Kids in the Capital Welcomes Our Newest Sponsor: terra20
/“In this new millennium, as the world’s population soars, it’s up to us to explore a more sustainable, earth-friendly lifestyle. The year 20-something will be the year we get it right.”
Last fall, terra20 opened in Ottawa in the Pinecrest Mall, beside the giant IKEA. terra20, the largest eco-friendly store in Canada, focuses on providing a straightforward, easy-going and enjoyable shopping experience for those who want to both educate themselves about sustainable living and buy strictly eco-friendly products - everything from cosmetics, baby toys, clothing, cleaning products and food. Before writing this piece, I thought it best to visit terra20 and see what they had to offer. I’m definitely glad I did!
terra20 is a big, bright and well-organized space that displays their eco-friendly products clearly along with full explanations of what you are buying. In fact, one of the most helpful features of terra20 is their ethics logos, which tell you about the environmental features of any product on their shelves. The logos, which are on each pricing label, tell you what you get clearly and simply. They represent: high-efficiency (energy / water saving), contains no bunnies (no animal suffering or byproducts), organic, made in Canada, waste reducing (recyclable or biodegradable), free of harmful chemicals, sustainable (products that impact the planet in a positive way), fair trade and green certification (given to products that are certified by verifiable environmental organizations).
There was plenty of staff on hand to answer my many questions. And as a newbie to eco buying and sustainable living, I did have quite a few questions while browsing through their 12,000+ products. Before my visit, I was under the impression that the products would be overpriced and not necessarily worth the specific trip to the store. I was wrong on both accounts.
At the Eco Bar, the largest refill station for household products in North America, the cleaning products were dispensed in 1L, 2L or 4L refillable containers that allowed for bulk shopping. When you bring in your old containers to refill, you receive an in-store discount that allows you to reduce both the cost and the waste. And the variety could not be compared. Even in the cosmetic section, the products were modern, relevant and in colors that I would definitely use.
All in all, I think that terra20 is worth stopping by if you are in the Ottawa area. I like the idea that they have done all their research about green, eco-friendly, bunny-friendly and fair trade products so I don’t have to. terra20 has everything, as long as it’s green and it allows me to focus on what I’m there to do - shop worry free and without thinking in a pleasant and environmentally friendly space. And, of course, the workshops are a plus too!
