Buy local, people say – but why? Whether as a business or a consumer, there are compelling reasons for it – including benefitting you, your community and the environment.
Alberta Apparel
Alberta Apparel began 4 years ago, when founder Thomas Mo took notice that there were no clothing lines that represented the province and its beauty and history. Mo set out to do just that. “We do this by using symbols such as the Alberta Flag, animals that are found living in Alberta, and even photography.“
Wanting to create a social conscious brand, Mo decided to only use Made in Canada apparel from factories they know and trust. All of our contractors are based in Alberta as well. “We want to be a model for profit and non-profit companies on how you can be local, scale, use local resources, support your local economy, and be a social enterprise as well.” Mo has also been a leader in the fashion space by giving presentations to organizations and schools on such topics such as the fashion industry, consumerism, fast fashion and environmentalism.
What’s next? Mo says they are now searching for manufacturers and fabrics that are utilizing best practices in terms of water conservation, reduced chemical usage, recycling materials, and decreased energy consumption.
“We believe that the future of our planet is important, and that our brand can make a big difference."
Sourcing locally means more money stays within your geography. This means that more money is available to be spent, saves, invested etc and some of this could come back to your business.
“It helps other small businesses with their dreams, and if we all pitch in, it makes a huge difference. Thanks for considering us, and sourcing local and ethical too."
And if that isn’t great enough, LEAF Certified members can now receive a discount on Alberta Apparel custom branded apparel projects.
SAIT Celebrates Five Years of LEAF Certification
By Stephanie Ball
The School of Hospitality and Tourism at the Southern Albert Institute of Technology (SAIT) continues to push the sustainability envelope, more than five years after becoming LEAF certified.
Operations Manager Brad Rosenberger has been with the School of Hospitality and Tourism for 11 years and has witnessed and implemented many changes since joining SAIT.
Long before the City of Calgary rolled out its green bin program, SAIT was diverting organic waste in a big way. Large compost bins are provided all around the main campus, and they are getting a lot of use – especially in the culinary programs.
"We go through a lot when it comes to food,” says Rosenberger. “The green bins ensure we're doing our part for the environment and for SAIT itself.”
As an added bonus, both the culinary garden and campus landscaping areas benefit from the composted material and SAIT’s used cooking oil is reprocessed and used to produce biodiesel.
The school deals with many different suppliers and does their best to select sustainable food products.
“It’s about limiting our impact on the environment. It’s about being responsible,” says Rosenberger when asked what it means to be a sustainability leader.
SAIT has to set the standards and meet the needs of what the industry is demanding, he says. It's an important because students are going out into the world after they graduate to become executive chefs or hotel managers. They are the future of sustainability and so SAIT's environmental practices play a key role in teaching students to adapt and think ahead.
Rosenberger and SAIT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism are optimistic about the future and advancement of Alberta’s sustainability movement.
“Good things are happening.”
