Champions Profile: Healthy Hut

This summer, SPUR (Sustainability Partners Uniting Resources) was pleased to welcome a new Champion for the Cochrane Sustainability Plan.  The Healthy Hut joined as a local business committed to achieving the vision of the sustainability plan – and creating a brighter future for the town of Cochrane.

Healthy Hut Owner Lucy Miller recently talked about why sustainability is important to her as an individual and a business owner in Cochrane.

Q:  Why did the Healthy Hut become involved with the Cochrane Sustainability Plan?

A:  The very existence of what the health food industry stands for is to strike a balance between man and nature.  When I was approached there was no question but to take part.

Q:  Why is sustainability important to the Healthy Hut?

A:  The Earth is precious and not necessarily renewable unless we nourish it properly.  The same is true of the human body.   It is only from the Earth that we can be healed — the food we eat, the water we drink, how will this be possible if we reject sustainability?

Q:   What are the main steps Healthy Hut takes to be sustainable?

A:  Three areas come to mind:

• The Healthy Hut recycles everything! Cardboard, plastic, packing fluff, glass, all of it.  We have no more than one bag of garbage out of this building per week.
• It is very important to me that products be Canadian.  As challenging as that is with supplements and government regulations, 70 per cent of my suppliers and manufacturers are Canadian and the products are of the highest quality.
• My motto for the store is “Helping you to help yourself enjoy good health naturally.”  The bottom line is educating people to become responsible for decisions about their own health through the choices we make, the food we eat, the habits we have, and the emotions we keep.

Q:   Why should other Cochrane companies and citizens get involved with the CSP?

A:  This is the ONLY way of the future.  As a community we need to uphold all that is good and right in our treatment of the Earth. In order to have true sustainability we must pioneer against the major wrongdoers and polluters…just say NO to bad manufacturing processes, just say NO to food that’s not only devoid of nutrition, but laden with chemicals that are killing the population, just say NO to toxins invading our soil through manmade means.  I could go on for quite some time on the ways in which we have been destroying our planet — but it is all in what we choose to do.

Q:   What advice do you have for other businesses and organizations that are trying to be more sustainable?

A:  Make your choices wisely.  Take the time to find out who your suppliers are, what they stand for and where they get their raw materials.  Find out what kind of labor practices are going on…and above all educate your customers about what it means to be sustainable.  There’s a lot of “let’s be green” because it’s the thing to do, but check out the real ingredients.