CJMP Podcast

Today's episode looks at the ugly side of conventional beauty products.  We open the lid on the shampoos, lotions and scents we spend our lives bathed in.  We'll hear from Amber Freidman, creatress of 'Solar Infused Beauty'. She shares her conversion from off the shelf products to making her own at home.  We also sit in on part of a Zero Waste Beauty workshop offered in Hawaii by Chantelle Okel. She teaches about making things that are good for our skin from items found in most people's kitchen.  Chantelle's guiding mantra?  If you can't eat it, don't wear it!

During this May episode of Let's Talk Trash we review the amazing community cleanup efforts that have been happening over the past 2 months.  From multiple beach cleanups to picking up abandoned trailers and trash litter in local trails, hundreds of local residents have been getting their hands dirty in attempts to keep Powell River clean.

Also in our headlines this month - starting June 1 all Powell River Regional District recycling depots will be accepting a new category of plastic packaging.  Cereal box bags, crinkly plastic packaging, pasta bags and foil coffee bags for example are all now accepted.  Tune in to find out more!

Small scale communities in Hawaii are moving towards zero waste. We’ll go to the Big Island to hear how the Kalanihonua retreat centre is aiming to close the loop and live in greater harmony with the surrounding jungle.  From using pineapple cuttings to make delicious tea, to dedicating a room to host its permannent Free Boutique, to raiding the dumpster for flower planters, Kalani proves a good test case for how we can apply similar efforts in larger towns and cities. We’ll also take a peek at how a Hawaiian music festival kept over 300 pounds of compost from the landfill by creating onsite compost piles to feed local fruit trees. We’ll learn why the team lead, Scott Layback, had volunteers sort through all the garbage, compost and recycling  at the main entrance to the festival.

It's April - it's Earth Month in Powell River!  On our March edition of Let's Talk Trash, we dedicate our show to promoting all the great initiatives, events and happenings that are taking place in April in celebration of Earth Month.  We also hear from one amazing Powell Riverite who took on the challenge last year during Earth Month to purchase no clothing for an entire year!  We catch up with Meghan to hear about the trials and tribulations of her challenges as she nears the end of the year long effort.  Check out the Earth Month website for the lastest up-to-date information on what's happening around Powell River - earthmonthpr.wordpress.com

This episode concludes our 3 part series.  In this Febrauary edition we explore what happens to our possession at the end of our mortal life.  Why do we cling to some material goods with what seems to be a death grip?  As we delve into this topic we'll hear some interesting discussions, personal accounts as well as hearing a quick clip of Margerta Magnusson as she explains the concept of Swedish Death Cleaning.  

This is the second episode of a three part series.  On this show we explore our relationship to our belongings. All the items we have in our closets, garages and storage lockers came into our lives, supposedly to make them more fun and easy, but is that the reality? Last month we considered the topic of consumerism. We talked about that fuzzy line between owning things and them owning us. Today we’ll be investigating why some people are purging their belongings in order to pursue a minimalistic lifestyle.  Hear from two locals who took on minimalism in order to collect experiences, not things.

We start a 3 part series - in this first episode we explore consumerism, the concept of hoarding and putting the relationship we have to our belongings under the microscope.  In January we'll delve into its opposite, minimialism and Feburary will conclude our series wth looking into what happens to our stuff when we pass on from this life.

Tune into our December show to consider where that fine line is between owning things and them owning us.  Get your monkey mind thinking about what drives our materialism and the psychology of hoarding.  

Tune in our November show to find out about China's National Sword Initative and how that is affecting recyclables both here in Powell River and abroad.  We interview local Sunshine Disposal and Recycling owner Dale McCormack to find out more.  Also, Lesley Thorsell chats with us about the launch of Boomerang Bags Powell River!

This October edition of the Let's Talk Trash features an interview with our local plant based lens and frames retail outlet owner, Cindy Gaudin. Intriguing discussion about new plant based eyewear, finally an alternative to petrolumn based products and these fancy glasses, including sunglasses are produced in a zero waste lab! We then head into the concept of illegal dumping with a new twist from a psychological angle. Check it out!

Zero Waste is becoming an increasingly common battle cry for cities branding themselves as earth-friendly. It can also rally a population to be more conscious in its consumption. What does it look like when an entire town commits to true Zero Waste.  In this episode, we explore Powell River, the little town of Kamikatsu Japan and a few other places around the globe pursuing Zero Waste to landfill or incineration.

The bears have long since woken up and are even being reported breaking into sheds and houses around town.  We will hear from the local WildSafeBC community officer about how to keep wildlife wild and our community safe. 

Love is in the air and there are a few Zero Waste wedding celebrations planned. One couple will tie the loveknot without forgetting to love up the planet on their special day.

The bears have long since woken up and are even being reported breaking into sheds and houses around town.  We will hear from the local WildSafeBC community officer about how to keep wildlife wild and our community safe. 

Love is in the air and there are a few Zero Waste wedding celebrations planned. One couple will tie the loveknot without forgetting to love up the planet on their special day.

In this episode we take a look inside our kitchen and bathroom cupboards to sniff out what kinds of cleaners are truly user AND planet friendly.  It isn’t as easy as you may hope. The good news is, you can usually whip up the cleaning product you need from a short list of ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen pantry.  

We also hear about the coming City curbside composting pilot project. Will your household be one of the 400 selected for the pilot?  And now that it’s once again bear season, we hear from our local WildSafe BC community coordinator about how to keep curious bears out of your home.  We’re also going to tune into the inspiring Ocean Legacy Project’s work, and chat with the co-founder, Chloe Dubois, to hear how they are finding ways to not only help volunteers clean up the oceans, but also how to make it possible to responsibly reuse and recycle found items.

An Earth Month celebration!  Tune in to hear a quick summary of some of the events and activities that took place during April to celebrate Earth Month Powell River.  We speak to 3 movers and shakers, Lesley Thorsell, Shaunalee Yates and Wendy Drummond.  Hear some progress being made on the Boomerang Bags Powell River initiative amongst some other great conversation!

It's time to get into the garden!  Tune in for some zero waste gardening tips, hear some reactions from local folks on the new Save-On Foods bag charge policy and learn about an upcoming initiative happening right here in Powell River - Boomerang Bags.  Plus, we air a new muscial track from Adham Shaikh that takes a good look into the over use of paper cups.