Ecoliving Lab
WHAT
Experiential immersion in healthy space and sustainable solutions
WHERE
Toronto, ON
Understanding that the most impact we can have on this planet, is through the events, and choices we make daily; we at #ecoapt offer you a space that provides options.
Organic personal care products, bidet and TP use, microgreens, and sprouts on-site, healthy, and easily-cleaned material finishes, lots of natural light, and a 5min link to a walking city (or ease of transit); we hope to inspire our visitors to new ways of making some of these choices.
We invite you to look around and see if your next stay in Toronto might be one that can change the way you think about sustainable living under the lens of self-care and your (and you families) well-being. Do these ideas interest or enhance the good choices you are already making in trying to be more sustainable?
Our goal at ecoApt is to make learning fun, and make your sustainable journey and experience special while you tailor what makes sense for you.
WHEN
Jan 2021 to present
To paper towel or not to paper towel? That is the question...
What are the other options available?
We are providing small pieces of fabric, cloth napkins to be precise, for clean-ups and spills.
Paper products, that use trees, and are used once, disposed, hopefully to be composted, are a generation of 'waste'.
These little swatches, once used, go right in the laundry, to be used, again, and again, and again.
The bidet
Not new technology by any stretch, but still a little on the fringe. In Ecoapt, we provide an alternative to using paper products and giving yourself a tushy cleanse.
For beginners, and to inform, allow space and opportunity for engagement, we chose the spa version TUSHY bidet that attaches to a warm water hook up to provide less refreshment and more, relaxation.
All to ask ourselves; do we really need to use, and dispose of, that much paper for our waste? See what a small change you can make, can do for our planet and your TP bill, HERE.
Cleaning products - personal, laundry and spaces
From laundry solutions that don't create unwanted elements in our water systems, or heavy containers to carry, to personal hygiene products that do not toxify your body, ecoApt takes the products your clean yourself and your linens with, and makes sure that it does so without strong fragrance or cleansers.
From your sheets and towels, to your face and hair, we make sure our natural products take care of the job of cleaning without stripping your body or hair of natural oils.
That is important, especially when we are exposed to unnecessary additives next to your biggest organ, your skin.
We also use vinegar, and sodium carbonate (baking soda) to clean and purge your living space, along with steam cleaning of all the surfaces which allows for bacteria free space,without harsh chemicals.
A good rule of thumb when thinking about cleaning without harsh chemicals, is the stronger the smell, the harsher the product. Please read and connect on this LINK to see the recommendations for our most vulnerable and see why this topic is so important to us, and why we want this for you.
Natural light and finishes
When thinking about a new place to explore we offer you some suggestions on keeping your space open and optimistic.
Natural light, direct or diffused, can really help to make a dull day, into one of celebration and peace. We, humans, are attached to our circadian rhythms, and whether we know it or not, our mood, hormones, and reactions are based on understanding what is happening, outside. The temperature of this light also plays a part, from 2700K or warm light for retreat and comfort, to 4000K or blue light for focus and task oriented work, in how we work WITH our systems and not against them. LINK
Sun up or sun down, connection with the rhythms of the day, help to keep us grounded and centered. Windows on all four side of this apt, bring both morning and evening light into your space.
Microgreens, gardening, and tending
Much can be learned from our connection to our food cycle, and the beginnings of growth, are a wonderful place to start to get your toes wet.
From sprouts in your mason jars for crunch to your sandwiches, to microgreens growing in your homemade compost (featured here, and in your apt, should you wish), bringing ourselves back into that cycle allows health and well being to come to forefront of food choice and decisions on what to eat.
At ecoApt, we invite you to use these sprouts/microgreens in your food, and contribute by planting, watering and watching them grow. Combine with this using the compost container for the uneating bits, and feeding the worms in the laundry room, the scraps, closes the loop on food uncertainty and lets you 'take back' some of your food decisions, knowing that you are a part in this, now fully visual cycle.
This doesnt ever take into account the health and taste that this small change can make to meal time.
Buon appetito!
Workspace
Have a calm and quiet space to work is paramount for concentration and effective tasks.
In an open plan, that can be challenging to remove yourself from living and create a new space for 'work'
Utilizing the space adjacent to your closet, we have found you a great space. This will allow for high-speed wifi, some natural light, and power charging, but also giving you the opportunity to have a non-distracted space to connect, work or reach out without the worry of noise.
We also made sure the TV is opposite to this zone and not visual from where you are working, just in case.
Worms, the beginning and the end
Compost is a funny word, but it really is the connecting piece from food waste to food creator. The only difference between the two are our wiggly little friends, oxygen and time. When we collect our food waste, and put it back into the nutrient and food cycle, we get beautiful healthy soil, that gives us back, you guessed it, nutritious and vibrantly healthy food. Whether association or just the act of planting and taking care of our earth, gardening and creating food helps us towards wellness and growth in the most basic ways to survival and health. For EcoApt, you decide if you want worms in your space (the laundry room) if you would like to help them out with oxygen (by turning them) or if you would prefer to allow it to happen outside of your space. The simple task of collecting scraps, starts you on this path, and allows you to decide on your comfort level and engagement.
Wigglers are not for everyone, but we here at ecoApt love them, so we are willing and able to take your scraps and do this for you.
Ecoliving Lab Bookings
175 Canadian dollars- 350 Canadian dollars