The city of Edmonton opened Canada’s first all-natural pool, without any chlorine, this month. Costing CAD 14.4 million to construct, the Borden Natural Swimming Pool uses plankton, a filtration system and aquatic plants to remove contaminants from the water. Natural pools are said to offer a ‘cleaner’ experience, which means that swimmers won’t feel the effects of chlorine (like itchy eyes), and be more energy efficient than a regular pool. In order to prevent pathogens from forming, the Borden pool will be colder than most (23 degrees Celsius versus the common 28–29). Swimmers cannot wear cotton, which can harm the aquatic plants, and must use phosphate-free sunscreen.

This spot was sent to us by our Canada-based twin member Kama Kaczmarczyk, who shared her perspective: “Big corporations are making sustainability a key focus in their operations (think IKEA’s ‘climate positive’ ambitions); here, we see that governments are following suit. And by forgoing chlorine, Canada’s natural swimming pool closes the gap between what’s good for the environment and what’s good for a human being.”

‘To chlorine or not to chlorine’ is a question that’s largely up for debate, but local residents are voting with their feet. And the bigger underlying trend at play is clear: aspirations around environmental sustainability and personal wellness are increasingly one and the same. This convergence of ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘healthy’ isn’t limited to food or cosmetics as perhaps you might expect, but people’s environment too. How could your brand fulfill consumers’ demand for that environmental and physical well-being at the same time?

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