFridgeWhisperer.com. 

Net proceeds from this event will go to Feed the Need in Durham.

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 & Bath Centre Encourages You to Ban the Bottle

If the majority of the water you drink comes from store-bought bottled water, it's time to reconsider what you're doing to your body, your planet and your pocket book.

In Solvie Karlstrom's article Tapped Out: The True Cost of Bottled Water, she explains that "not only does bottled water contribute to excessive waste, but it costs us a thousand times more than water from our faucet at home, and it is, in fact, no safer or cleaner."

To better understand our nation's obsession with bottled water, take a few minutes and watch The Story of Bottled Water, by The Story of Stuff Project, co-produced by the Polaris Institute. While the narrator refers to conditions in the U.S., Canadians will be able to easily recognize their own bottled water habits in the film.

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.