The federal election will be held next Monday, yet another topic pushed its way to the top of the news recently – single-use plastics.
Last week, readers of the Chronicle Herald had to turn to page 4 to find the first mention of federal politics, yet a story on the plastics debate was positioned on the front page, above the fold.
At issue is the province’s plan to ban single-use plastic bags next year. Environmentalists, understandably, are tickled pink. Plastics industry lobbyists, predictably, are choked about the proposed legislation.
Shannon Shields supports the ban, but instead of passively observing from the sidelines, she launched a business that uses locally sourced cotton and other fabrics to create alternatives to household plastics.
It all began when Shields chose to cloth diaper her two babies – now eight and nine – because she was concerned about chemicals in the products she was placing against her son’s and daughter’s skin.
This decision prompted the married mom to take her environmental baby steps to the next level. Seven years ago she commenced developing product designs and prototypes, then two years ago she launched her home-based company, Body Honour.
Offerings include women’s pads and liners, and products designed to replace single-use plastic bags – beeswax food wraps, lunch bags, snack pouches, produce bags and other items.
“It was a slow haul back then. Friends said I was crazy. I never get that response now with the zero-waste movement being so prominent, and people in general becoming more aware of the issues,” said Shields.
She manufacturers all the products. Her food wraps are made from beeswax, pine resin, jojoba oil and colourful fabric. The resin is from an American supplier, while everything else comes from Nova Scotia.
“The local part is important to me. I use South Shore beeswax, and the fabrics are from all over Nova Scotia. I purchase the pine resin in the U.S. because I can’t just be scraping it off trees here,” said Shields.
For a list of ways to use the food wraps, or to find out details on other products, visit www.bodyhonour.ca or check out Facebook and Instagram.
“My cloth pads for women changed my life. The first time I tried them I couldn’t believe the difference between the cloth and commercial products. I had been subjecting my body to irritants,” said Shields.
“I fell in love with this product to the extent I quit all the other things I had been doing to focus on bringing this product to other women. They are now available in various sizes and colourful designs,” she added.
Last year, Shields and two friends started an online group called Coastal Climate Collective. Today, there are more than 5,000 followers.
“We are three moms and business owners who are concerned about the environment and the impact poor choices will have on our children, so we post a lot of challenges for people to reduce waste, such as refuse the free plastic toothbrush from the dentist. Ask for bamboo instead,” said Shields.
“Remember to take reusable bags for shopping, and don’t use plastic straws. Our approach is very much trying to give people ideas to consider, to help them reduce their impact on the environment,” she said.
A busy mom with two active children, Shields confesses she sometimes takes a step backwards in her efforts to always consider the impact she is having on the environment.
“Today I was guilty of putting a load of laundry in the dryer instead of hanging the clothes on the backyard clothesline,” said Shields.
“If your life is busy, start with just one thing, instead of tackling everything at once. It doesn’t make sense to throw away an entire box of plastic wrap to adopt a beeswax wrap. It’s about a conscious move forward. I suggest that people use the two products together. It takes time to form a new habit,” she added.
Even with two busy children, Shields said her family hasn’t used any plastic wrap or baggies for two years.
In addition to her online presence, Shields can be found at the farmers’ markets in Lunenburg, Bridgewater and Halifax, and occasionally in Wolfville. Her products are also available at a couple of HRM retailers.
“My son and daughter help to cut and wax the fabric, and when we go to farmers’ markets, they know the pitch. I give them a percentage of sales, which they usually spend on video games,” said Shields, laughing.
Some things never change.
