This January, as Christmas decorations everywhere came down and most of the city’s wood chippers were working overtime, Greenscape decided to go with a new Christmas tree recycling plan. We discovered the Critter Care Wildlife Society, which specializes in the treatment, care and release of sick, injured and orphaned Native Mammal species of BC’s Southern and Lower Mainland. They are the only facility in BC that specializes in the care of mammals and one of only four Bear Rehab facilities in the province.

After every Christmas, Critter Care takes old Christmas trees to be repurposed and used for their bear, racoon and otter enclosures. The animals love to sleep, climb and play on the trees. This year we were happy to help them out. Judging by the photos, it looks like our trees found a happy home!

We will to continue to donate throughout the year as well. If you’re interested finding out about how you too can Critter Care, contact us or visit their website.

Grasses add a contemporary and architectural edge to any space. Whether you prefer a lean and linear look, or require the function of a tall privacy screen or a versatile space divider – our design team can add dimension to your patio or define areas within your floor plan.

Our exterior grade grasses can withstand harsh conditions and are fade resistant. Have beautiful landscaping year-round with minimal maintenance.  Custom planter options are available.

Email our design team to book a complimentary consultation to discuss your patio or outdoor space!

Our team has been keeping very busy this spring at Greenscape, and in the midst of it all, we wanted to make sure we took a moment to give back!

We recently started a charity challenge initiative – every month we choose a different organization and help give a little. This month we partnered with Free Geek Vancouver, an organization dedicated to helping the world stay connected. They take old, broken, and unloved electronics and bring them back to life with their electronic TLC. The computers are then sold to the public at significantly reduced costs so that everyone can get their hands on Google.

Our team dug through their closets at home and we ended up with a total of 4 hard drives, 4 monitors, 1 laptop, 1 iMac, 1 printer, 5 keyboards, 2 mice, 1 game console, and 1 unidentified object. Congrats to our newest team member, Bev, for bringing in the most stuff!

Check out Free Geek if you want to buy, build or learn anything computer related.  You’ll also get to hang out my new buddy Don – he’s pretty awesome!

When I first entered the room for the first session of Event Camp Vancouver 2011, I knew I was entering a thought-changing landscape for learning, interaction, and innovative formats. With the chairs arranged in a giant circle, as if around a massive bonfire of ideas and energy, face-to-face engagement was set as the standard for the weekend. We talked, we sang, we danced, we “sexercised!”

Event Camp asked questions. Lots of them.

• What is the purpose?
• What is the objective?
• What are you trying to achieve?
• What do you want to learn in this moment?
• What do you want to experience?
• What way do you want to engage?
• What level of technology are you able or willing to embrace?
• What have you done that is sustainable today?
• What can you do to be sustainable everyday?
• What can we do to design better?
• What can we control and what can we influence?
• What are our resources?
• What can we do to design event experiences that don’t yet exist?
• What is your twitter handle?
• What change can you make to motivate yourself and others?

There were no right answers, but rather an overwhelming wealth of contributions and ideas from people all over the world who were excited about possibility, change and collaboration.  It was a dynamic and transforming dialogue.

In addition to attending this industry-changing experience – Greenscape contributed sustainable décor options for the Room for Thought. This “white space” was a green space designed to encourage participants to have a place to reflect and rejuvenate. We focused on creating an interactive and highly sustainable space. Every item was sustainable through our manufacturing process or had been refurbished, reclaimed, or repurposed with all items returning to our rental inventory to be endlessly reused.

For me, Event Camp created a legacy of new friendships, deeper connections, and bigger thoughts. I am inspired to be a better leader, a more creative designer, a more collaborative colleague. I will drive my company towards greater sustainability and higher levels of technological advances and innovation.  I want an app.  I want greener options.  I want to eliminate fear, fail, and fine from my vocabulary (I need to keep fake folks, until I change my tagline – Sometimes Fake Is Better!)  I want to learn more.  I want to be a champion for enthusiasm and change.  I want to help.

Tahira Endean was the loving force behind making Event Camp happen in Vancouver, yet Event Camp grew bigger than any one person or singular contribution. She was the spark behind this massive experience by saying, “Yes, lets” and then it was ignited by a passionate group of people that followed up with “Yes, and.”

The fire burns on…

Bamboo has long been the darling of the green design world. Known for its lightening speed growth and extraordinary versatility, this plant may very well be the future of, well – many things.Its fibers can be spun into soft fabric used for clothing, or its poles can be used to reinforce buildings. Lately designers are taking bamboo to heights never before imagined (and bamboo can grow up to 100 feet!).  New innovations such as the electricity-free bamboo speaker and the bamboo bicycle keep proving that the uses of bamboo are infinite.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Bamboo isn’t wood – it is actually a grass that grows in stalks called culms.

• Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants in the worlds – some species can grow over 4’ in 24 hours.

• Trees used in conventional wood fencing can take up to 50 years to replenish whereas bamboo can regenerate its full mass in just 6 months.  Bamboo renews itself from it extensive root system, so does not need to be replanted.

• It is stronger than mild steel.

• Bamboo produces 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees and provides wildlife habitats for animals and birds.

At Greenscape, we love this renewable plant source, not only for its green factor but for its aesthetic excellence as well. Check out some of the displays we’ve recently done using this wonderful grass. Don’t forget to come by the warehouse to look at all the new bamboo we have in stock as well!

Eco-Friendly Decor Manufacturing

For more than 17 years, Greenscape Design & Décor has offered sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives for our rental and commercial sales clients.  While we seek environmentally responsible products and practices in our internal operations and raw material sources, we also engineer and manufacture our products to give our clients the peace of mind that their eco-footprint is reduced when selecting our décor designs and products.

Manufacturing

• our products are easily repaired or redesigned so replacement is often avoided
• superior construction and durable products means less replacement costs and reduced waste
• custom designed trees are built in Canada with 60% natural and local materials
• custom built wooden planters can be made with 100% local and natural wood products
• LEED-credit planter options, manufactured with post-consumer recycled materials, are available for commercial sales clients
• existing trees, plants, floral arrangements and existing décor pieces can be refurbished or reworked into a new custom design
• steel structural components have a long life cycle and can be endlessly reused and recycled

Corporate Responsibility

• 100% of our reused products are donated to charities, schools, and associations – we support The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (@CBCF_)
• more than 80% of our component parts can be readily recycled at the end of our rental inventory’s life span
• used electronic equipment is donated to the non-profit organization, Free Geek Vancouver (@freegeekvan)

Green Decorating is all the Rage!

Our customized décor, manufactured in Canada, provides the greatest level of design possibilities while providing piece of mind for achieving green event standards or sustainable interior design options for commercial or residential spaces.

Our Raw Products

• constructed from salvaged, refurbished or reused materials
• make use of solid wood, natural timbers, or reclaimed wood when possible to avoid toxins found in particle board or plywood
• imported woods used for specialty designs are sourced from renewable sources such as bamboo, grapevine and palm thatching
• VOC-free paints, environmentally safe adhesives and biodegradable cleaning products are used when possible
• trees, plants and floral art primarily use domestically harvested natural wood or cane trunks from sustainably harvested forests with environmentally safe methods
• natural branch products harvested from mature trees promote growth for the natural tree and in turn increases renewability

Our Internal Practices

We believe in sustainable décor options and socially responsible practices to help protect & nourish our planet.

Exciting and memorable decor shouldn’t cost the earth.

Did you know artificial “plantscaping”…

• is regarded as having a positive environmental impact through the reduction in water consumption & harmful pesticides required for both the end user and in nursery production & decorative flower farming?

• reduces carbon footprints by minimizing transportation needs of regular service & replacement of live plants & florals?

Wherever possible, we seek products and services identified as environmentally preferable in our internal practices and our product manufacturing.

Our Internal Initiatives:

• extensive recycling program including paper, cardboard, soft plastics, wood products, mixed containers, batteries, printer toners and non bio materials

• electronic delivery methods for communications whenever possible

• 75% of our team use public transportation for work, meetings and tasks

• filtered water cooler station instead of bottled water

• partnering with transportation companies who utilize bio-diesel fuels, electric, or hybrid vehicles in their fleet

• recyclable and recycled packing materials

• the majority of our rentals occur within the Lower Mainland, thus making use of local resources and reducing environmental  transportation impacts

• open the shades and turn off electrical supplies when not in use: lighting, computer machinery, office electronics, warehouse equipment

• we wear sweaters and keep moving, maintaining fuel and electricity use for heating at a bare minimum.

Green is the New Black!