We want to leave our community and our planet better than we found them, here are a few ways we're accomplishing that.
With your help, we've planted over 16,500 trees and contributed to gender equality and landscape stability.
Deforestation is a widespread and chronic issue facing our global economy. Plants and forests are like the ligaments that connect landscape ecosystems, they contribute to nutrient cycles, move and retain water, sequester carbon, sustain biodiversity, and provide important food and animal resources.
In many underdeveloped and exploited countries, these ecosystems have all but been demolished, leaving landscapes barren and communities devoid of sustenance.
Our partnership with Eden Reforestation Projects connects us to communities around the world.
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Eight project countries
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241,150 hectares of land under direct management of local communities
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Thousands of individuals employed and paid equally across many underserved geographies.
How do they accomplish this?
Eden uses a bottom-up approach to reforestation by connecting with local communities and building relationships with locals leaders who guide and drive reforestation efforts. This means that power is placed back into the hands of these locals to manage and restore their land while providing for their communities and families.
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They focus on using scientifically backed Landscape Restoration practices to provide a holistic approach to reforestation and conservation practices. Ecosystems are restored to provide both environmental and socioeconomic benefits, ensuring sustainable management and growth of both ecosystems and communities.
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To ensure ongoing success, Eden conducts monitoring and evaluation to verify that reforestation approaches are effective. Assessments are completed pre-, during, and post-intervention activities to ensure that the work that is done is evidence-based and tailored to the needs of each individual project and community.
Diverting containers from landfills and waste streams is accomplished every time you refill at the shop.
Repurposing and reusing containers to fill with bulk products reduces their carbon footprint and reliance on single use plastics.
With the help of customers like you, we've diverted more than 11,000 single use containers from the landfill!
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In 2022 we totaled 3,399 containers
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In 2023 we totaled 5,064 containers
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This year to date we're at 1,700 and counting!
Did you know that we also have free in-store "Banks" for bottles and bags?
These banks are stocked by customer donations and make it possible for us to offer free bottles and bags for anyone who might need them. ​​They also help give containers and bags otherwise headed to the landfill or recycling plant a new life.
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We accept glass, metal, AND plastic containers for our bottle bank.
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Though plastic containers may not be very pretty to look at, we purposefully accept them for our Bottle Bank because plastic is one of the hardest materials to recycle, so the longer we can use a plastic container the lower its carbon footprint becomes. Read more about what containers we can and can't accept (and what shape they need to be in) here.​
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We'll take paper, canvas, mesh, and drawstring bags that are in good shape and can be reused.
We make a conscious decision to prioritize accessibility when it comes to our product selection and prices.
We believe that in order to make long lasting sustainable changes in our communities, refillable options should be made as available as possible to everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status or income. This means that we search for products that are affordable eco-friendly alternatives to their box store counterparts. For example - did you know that our cheapest laundry detergent option is only $0.09 per load?!
While not all of our bulk options are as cheap as you will find at Wal-Mart, most of them are designed to last longer and are made with cleaner ingredients that aren't damaging to your health or the environment. Many of our plastic free alternatives like silicone bags and bowl covers cost more up front than their single use counterparts, but will last upwards of 5-10 years. This means that you will actually save significantly more over the course of the product's lifespan.
We know that these transitions can be a bit confusing and overwhelming; our sales associates are always happy to help you find the best fit for your lifestyle and needs. Our commitment to you and our community is that we will always do our best to get you paired with the right product and we will never prioritize profit over sustainability.
We realize that cost can still be a factor for many people, so we offer a few discounts to help bridge the affordability gap.
Student Discount
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If you're a highschooler or college student with a valid student ID you'll get 10% off your entire purchase
WIC/EBT
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If you're eligible for WIC and EBT benefits in MN, just show us your card and you'll get 35% off your entire purchase.
Are we missing anyone?
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If you know of an accessibility gap that we can help bridge, just shoot us an email with your idea and we'll see if we can factor it in!
