really hard questions

  • You're a big box retailer, how can you really be green?
    • We know we aren’t perfect, but we’ve done our best to strive for a store that incorporates as many green building materials as we can, and provides the broadest range of natural, organic and sustainable products for you to explore. By creating a larger one-stop location for green products, we feel that there is an efficiency in the movement of goods for both the customer and the vendors - less travel and less fuel consumed. We are also talking to you, our customer. Do you have an idea that can help make our retail model greener? All suggestions are welcome.
  • Why is your store not a LEED certified building?
    • LEED certification is just that, a certificate. However, it’s also a certificate that costs thousands of dollars. If you look at the green and sustainable building materials that were incorporated into the construction and design of our store, many of them meet LEED criteria. Instead of putting aside the funds for LEED certification, we’ve used that money to purchase more green products for our customers. We believe that it is just as important, if not more so, to ensure that you have more eco-friendly products to choose from.
  • You claim your ecobar is green, but you are using plastic bottles, what gives?
    • We are reusing plastic bottles. (By the way, virtually all products we carry in personal care, cosmetics and cleaning come in plastic bottles.) Our goal is twofold, one is to reduce the amount of water that is shipped in traditional products by mixing them on site, and two is to reduce the amount of plastic that finds its way to the landfill.
  • Why do you carry products from Burt's Bees, which is owned by Clorox?
    • At terra20, we feel it is important to support all companies that create more sustainable and healthier consumer products. The more we can get greener goods into the marketplace, the more we can influence the mass market to explore healthier options. That’s better for people and better for the planet.
  • Are you concerned about putting smaller local green companies out of business?
    • We are concerned about ensuring that green products go mainstream. As they do, everyone in the green industry should benefit.
  • If you're really a green retailer, why do/don’t you carry ______ ?
    • Honestly, we want to hear about which products you have concerns with as well as which alternatives you feel are better. If you have opinions about any the items we carry, we’d love to know what they are. This informs our vendor partners so that they can make better products, based on consumer feedback. Send us your suggestions here and be sure to review our products online.
  • Isn't it inherently un-eco-friendly to encourage consumption, and shouldn't you encourage people to not buy anything at all?
    • Like you, we feel that everyone must do their part to reduce consumption. At terra20, we are encouraging change to healthier and more sustainable alternatives. We actively look for products that have less packaging, help conserve energy and reduce waste. Many products have multiple uses that also help diminish consumption.
  • Shouldn't an eco-store be located in a place that people can very easily walk, bike, or bus to?
    • Yes, ideally, we agree. As a start-up we need to be very aware of our costs, and large commercial location in the downtown area was not feasible. As terra20 grows in the future, we hope to build many more retail stores. We will constantly look for locations that are as convenient as possible. In the meantime, we’ll keep walking, cycling and using public transit as much as we can.
  • Wouldn't it be more eco-friendly to have only local products in your store?
    • We want to support as many vendors as we can that create great green products. We also do our best to support as many local green product vendors as we can. If you are a local manufacturer of green products, we want to hear from you.
  • Even though I could use some of the new eco-friendly plastic resealable containers you offer, what can I do with my old, well-used Tupperware without throwing it into a landfill?
    • Change has to be made at an individual level and choices have to be made. If you choose to make the switch to newer, more eco-friendly plastic containers, try to find alternative uses for your old stuff. You can use them to organize small hardware items, sewing notions or other household goods that find their way into drawers and, inevitably, get in the way.
  • What is your process for researching a product? How can I trust your research?
    • At terra20, our buyers are seasoned sceptics! We dig deep to ensure that any claims can be backed up by verifiable research and support documentation. The terra20 vendor agreement is incredibly detailed; for example, we have an extensive banned ingredients list and all products must pass through a rigorous screening process. We want to ensure that our vendor partners are as committed and transparent to the customer as we are!
  • Why are green products more expensive than 'regular' products?
    • Products made from organic, natural, sustainable and recycled materials are generally more expensive due to lack of scale in manufacturing and raw materials. At terra20, we strive to influence the mass market in the hope that increased consumer demand will result in more sustainable products and better prices for everyone.
  • Is it true that terra20 aspires to be an eco-friendly version of Walmart?
    • Absolutely not. This is not terra20's ambition, stated or otherwise; this comparison emerged from the media's attempt to categorize terra20. terra20 is not a big box discount retailer, and seeks to complement existing small businesses.

      We like to think we're creating an entirely new category of retail, but if a comparison must be made, terra20 is being modelled more closely after chains which have successfully created business models within which employees are knowledgeable, customer feedback is highly valued and acted on, and products are sourced with ethics in mind.
  • I've heard that bamboo may not be as eco-friendly as it seems - what's the story, and why does terra20 carry it?
    • Solid bamboo wood (the kind used in flooring, cutting boards, and furnishings) is fine, especially if it comes from Forest Stewardship Council-certified forests, unless it’s bound together with formaldehyde-releasing glues. According to Ecoholic Adria Vasil, bamboo rayon is not as eco-friendly as organic cotton or hemp, but definitely wins out over polyester/acrylic/nylon/spandex/other petroleum-based fabrics, and conventional cotton. Bamboo fabric is a cost-effective and readily available option for those seeking to improve their wardrobe's eco footprint, relative to conventional apparel.

      Fabric bamboo admittedly can require a lot of chemicals for processing, however some bamboo manufacturers are borrowing cleaner processing techniques from Tencel/lyocell, or use a closed loop processing system that recovers the chemicals and recycles them for further use. Several of terra20’s apparel suppliers use a closed loop process, including Miik and Eco Apparel®.
  • Why do some of terra20’s products come from China or India?
    • There are two main reasons that terra20 works with distributors or vendors that offer sustainable products from these countries.

      1) Our mission is to bring green to the mainstream. We want to make it easy for everyone to shop for healthier options and, in order to do so, we need to offer varying price points. While we carry as many local and Canadian products as we can, we also search the world for quality items that are made to the highest standards under ethical working conditions. These goods offer real value to our customers.

      2) The second reason is that by supporting eco and sustainable practices from China and India we engage and support these environmentally aware private companies that are working to change the status quo. We enable more responsible, sustainable manufacturing practices, which furthers living conditions, education and better health.

      We think that this mix of local and global helps make the world a better place.
  • Why can’t I use my own refillable bottle at the ecobar?
    • We believe in reducing the number of bottles that end up in the landfill, which is why the ecobar exists and why we offer a credit when people return their terra20 ecobar vessels.

      Unfortunately there are a few reasons why we can’t permit our guests’ bottles to be used as part of the ecobar program. We have selected the current ecobar vessels to match the products that they hold; if an inappropriate bottle is used and it fails, it raises the question of product liability. Along the same vein, if there is chemical residue in a bottle and a reaction occurs when ecobar products are added, there is a possibility of a harmful gas being released.