On Friday I brought you THE NEWS that we're on board as the presenter of the third round of Vancity's Good Money Mob! We've nominated local businesses The Soap Dispensary, Salmon N Bannock and Dandelion Kids and it's up to you to now vote your favourite one into being the one that's ultimately chosen to be mobbed.
Over the next few days I'm going to take you into each of these three businesses and show you what makes them particularly awesome, starting today with one of my personal favourites on Main Street, The Soap Dispensary.
The idea for this businesses (located on Main at 20th Ave) was born from the two owners' (Linh and Stewart) desire to reduce their plastic footprint. They sell biodegradable, animal cruelty-free household and personal care products, mostly without adding plastic containers to our landfills and waterways. In keeping with the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) they emphasize reusing first and recycling as a last resort. Basically you can bring in your own containers and they'll fill them up!
To illustrate how different this business is than any other in this city I present to you perhaps the only product sold on all of Main Street (aside from a handful of bulk food from a grocer) that is priced at twelve cents or less.
Twelve cents. Because they know if you're shopping there you're the kind of person who might hang your clothes to dry, and they don't intend to gouge you. They just want you to do good by our planet.
One of the coolest products in stock right now is this dental floss. Refillable of course, you can see the refills in the jars behind.
Another favourite of mine are the cedar balls in the jars pictured on the bottom of this photo. We bought a bunch to spruce (uh, cedar?) up the smell in our clothes drawers, and they double to keep moths away. I also bought a pair of the Shoe Refreshers for $2.50 because I've got some sneakers that could use some help.
My wife has been using one of these for months. Think of all the plastic you've thrown away from old toothbrushes in your lifetime. Guilt-free here.
Another super low-priced item, which is simple stainless steel. The beauty of a lot of their products is the simplicity.
Like these domestic products.
And these washing powders and cleaning-strength vinegar. We started using vinegar as a cleaning agent in our kitchen and bathroom right after we discovered this store. No chemicals. Simple.
If you don't bring your own containers, they've got some nice ones available for sale.
You've heard of Dr Bronner's? They've got small refillable bottle available...
As well as huge bulk bottles that they'll use to fill up the container you bring in!
This is Linh. She's super nice, incredibly knowledgable about all of the products they stock and she regularly updates a BLOG where she shares all the new stuff as it comes in. They just celebrated their 1 year anniversary of opening the store on October 1st, head up to Main and 20th soon and say hello! HERE is their web site.
Voting is NOW OPEN on Vancity’s Facebook page. Click "Like" on the badge representing the company you would like to support and that will ultimately get mobbed — in the best way possible. Voting runs until October 24th, 2012.
