Eco Loka Bonnie Pariser

by Kiki Powers

Have you paid a visit yet to Eco Loka? If not, a wonderful discovery awaits you, especially if you are an environmentally conscious consumer. That’s something we would all ideally aspire to when you consider that, according to Global Citizen, Americans produce 3 times as much garbage as the global average!

Eco Loka began, quite appropriately, as a matter of ecology. Professional yoga instructor Bonnie Pariser had initially opened Yoga Loka in Frenchtown NJ in 2003 to support the community that she loves. As part of the studio had previously been a retail shop, Bonnie used the space to offer a variety of items catering to her yoga clientele. But she had a larger dream, and she would soon enact it.

Bonnie had long envisioned a local refill shop and decided to manifest it by opening one herself. She already had the perfect spot in the Yoga Loka space, and Eco Loka was born. And it fused perfectly with yoga, expressing a life stance of ahimsa, Sanskrit for non-violence—in this case, to our environment.

In creating and running her planet-friendly hybrid business, owner Bonnie Pariser is acting on her passion for sustainable living and conservation. Her business model reflects her understanding that “going green” is not about occasional choices, but rather small, daily actions that become second nature over time.

They say you can’t consume your way to a more sustainable world. But, maybe you can if you do it right, that is. We all need certain daily essentials for our general well-being, and that of our families, and that makes us consumers. But there are many ways to obtain the products we need, as well as what kind of packaging we will accept. Or, whether we will settle for any planet-harming packaging at all!

Eco Loka offers an easy, affordable way to equip yourself and your family with the products you use regularly without also buying environmentally damaging paper or plastic each time. This means that by simply meeting your daily needs, you are also part of the solution, helping to reduce the volume of packaging that ends up in landfills, incinerators, and our precious oceans.

The Eco Loka concept is simple. You either bring in or buy reusable containers of your choice and fill them with the personal care and household items you love. Bonnie carries a wide range of options, many hand-crafted in house, including:

■ Shampoo/conditioner

■ Face & body crèmes/lotions

■ Massage oil

■ Dish soap

■ Laundry detergent

■ Dish soap

■ Shower/bath cleaner

■ Automatic dishwasher powder

■ Oxy Boost stain remover

Eco Loka also specializes in unique gifts, such as lush crèmes and lotions you can customize with aromatic essential oils, as well as lovely natural items crafted on site, such as bath bombs, salt, shower steamers, and more. Your options abound if you wish to cultivate a soothing, relaxing, fragrant atmosphere in your living space, spa, yoga studio, or office. Bonnie’s products are 100% plant-based, free of parabens, chemicals, and other dubious additives, and made from clean, beneficial, natural ingredients to ensure they work as well, or better, than those plastic-encased, mass market products.

Through Eco Loka, Bonnie also nourishes the local community with fun events and gatherings, such as her “make and take” workshop, where she invites guests to assemble personalized “Intention Candles” using soy wax, essential oils, herbs/botanicals, precious stones, and other natural ingredients.

Imagine if all our purchases were ethical and environmentally sustainable. Oh, what a world it could be. So, let’s “be the change we want to see,” one tiny action at a time. Future generations will thank us. Cheers to your eco-friendly life!

Location: 23 Race St., Frenchtown. Store hours: Thurs. 1-6pm; Fri. 1-5pm; Sat-Sun 12noon-5pm. Also, by appointment. For information contact Bonnie at 908-268-7430 (text is best) or EcoLokaNJ@ gmail.com. EcoLoca.shop. See ad, page 29.

Gas Stove Pollution Goes Unnoticed

A new study published in Environmental Science & Technology finds that gas stoves frequently leak dangerous pollutants into the kitchen. A team from PSE Health Energy collected samples from 159 gas stoves across California and sent them to a laboratory for analysis. The researchers found 12 pollutants in total, and four of these gases—benzene, toluene, hexane and m- or p-xylene—were present in 98 percent of the samples. Most of the stoves leaked at least a little, even when they were turned off.

The natural gas used in stoves is comprised mostly of methane and other hydrocarbons and gases. Before it is delivered into homes and business, most of the non-methane gases are removed and a strong-scented chemical is added to alert people to possible leaks. The leaks studied by the California researchers were not substantial enough for people to notice this rotten-egg smell, but they could still expose users to harmful and potentially cancer-causing pollutants. Those with gas stoves are encouraged to turn on their exhaust fans whenever they are in use.

Invasive Wild Hogs Pose Numerous Threats

There are approximately 6 million non-native, feral pigs in the United States. They destroy an estimated $2.5 billion in crops, pastures, forests and livestock each year across 35 states and jeopardize endangered species, including the Florida panther, green sea turtles and red-cheeked salamanders. But their greatest threat may be the potential to carry disease to humans, domesticated hogs and other animals.

The pigs were brought to the Americas from Europe as early as the 1500s. They reproduce quickly, with up to two litters of four to 12 piglets every 12 to 15 months, and can grow to be five feet long and weigh more than 500 pounds.

Feral swine can carry a long list of pathogens, including leptospirosis, brucellosis, swine influenza, salmonella, hepatitis and pathogenic E. coli. The U.S. Department of Agriculture describes swine as a “mixing vessel species”, meaning that they are susceptible to human viruses and have the ability to create novel forms of those diseases. Human risk to known and new pathogens is greater from feral swine than other wildlife due to our proximity to them and their large numbers. Hunters and farmers are at greatest risk. Anyone that handles feral swine should wear rubber gloves and avoid fluid exchanges.

Rebuilding Coral Reefs With Sound

Rapid ocean warming and other effects caused by climate change have stressed and degraded corals around the globe, and scientists have been studying ways to rebuild, manage and conserve these vital ecosystems. A new Australian study published in Journal of Applied Ecology tested whether playing certain sounds underwater at reef restoration sites could boost the recruitment of oysters and enhance their habitat-building activities. Australia’s flat oyster is a key reef-building organism targeted for restoration efforts.

Previous studies had shown that the sound of healthy reefs differs from that of damaged reefs. Using inexpensive marine speakers, the researchers reproduced the sound of a healthy reef at four sites across two of the largest oyster reef restorations in Australia and compared the results to areas that did not receive this soundscape enrichment. The sonically enhanced areas resulted in the presence of more and larger oysters that formed more three-dimensional habitats atop the reef restorations. The scientists propose that the use of marine soundscapes during early stages of new reef restoration projects could reduce the cost of habitat recovery.