Helping the world become a better place can feel like a daunting task, but the team at Algoma’s local refillery know that even the smallest changes can make a big impact. Co-founders of Hearterra, Dr. Jody-Lynn Rebek and Angela de Geus, have a vision of helping local residents achieve more sustainable lifestyles without compromising on quality. Hearterra carries healthy high-quality home and personal care products that are available in bulk with little or no packaging.
“We believe that we can all make small changes in our lifestyles that collectively can make big changes happen locally, enriching our lives, bringing us together and helping out the environment around us,” says Jody-Lynn.
How Hearterra Works
Hearterra’s product line is based on sustainability, health, and zero-waste. Whenever possible, products are offered in bulk and sold in clean, reused containers. All other products are packaged using sustainable materials.
“We offer sanitized reused jars for refilling many of our products and encourage people to bring their own clean containers. We work hard to minimize the creation of garbage by buying in bulk from suppliers that have their own refill programs; we recycle plastics, paper and cardboard and we purchase Terracycle bins for plastics that are not recyclable locally,” explains Angela.
Jody-Lynn continues, “We do research on each product in the store and can help our customers make choices about products that are healthy for them, for the community, and for the environment. We also hold educational workshops to help residents learn more about the environment and how they can make a difference by preparing locally made products.”
Making Big Goals a Reality
Angela and Jody-Lynn’s goals might seem big, but they both realize that seemingly small changes can make a powerful impact for both the local community and the world.
“Hearterra’s vision is to enrich life and revitalize the natural environment. We work to design simple, fresh, and convenient practices for sustainable consumption,” says Jody-Lynn. “Our mission is to encourage happy, healthy living and zero-waste lifestyles. We do this through acting and operating based on our values.”
To help keep their business practices aligned with their values, the pair uses the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals as a blueprint. These goals outline ways in which individuals, organizations, and governments around the world can focus their decisions in order to achieve a better world for everyone. Angela and Jody-Lynn focus on a number of the UN’s goals in their business, including responsible consumption and production, clean water and sanitization, sustainable communities, and climate action. Basing their business practices on these broader goals allows the Hearterra team to ensure that they are always moving forward with intention.
Actions We All Can Take
At the core of Hearterra is community and they are determined to provide local residents with opportunities to help make the world a better place. In addition to their sustainable product lines, Hearterra also offers workshops that teach sustainable practices in a wide range of areas.
Jody-Lynn and Angela believe that knowledge is power, especially when it comes to choosing which products we purchase and use.
“One thing we can all do when we make a purchase or consume a product is learn about the full life cycle of that product. How was it produced? How is it packaged and what happens to the packaging? Where did the product come from? Is it healthy for me and my community? Once I am done with it, where will it go? Could it cause harm to the environment?” says Jody-Lynn. “Our team at Hearterra works hard to think about these important questions and to help our community make choices that can improve our lives and our environment easier.”
Angela adds, “It is important for us all to remember that every journey begins with the first step. Take that first step into Hearterra and start your journey to make a small change in lifestyle, learning from others in the community who are on their journey, and making changes locally to help the environment in ways that make sense for each of us. Hearterra is on this journey too - we can help!”
If you are interested in joining the team, Hearterra is currently looking to hire a Small Business Green-Up Project Manager. Check out the job posting here.
For more information about how you can help make a positive impact in the world, visit Hearterra online, call (705) 910-9514, or stop by their shop at 112 March Street.