November 22nd, 2012 by TRT Blog

It’s that time of the year again! Delicious, home-cooked turkey will soon be hitting the dining room table, shoppers will start lining up for Black Friday purchases, and most importantly, families and loved ones will come together to reflect on all of the things we have to be thankful for, and how we can better appreciate the things we sometimes take for granted.

For our team, we certainly have a long list of things to be thankful for this year – The Refinishing Touch celebrated its 35 year anniversary, expanded internationally to better service our clients in Canada, and continued to successfully provide hospitality, government and higher education industries with sustainable furniture asset management services.

As you prepare all of the Thanksgiving fixings for later today, we wanted to leave you with some tips for a more sustainable, and just as satisfying, Thanksgiving:

-        Decorate this year’s holiday centerpiece with everyday materials found in nature, including pinecones, dried leaves and berries

-        Buy gallons of water or, better yet, serve tap to reduce the amount of plastic bottle consumption at your celebration

-        Save Thanksgiving Day leftovers to avoid food waste; be creative and reinvent leftover turkey recipes

On behalf of The Refinishing Touch family, we wish you a happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving!

35 year anniversary, Canada expansion, furniture asset management, Happy Thanksgiving, holidays, Sustainability, The Refinishing Touch, turkey

December 23rd, 2011 by TRT Blog

The holiday season has arrived and it’s time to relax, eat good food, and spend quality time with loved ones. Every year at The Refinishing Touch we take to heart the notion, ‘it is better to give than to receive’. We take pride in the work that we do and strive to make sure that every one of our projects continues to benefit our clients for a long time to come.

As we look back on this past year we are thrilled to see that the hospitality, education, and government industries are all dedicated to becoming more sustainable, because there is no better gift than saving the environment.

On behalf of our entire team, The Refinishing Touch wishes you and your loved ones a cheerful, safe, and peaceful holiday season.

environment, holidays, sustainable

November 22nd, 2011 by TRT Blog

The holidays are gaining momentum to full swing. With it come those who are planning to travel to see friends and loved ones. It’s one of the busiest travel periods of the year, and because of that, increased carbon emissions are going to continue to be a large concern. For our refinishing resource this month, we want to pass along some green travel tips so wherever you go this holiday season, you do so responsibly.

1. Be prepared. No matter where you’re going, remember to pack properly and completely. It’s happened to all of us where we begin a trip only to realize we left someone’s laptop or bag behind. Ensuring you’re ready to go when you begin your trip saves not only time but reduces any potential emissions that come from extra trips to pick up what was left behind.

2. Be efficient. If driving is in your future, be sure to rent or use your car efficiently. High MPG cars reduce carbon emissions obviously, but little things such as not charging portable electronics off the car battery and keeping windows up (it’s likely to be cold anyway, so why would the windows be down?) are two ways to improve your car’s efficiency and get the most mileage per tank.

3. Consider alternatives. Not everyone can drive to their holiday destination. If you must travel long distances, consider alternate modes whenever possible. A train ride, while longer, is the scenic route and overall an environmentally safer alternative to cars and planes. When flights are the only option, it’s the little things that add up. Packing lighter, using electronic tickets instead of paper and taking public transportation to the airport are all ways to lessen the emissions and the strain on our environment while getting to where you need to go.

4. Book green hotels. Finally, if you and/or your family are staying in a hotel, be sure to support those that support sustainable initiatives – there are many to choose from. Additionally, work on reducing energy use while you are a guest – switch your lights off when you’re out, re-use your towels wherever reasonable, and unplug chargers when you’re not using them.

We hope that no matter where you’re traveling, you do so safely and efficiently.

carbon emissions, energy efficient, green, holidays, Travel