A business in Huntsville called BeeBAGZ has a goal of helping rid the planet of plastic, with the help of bees.
The company had a booth at this year's Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and saw brisk business.
It started as a dream of Kristi MacDonald, owner, and founder, to replace plastics in everyday use.
"We have too much plastic," says longtime employee Heather Pascoe as she worked the Winter Fair booth. "Everyone seems to be getting on board."
BeeBAGZ is a patented bag made of fabric with bee's wax, rosin, and oil, all made and packaged in Huntsville. It is reusable for storing produce.
"Bee's wax is a natural anti-bacterial product," explains Pascoe. "It preserves the food inside the bag."
Each BeeBAGZ product is entirely waste-free, with the beeswax being sourced from sustainable-managed hives and the jojoba oil being certified organic. Down to the package, all material is biodegradable.
"At BeeBAGZ, it is our mission to provide you with socially responsible products that are all-natural and that produce zero waste. With the creation of our bags and wraps, we're actively paving the way to creating mindful communities that counteract plastic pollution and food waste while enhancing lifestyles in a way that is both exciting and enlightening," said MacDonald.
"Having used beeswax wrap for years, I saw an opportunity to further minimize single-use plastic by creating a zero-waste alternative to plastic bags. After scouring the market and realizing it didn't exist, BeeBAGZ was born!"
It's a small company that suffered through COVID but things are picking up again.
"We did have international orders and sent thousands and thousands of bags overseas to Europe," explained Pascoe. "We have a number of companies across Canada that have placed orders as well."
FedNor sponsored a pavilion at the Fair to showcase northern companies. The Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor) is the Government of Canada's economic development organization for northern Ontario.
"The FedNor booth is fantastic," Pascoe exclaimed. "It's been a great support to small businesses, especially to us in the north that don't have the opportunity, don't have the concentrated number of customers as they do in the south, and we're very grateful for the support to enable us to be here."
BeeBAGZ believes that business can be a vehicle for social change, creating a better future for the communities and planet. "Our mission is to inspire others on their journey to sustainable living, one zero-waste product at a time while giving back to the environment in every way that we can."
The company even has a plan for when the bags wear out.
"Repurpose for storage of non-food items, cut into strips and compost, or use as fire starters to light a fire at home or while camping."
