The impact of human activity on the environment is a pressing issue in our world today. As a business owner and creative in the cake industry, it is my responsibility to examine my practices and implement sustainable strategies to the best of my ability.

At Vanilla Bean Lane, we are committed to reducing our ecological footprint in cake making. While we acknowledge that our business is not flawless, we firmly believe that by being mindful of our impact and continuously striving for improvement, we can contribute to a positive change. Adopting sustainable practices in business operations can be a daunting task, but we draw inspiration from other businesses that have made small changes. We hope that by sharing our own efforts, we can inspire others as well.

Here are some of the sustainability initiatives we have implemented:

1. Minimal impact packaging:

Fortunately, since we personally deliver most of our cakes using sturdy reusable cardboard boxes, we have minimized our packaging waste. For our wedding cake tasting experience, we use eco-friendly tissue paper and recyclable paper, which are placed in outer envelopes to eliminate the need for excessive padding.

2. Considered ingredients:

We prioritize buying seasonal and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. We prefer Ontario dairy produce, free-range eggs, and seasonal berries. Our chocolate is sourced from a local Toronto supplier committed to improving the livelihoods of cocoa farmers. Additionally, we offer a small range of gluten-free options, although decorative choices may be limited.

3. Solar electricity:

We have solar panels that provide a portion of our electricity needs. This allows us to bake cakes powered by the sun. However, we acknowledge that during darker winter days, we still require additional electricity. As part of our future plans, we aim to switch to a green electricity supplier to fulfill the rest of our energy requirements.

Future goals

While we take pride in our efforts to enhance sustainability and make positive changes in our business, we recognize that there is more work to be done. In 2023, some of our goals include:

• Transitioning to a green electricity provider for our remaining energy needs
• Evaluating our ingredients to identify opportunities for further conscious improvements in sourcing raw materials and supplies
• Assessing our processes to reduce waste, such as exploring alternatives to plastic cake dowels and flower picks
• Collaborating with our suppliers to minimize packaging in the goods we purchase

We are eager to learn from other cake and wedding industry businesses. It is through sharing our experiences and ideas that we find inspiration. As Anne Marie Bonneau wisely said, “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”

We welcome your input and encourage collaboration in our collective journey towards a more sustainable future.

Julie x