New Catalogue

We have a new catalogue! This means some new products and some new prices.  The good news is that not all have gone up – many prices have gone down or stayed the same.  Any price decreases have been in effect as of March 1st, any increases will be effective as of April 1st.  Please contact us if you have any questions or would like a new electronic or hard copy.

Important note – by the end of the month we will introduce our new online ordering system at www.GreenSupplyHouse.com.  For now, it is in beta testing with changes and fixes happening every day.  I think most people will find it very handy but for anyone who would prefer to call, fax or email, that too is still always appreciated.  We will keep you all posted.

Nuclear Power

Can the devastation in Japan not be enough of an example of why we need to conserve and cut our energy use, and not consider nuclear an option?  Will we live to see the day when we can stop debating choices that ultimately amount to playing Russian Roulette with nature, and innocent species on the planet?

General Update

We are happy to report that we are still alive and well, with lots of strong supporters, and affecting change at multiple levels. As many of you know, a labour intensive website was never our thing… we are busy in the day to day, with the people in our sphere.

That said, we want to make room for more, and grow this network so that we can really fight back against backwards policies, and have the time and money to help further the cause as much as possible. One example we need time and money for is the fight against fake biodegradable products, and the government bodies who are more concerned about the money they are losing from people diverting waste (from their fee based landfill programs) than they are about making real progress.

Whoever wouldn’t have seen that it was dangerous to create a revenue stream for the government when people send things to the landfill, and an expense to them when we go green. So what to do? Well, it seems their answer is to call the green bad and ban real biodegradables from compost with the logic (more or less) that we are all too stupid to find a way around the “confusion”. Interesting (and not ironic) that they never challenge the most deadly petroleum based plastics – such as PVC… and … to think that we now have billboards boasting polystyrene as “recyclable”.

For anyone who’s confused – here is the quick and simple: almost anything CAN be recycled – the issue is WILL it be. The answer – it is only going to be recycled if there is a market demand for it. So… will polystyrene be recycled – some of it yes… coffee cups and mass use take out containers… NO! They are the bottom of the barrel in terms of value… it is cheaper to buy virgin resin. Sure, polystyrene manufactures will fight against their market loss … maybe even by funding the recycling of their plagued materials for a period of time… but… bottom line… we produce far more polystyrene than we have recycling markets for, and… the material itself has implications that trace back to the drilling of the oil and beyond the concern of the chemical additives. Moreover – for anyone who gets what we have been trying to tell everyone – biodegradable does not just tell you about what becomes of a material but also, what goes into making that material.

Well… perhaps it is obvious why sometimes we say nothing at all… but, right now… we are thinking it might be time to start a petition. First things first – we will monitor the situation and would like to get feedback from all of you.

PS – Yes – GreenSupplyHouse Fall 2009 pricing is still in effect! New catalogue coming soon

General Update

We are finally starting to feel back to normal, although not quite there yet. We are working on several things, primarily focused on bringing a lot of previous work into the forefront. The Green Shift Supply House has been business as usual, providing tools to everyone wishing to green through products. Our assessments, audits and helping through consulting took a bit of a hit from the lawsuit, as did our quest to help identify the genuine green leaders – simply due to stress and lack of time. We hope to rebuild our strength and spirit and continue on our path to a greener world. We appreciate the support of everyone on board.

Lawsuit Settlement Agreement

It is difficult to describe the feelings surrounding this event. We are happy that we technically “won” the battle but the damage and the set back is…. more than unfortunate. That being said, the reality is that everyday we are in a battle – whether it be with politicians, manufacturers or just fighting the system – there are many strong forces that are more about maximizing profits and making themselves look good, than there are about ethics, reality, profit with principles, and helping the greater good.

That being said, we have been pleasantly surprised to find some really great environmental leaders – companies, institutions and individuals who are really walking the talk and are right there with us in this fight for a greener world.

For everyone who stood by us, wrote in letters of support and helped to bring some justice to this legal battle, we sincerely appreciate your support and thank you for keeping us on track, cleaning up in this polluted minefield, and helping trudge this path to a greener world.

A Midsummer Afternoon’s Dream at Eigensinn Farm.

Green Shift™ is happy to endorse a fundraiser in support of the Canadian Chef’s Congress at Eigensinn Farm.

If you’ve ever wanted to visit the world-famous Eigensinn Farm, this is a fantastic opportunity to taste the farm’s offerings and sample food from some of Toronto’s top chefs alongside Michael Stadtlander. We’re happy to say that Eigensinn Farm is part of the Green Shift™ program, as are many of the fabulous restaurants involved.

A few names include Jamie Kennedy of Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar, Brad Long of Veritas, Mark Cutrara of Cowbell, Adam Colquhoun of Oyster Boy, and Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Co. Full details available on the flyer.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit:

www.canadianchefscongress.com

Trademark Infringement/Lawsuit with the Liberal Party of Canada

Brief Synopsis: On June 18th we learned that the Liberal Party of Canada was infringing on our trademark. We tried to give a polite warning, but unfortunately when they did not immediately cease and desist, we were forced to file a lawsuit against them and issue an injunction. This matter was resolved in an out of court settlement. We have moved any details pertaining to this matter to the website that they had registered without our knowledge.

Green Shift™ Biodegradable Cups in hundreds of progressive cafes and restaurants across Canada.

Spring/ Summer 2007 Green Shift™ – Events galore: Toronto Pride, Toronto Jazz Festival, Luminato, Flower Child Festival, Bike Week, Al Gore in town, Green Living, and numerous other events, all active participants in our big joint green goal. In total Green Shift™ has worked with at least 100 event planners to see that biodegradable bags, biodegradable cups, plates, takeout containers, straws and more are all the norm, and to ensure that events as a whole can be enjoyed without the major costs to the environment that they traditionally are.

Hope you can make it out to support these great events:

http://www.toronto.ca/cycling/bikeweek/index.htm

http://www.roseaweinberg.ca/media.htm
http://www.pridetoronto.com
http://www.luminato.com/english/list.php?eid=20161

Green Shift™, working with Center Plate, does behind the scenes greening of the Green Living Show, and the Direct Energy Centre.

Almost all items, that were traditionally disposable challenges with serious environment implications, have experienced a Green Shift™ at at Toronto’s Direct Energy Centre. Not just for the Green Living Show but for all events moving forward, Green Shift™ has ensured that everything from biodegradable plates, cups, straws, containers, stir stix and more are in use and being properly disposed of. While we did run into some unexpected challenges with incorrect labelling of recycling bins and unfortunately no compost bins at all when the first show was beginnning, but fortunately that was rectified quickly and now the entire Direct Energy Center has compost bins, well labelled, throughout. And not just biodegradables but as per Green Shift™s mandate, all items have been replaced with the most environmental options on the market, and any areas that are not there yet are on the way. Green Shift™ would like to thank Center Plate, the Catering Company inside of the Direct Energy Center in particular for showing strong commitment to this initiative right from the beginning, and for working with us to make this all a reality.