WATCH: This Okanagan group wants to help you live a more sustainable life

April is Earth Month. To mark it, we are sharing past coverage of environmental issues.

• Reducing unnecessary consumption through zero waste living
• Over 400 businesses in Okanagan with an element of sustainability
• Ways to cope with eco-anxiety

Climate change and sustainability is a growing topic in today’s world, and very much in the Okanagan, too.

In British Columbia alone, heat waves, flooding, and extreme cold are at the forefront of problems the province has faced this year, leading people to look for ways to preserve the planet.

It can become worrisome, and has even led to a new level of anxiety.

But one local organization is looking to help.

Green Okanagan (GO) is a non-profit dedicated to progressing sustainability at an individual level, and educating the community about how people can live a sustainable lifestyle.

Executive Director, Shayne Meechan, and her co-founder, Kayla Bruce, launched GO after seeing a need in the community to share experiences of journeying towards living more sustainably.

“Initially, it was about introducing the community to the idea of zero waste living, but we’ve really grown it to more about developing sustainability literacy in our community,” Meechan said.

She said the team helps unpack complex issues related to sustainability into ways that people can easily understand and take action.

The GO website has a shop local directory, which has grown to well over 400 businesses throughout the Okanagan that all have an element of sustainability to them.

“We’ve also partnered with schools… on programs that help students understand sustainability, and how they can take action to improve the sustainability of our planet and our community,” Meechan said.

Zero Waste Living

Zero Waste living is all about less being more, Meechan told Kelowna10.

She said it’s not about necessarily getting to zero waste, but rather living in a way that's conscious about the impact you’re having on your community and the planet.

“We all have an impact as individuals, and it’s a really good way for individuals to track and manage their impact from a waste perspective."

A few go-to things Meechan uses for sustainable living include her reusable water bottle, produce and grocery bags.

“It’s not about collecting items that are going to collect dust in your house. It’s about collecting items and bringing items into your life that you're going to use."

She said being a more mindful consumer is imperative.

“You only need to look at the daily news to see how our planet is really facing a lot of challenges because of consumerism,” Meechan said. “I think becoming a conscious consumer, and striving towards living a zero waste lifestyle is going to become increasingly important into the future.”

One local business offering sustainable choices for the community is Chickpeace Zero Waste Refillery.

The company is a zero waste refill store, with a goal to divert single use plastics from the landfill and empower customers to become conscious consumers.

“The planet needs us,” owner Allisha Heidt said. “Our planet is in such a delicate spot right now, and reducing waste is one of the most effective and essential ways that we can preserve our planet."

Heidt’s business tries to support local as much as possible so customers don’t have to wonder where their products are coming from.

“I don’t think that business should be profits over passion. I believe it should be passion over profit, and people over profit, and I think that the business I have created has done just that.”

Eco-Anxiety

As the threat of climate change and environmental disaster increases, so do peoples' worries. This has led to a mental stress known as eco-anxiety.

“The extreme floods, fires, and other environmental disasters that are caused by climate change, are causing a lot of people worries, stress, depression, [and] anxiety,” Meechan said.

She said the way she copes with her eco-anxiety is by getting educated.

“So looking for sources of information that not only share the situation, but also provide opportunities for you to take action, and provide you uplifting stories of all the positive activities that are happening to combat climate change,” Meechan said.