Anne-Marie Laflamme and Catherine Metivier had the environment in mind when they started their clothing company Atelier B 12 years ago. They used natural fibres and ethically sourced products, for a start. And they made their clothes to last, so they could be shared or passed on.
“One thing we don’t compromise is quality because the impact of the garment on the environment will be mostly when it’s in use,” said Anne-Marie Laflamme, one of the founders of Atelier B.
Now, the duo are working even harder at reducing waste. They’re using leftover scrap material from their clothes to make household items, like toys and hangers.
“We are seeing those bags of scraps. And we think it’s impossible that they go to the landfill. We need to find a solution for the long term,” said Laflamme.
‘We need to do something because those garments are somewhere and we need to take care of the impact we made,” added Metivier.
As Montrealers celebrate Earth Day, Atelier B is just one of many Montreal companies going green.
Luxury Montreal sheet maker Maison Tess wants to reduce its carbon footprint. Maison Tess sells all across the country, particularly in Ontario and B.C. It accepts returns within 30 days, but if the sheets have been opened, they usually donate them to a local charity in need. Now, while issuing refunds, it is asking clients to donate unwanted sheets within their local communities to save on packaging and air travel.
“We are all responsible and it’s really the little changes,” said Maison Tess owner Laura Nezri Chetrit. “There is nothing huge we can do, everyone needs to take baby steps.”
Going green is important to Anthony Salvatore’s heart. He runs a recycling company, 100% Environmental.
“We have one client and our client is the earth, that is our only client,” Salvatore said.
He finds the younger generation is too quick to throw things out. He has gone into municipalities, companies and even schools to encourage waste management.
“They were stunned to see how many things can be recycled versus throwing in the garbage. So if you train them when they are young they will take this training with them as they grow older and tend to recycle,” Salvatore said.
McGill University professor Chris Barrington-Leigh says small steps from companies can make a big difference over time, in particular by pressuring governments to change policy.
“It cannot happen unless individuals are taking small steps, which are possibly at some cost to them,” said Barrington-Leigh. “Yet the long-term goal is that those things are normalized, they are expected and they are part of the rules.
“I think we have turned a corner on the major things. People understand we really do need to put in policies like carbon pricing.”