As a great eighth-grade geography teacher once said, there are no silly questions.
We mean that our products are made from plants. Just plants. Lots of plants. While we don’t advocate any one style of eating or drinking -- except finding a balance that works for you -- we strive to make it simple and delicious to indulge in more plants, more often. Placing plants at the centre of the plate (and bowl, glass, etc.) is one of the most powerful levers that we as individuals have on our long-term health and that of our planet. For more on this subject, check out our love letter to the plant kingdom: The Greenhouse Cookbook.
Yes. We make our drinks from organic produce, meaning plants that are grown without chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Our commitment to organic ingredients is rooted in our support of sustainable, non-toxic growing practices, and the healthy soil and healthy crops these practices yield.
We are vertically integrated, and our production facility is regularly audited by Pro-Cert, the organic certifying body that allows us to put the “Canada Organic” seal on our labels. The only bottled beverage of ours that is not certified organic by Pro-Cert is Blue Lemonade. This is because the spirulina extract in Blue Lemonade (an antioxidant-rich blue-green algae) is grown in water, not soil, and under current rules it is not eligible for Canadian organic status. The spirulina we use is USDA Organic though, and the other ingredients in Blue Lemonade (cold-pressed lemon, maple syrup, and plant-based probiotics) are all organic too, so it’s nothing to feel too blue about.
During the Ontario growing season, from late summer through to the first frost, the majority of our ingredients are locally sourced. In the depths of winter, or when it comes to more exotic ingredients like citrus and pineapple, we are careful to source our ingredients from organic farmers who care as much about the quality of their produce and the size of their environmental footprint as we do.
More on this from our blog:
Field Guide to Our Local Produce
Which of Our Ingredients Are Local Right Now?
Between California and Hawaii, just beneath the surface of the North Pacific Ocean, floats a patch of garbage that is estimated to cover 1.6 million square kilometers (an area the size of the province of Quebec). Much of it is plastic.
Glass lasts longer than plastic and is not porous like plastic, so you can wash it and reuse it over and over again, without losing its shape or absorbing colours or odours.
Furthermore, studies have shown that chemicals used in even the safest kinds of plastic bottles break down and leach into whatever they are carrying, especially if the bottle is exposed to heat or sunlight. We think it would be counterproductive to painstakingly press a live juice that is as good for you as possible, only to serve it in a container that changes its quality (and not for the better).
Okay, enough moralizing for today——time to point out the obvious: Glass is also nicer to drink from than plastic. Don't you think?
Cold pressing is the healthiest way we know of to make juice. It means using hydraulic pressure to extract liquid from plants without denaturing enzymes or damaging nutrients with high levels of heat or oxidation. Our hydraulic presses coax every colourful, delicious drop of juice from our organic ingredients while keeping their health-giving properties intact.
Our juices are raw: they are extracted and bottled at cold temperatures. They are unpasteurized. We do not treat them with high pressure processing (HPP).
Pasteurization is a process whereby a food or drink product is brought to a very high temperature for a short period of time, and then immediately cooled down. This process kills off potentially harmful bacteria and slows the microbial growth that causes things to go bad, thereby reducing the risk of contamination and increasing shelf life. Pasteurization has many positive applications. However, when it comes to fruits and vegetables, it can kill off healthy life forms along with harmful ones.
HPP, sometimes called high pressure pascalization, is an alternative to pasteurization. Instead of heat, this process uses pressure to prolong shelf life. During HPP, sealed plastic bottles of juice are placed in a large machine and subjected to extreme pressure transmitted by water. This technique extends a juice's best-before date by up to 90 days. It is energy-intensive and requires that juice be bottled in plastic, because the degree of pressure applied would shatter glass bottles.
We use neither process on our juices. Instead, we use our own process, which we’ve named light filtration.
“Light filtration” means using a specific type of cold, ultraviolet light to filter potentially harmful bacteria from our products to make them safer (by achieving a 5-log reduction in microorganisms) and give them extra days of natural life while keeping the good stuff, like taste, nutrients, and enzymes, intact.
We developed this unique, gentle process over two years with the support of the Canadian Ministry of Agriculture’s AgriInnovation Program. Health Canada worked with us to verify side-by-side nutritional comparisons of our juices before and after light filtration. These demonstrate that the nutritional integrity of our ingredients remains entirely intact.
Furthermore, light filtration uses less energy than pasteurization or HPP, and allows us to bottle in reusable, recyclable glass bottles.
More on this from our blog:
Light filtration gives us a 5-log reduction in microorganisms, meaning that it significantly reduces the opportunity for spoilage-causing microbes to multiply. However, our juices are not exposed to heat at any point during processing. If you are avoiding raw products, please consult with your doctor before determining whether consuming raw, unpasteurized juice is safe for you.
Yes! Our beverages must be stored in the fridge (preferably at 4°C or under) at all times. If they’ve been sitting out for a while and/or are not cold to the touch, proceed with caution.
We believe our juices taste best fresh from the fridge, however if you wish to freeze them to enjoy at a later date, you'll need to transfer them from the glass bottle they come in to a more giving receptacle as freezing the juice will cause it to expand a fair amount which could cause the glass to break.
As a general rule, you can expect products ordered from our website to remain fresh for 10+ days, with some exceptions (some of our boosters, Celery Juice, and our House Exclusives have shorter lives). Our longest shelf-life beverages are our Kombuchas. They are fermented and typically last for months, so feel free to stock up. Every product has a “Best Before” date stamped on the label: please take a look at the date before drinking.
For our larger bottles, we recommend consuming them within 5 days of opening and to avoid drinking directly from the bottle to help them stay fresh longer.
Striving for sustainability in every facet of the business is central to our mission. Concern for our footprint factors into every decision we make as a company. For example:
1) All of our products are plant-based. The world’s food system accounts for between 25% and one third of the greenhouse gasses humans generate each year, and livestock alone accounts for 14.5%. That’s roughly the same amount as the emissions from all of the cars, trucks, airplanes, and ships in the world today. Eating more plants is an important lever that we as individuals have on our collective carbon footprint.
2) Our beverages are certified organic. Our commitment to using organic produce in our products is rooted in our support of sustainable, non-toxic growing practices, and the healthy crops these practices yield. We purchase a large proportion of our produce directly from local, organic farms, prioritizing “seconds,” or the misshapen vegetables and fruits that often end up in landfills.
3) During the growing season, we send the fibrous byproduct of our fruit and vegetable juices back to local farms where it is then used as compost to help new crops grow. We are also in the process of developing products with partner businesses that upcycle this organic fibre, further reducing waste. This currently includes plant-based dog treats by Heal Doggy and Earth Pup (in 2020, we sent Earth Pup 882 pounds of celery pulp for their treats!).
4) For all of our products we strive to select environmentally-friendly packaging options, keeping the waste disposal capabilities of our municipality in mind.
5) In every stage of developing our production facility, we have sought to be as energy efficient as possible. For example, our decision to use light filtration rather than thermal pasteurization or HPP has a significant impact on our energy use. Our light filtration method uses only 6 kilowatt hours (kW) of energy to treat 1000 L of juice. Treating the same quantity of juice with thermal pasteurization would require more than 5x as much energy (33 kilowatt kW), and treating it with HPP would require over 30x more energy (190 kW). Our refrigerated processing and packaging rooms are also outfitted with an energy efficient system that uses ambient air to provide refrigeration instead of solely relying on compressors powered by electricity. (We’re always keen to find a silver lining to Toronto’s many months of winter!) And because so much of our plant is refrigerated, we installed a white roof with a high reflective index in order to reduce the building’s cooling requirements.
We like using them as water bottles, on-the-go smoothie containers, mini vases, spice jars, pen holders, and odds-and-ends organizers.
To recycle at home or on the go, please rinse your bottle and place it into you Blue Bin. Our caps are also recyclable, but should be unscrewed from the bottle first and recycled separately.
If you live near our stores in Toronto, you can rinse your glass 300 mL, 340 mL, and 946 mL bottles and bring them to several of our locations for points through our app.
Please Note: At this time, we are asking that you try to limit your returns to 20 rinsed bottles per visit, per day.
How astute of you to ask! Almost everything we make is helpful for a hangover: hydration and easily absorbed nutrients are useful after a big night. Blue Lemonade, Gatsby, and The Good are all good friends to have the next morning. Here are some blog posts on the subject:
It’s true that some highly processed juices contain little to none of the natural goodness of the fruits and vegetables from which they derive, but all of the sugar (and often more added on top of that). Our lightly processed, vegetable-forward juices, on the other hand, are formulated to keep sugars low. And the naturally occurring sugars in the juices that we extract from our minimally processed ingredients are accompanied by easily absorbed nutrients from our cold-pressed ingredients -- so you get a lot more than a quick rush.
If you are looking to avoid sugar altogether, we recommend trying The Good, The Giver, and Chia Seed Hydrator, none of which contain any sweet fruit.
You can hear more about our thoughts on sugar by watching our appearance on CBC.
The nutritional information for each of our products can be found at the bottom of each product page in our online store.
You are quite right——we do offer an array of made-to-order Superfood Smoothies, in addition to grab-and-go food items, in some of our shops. Visit our locations page to find out which stores have Smoothie Stations and Plant-Based Bites.
No, we cannot make a “nut free” guarantee.
We process almonds and other tree nuts in the same facility as our bottled beverages. This facility is Safe Quality Foods (SQF) Level II certified, which includes rigorous protocols for the segregation of allergens and the avoidance of cross contamination. However, as our bottled products say on the labels, they may contain traces of tree nuts.
Furthermore, while we do not process peanuts in our production facility, our stores with Smoothie Stations do use peanut butter as an ingredient, meaning that our smoothies may contain traces of peanuts (and almost all of them are made with Almondmilk).
We’re cropping up in new places across Canada every day! Please consult the list of Partner Stores on our locations page to find your closest grocery store, café, or restaurant that carries Greenhouse.
We are very excited to be delivering in a few different regions now, including Ontario's Tri-City Area and Vancouver!
We press all of our juices in Toronto, before transporting them to drop to your door. The added operational costs of transportation to areas a little further afield means that we are not able to offer the same shipping rates in all areas.
Kombucha is a fermented beverage produced by fermenting sweetened tea with live cultures. Some of these live cultures are good for your gut and many are probiotic. Inside each of us is a microbiome, or a community of bacteria. The live cultures in probiotics help the "good bacteria" to thrive. These good guys assist in breaking down our food, producing vitamins, and crowding out the "bad guys," or sickness-causing bacteria. A healthy gut has been linked to improved digestion, weight management, healthy skin, strengthened immunity, and improved mood.
Our family of Probiotic Hydrators provide additional low-sugar options if you are looking for extra gut support.
You can register for our loyalty program in-store and start collecting points right away.
The program works like this: for every dollar spent in one of our brick-and-mortar stores, you receive 10 points in your account. For every rinsed-out bottle you return, you receive 100 points. At 2,000 points (or roughly 12 bottles bought and returned) you receive a bottle on the house! The more you return, the bigger the rewards — rack up 4,000 points in a 30-day period and you'll level up, unlocking the option of a free made-to-order Smoothie each time you hit the 2,000 points mark.
At this time, our ecommerce platform and loyalty program exist as separate entities. We are working on connecting them in time for 2022, but for the moment, online orders won't contribute to your points total. If you live in Toronto, you will still collect 100 points for every rinsed bottle left out for our delivery team.
Lucky you! We'll begin answering your question with a question of our own - did you receive a physical card or a digital one (emailed/printed out)?
If you have a physical plastic gift card, this is, for the time being, only redeemable in our physical stores.
If your gift card is digital, this can be redeemed on your next home delivery order from our website. Simply enter the gift card number in the promo code box at the payment stage of the checkout process.
If you have a physical card, a member of staff in our brick-and-mortar stores can look up the remaining balance for you on your next visit.
If your card is a digital one, send us an email at hello@greenhouse.ca with your card number, and we'll get back to you with the current available balance.
We’ve changed our larger, multi-serving 946ml beverage packaging to one of the
most sustainable cardboard packaging, which is made from renewable materials,
primarily plant-based paperboard sourced from Forest Stewardship Council™
(FSC™)-certified forests, and lined with plant-based polymers made from
sustainably sourced sugarcane.
We are keeping glass bottles for our 300ml single-serve juices and shakes since
many of our customers prefer to have this as an option.
We’re always looking for new ways to provide you with sustainable, accessible
options to add plant-based nutrition and wellness into your daily routine — and this
is just another step towards our mission.
Our new cartons are made from renewable materials, primarily plant-based
paperboard sourced from Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC™)-certified forests, and
lined with plant-based polymers made from sustainably sourced sugarcane.
The use of renewable materials and plant-based polymers reduces our carbon
footprint significantly compared to traditional packaging materials. Plus, our cartons
are lightweight and collapsible, making transportation and storage more efficient.
Our new packaging uses 87% less plastic than PET bottles and 71% less carbon
footprint than PET bottles.
Yes, our cartons made with plant-based plastics are recyclable and can be
processed in the same recycling stream as traditional post-consumer cartons.
Cleansing is a way of clearing the clutter from your system, and pressing reset. It can help you take stock of your current nutritional habits, and determine where there is room for improvement. Done properly, a cleanse can improve your digestion and charge you with renewed (and renewable) energy. We offer three tiers of cleanses (outlined here), that you can follow for a single day, or for as many days as you wish. We recommend one to three days for a first cleanse. You should emerge from your cleanse clear-headed, light on your feet, and with a new spring in your step.
No, we are not doctors. This is not a medically guided cleanse. Please consult your doctor if you are concerned about whether a cleanse would be safe for you.
We don’t believe that cleansing is ideal for everyone. We do not recommend cleansing if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or under 18 years of age. If you have a medical condition, are on prescription medication, or have any doubts about whether cleansing would be safe for you, we strongly advise that you speak with your doctor.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a quick fix in the nutrition world; day-to-day habits are the most important determinant of long-term results. If you enter a cleanse with the mindset that it’s a quick, isolated event that will result in long-term magic, it may well prove disappointing. We recommend looking at it as a way to instigate positive changes that will result in long-term benefits. Cleansing allows us to examine what we put into our bodies and how it makes us feel. This can lead to conquering cravings, identifying foods we may be sensitive to, and establishing new habits that can help us feel our best in the long term.
Absolutely not! We’re big advocates of what we call recreational juicing. We define this as drinking juice whenever the mood strikes, because it tastes good, it makes you feel good, and it’s good for you. Replacing your mid-morning or mid-afternoon coffee or snack with a green juice is a very sustainable way to begin integrating juicing into your daily rhythm.
We recommend using the days leading up to your cleanse to prepare your body for this change by phasing out processed foods, added sugar, refined flour, alcohol, dairy, and red meat three to five days before you begin. We also suggest eliminating or reducing caffeine intake. If the prospect of going a few days without coffee is making you jumpy, try switching to green tea or matcha during the pre-cleanse. It sounds draconian, we know, but the more work you do before your cleanse the easier you will find it, and the more transformative the results will be.
During this “pre-cleanse” period, make fresh vegetables the centerpiece of each meal. Snack on nuts and seeds, and anchor your veggies with healthy fats, legumes, and whole grains like brown rice and quinoa. Drink plenty of water, and begin introducing one to three juices (particularly green juices) into your daily routine. Looking for some recipe inspiration? Visit our blog for a host of plant-based, nutrient-rich recipes that are perfect for your pre-cleanse period. Here are some of our other favourite recipe blogs:
Oh She Glows The First Mess Rawcology Deliciously Ella Minimalist Baker
We know that going one or more days without solid food is a daunting prospect. Any trepidation you might feel at the outset is entirely normal. However, we believe that this will be far easier and more enjoyable than you fear. Our cleanses are designed to flood your body with nutrients in a delicious, convenient format, and our goal is to offer you as painless and rewarding an experience as possible.
If you feel hungry during your cleanse, there is no rule against eating something! Please remember: this is a set of guidelines, not a strict regime. We recommend something simple like vegetable soup, a handful of nuts and/or seeds, steamed vegetables, or a green smoothie. Take cues from your body, and do what feels right for you.
Yes. There is no need to spend the duration of your cleanse sprawled on a settee with cucumber slices over your eyes (unless you can and want to). If you prepare yourself properly and ease into it, you should be able to go about your normal life. However, do schedule your cleanse at a time when you can listen to your body’s needs and follow them. Your busiest and most stressful week of the year would not be the ideal time for a cleanse!
Yes: the order of each cleanse is outlined in the Cleanse Guide. Each drink serves a purpose: a Probiotic Hydrator helps to wake you and your metabolism up first thing in the morning, and set your digestion on the right path; green juices charge you with nutrients for your day; Almondmilk satiates you when you may be feeling peckish; Fiery Ginger provides vitamin C; root-based juices ground you toward the end of your day; and Chia Seed Hydrator helps with elimination, and gives you a feeling of fullness before bed. Having said all that, if you do not want to finish one of your juices, or if you feel the need for some Almondmilk at 10am, listen to those signals! Again, think of our cleanse guide as a set of suggestions, not as a strict regime.
Yes. Staying hydrated while cleansing is extremely important. Drink water between each of your juices.
Afraid not. Mean, we know! But hear us out—part of the goal of a cleanse is to give our systems a break from these delightful but not always helpful liquids. If the prospect of going a few days without coffee is making you jumpy, try switching to green tea or matcha during the pre-cleanse; this should help you transition into the intervening cleanse phase.
We don't recommend it. (Come on, you knew we were going to say that!)
Yes! Drink herbal tea throughout the day. This is especially advisable if it is chilly outside. You may find that cleansing causes your inner thermometer to drop, and it’s important to keep yourself warm. Our cleanse guide contains some of our favourite cleanse-supporting herbs to sip on.
Yes, it is good to keep moving while you are cleansing, but take it easy. You may find that you have a great deal of energy, but be careful not to overdo it. Try replacing high-intensity cardio with a walk, a swim, or a restorative yoga class.
We do not believe that there is a one-size-fits-all answer to this question. It depends on factors including your age, your current level of health, and the amount of time you plan to be spending outdoors during your cleanse. If you do decide to cleanse before spring has fully sprung, be sure to wear cozy layers (including a scarf!), sip herbal tea, and keep yourself warm.
You should ease out of your cleanse in the same way that you eased into it. That means keeping processed foods, refined flour and sugar, alcohol, caffeine, dairy, and red meat out of your diet for at least the first few days (or as long as possible), and prioritizing vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and nuts.
Your first few meals should be small and easy to digest, such as a smoothie for breakfast, a light salad or a vegetable soup for lunch, and steamed vegetables with some quinoa or brown rice for dinner. Eat slowly, and chew carefully. Drink lots of water, and continue drinking one to three juices per day. Take your cleanse as an opportunity to shed old habits and form healthy new ones. You’ll feel better for it.
Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate substitutions to our pre-set cleanse programs. If you would like to create a custom cleanse or partial cleanse, please fill your crate with selected juices and Plantmilks and proceed to checkout.
We’re here for you! Write to us at hello@greenhouse.ca, call us at (416) 277-0679, or visit us in-store.
We deliver 2- and 3-day cleanses in one delivery.
*NOTICE: Greenhouse Juice Co. is NOT licensed to practice medicine; we are NOT a medical doctor; we do NOT give medical advice; this is NOT medical advice. If you need medical advice, please seek out a professional medical doctor; nothing on this website shall be construed as medical advice. DISCLAIMER: It is advisable to seek professional [medical] advice prior to initiating any new regimen. Greenhouse Juice Co. is NOT a medical organization and neither Greenhouse Juice Co. nor its employees and/or staff can give any medical advice or diagnosis. Any/All information garnered from Greenhouse Juice Co. shall NOT be interpreted as a substitute for medical advice or a doctor’s consultation, evaluation or treatment
Due to the popularity of our Cleanses, sometimes we need to make substitutions for like beverages in your order. This does not impact the integrity of the Cleanse as we always select beverages with as similar a nutrient profile as possible.
We do a large number of our home delivery drops in the wee hours of the morning, but don’t worry — we don’t expect you to set an alarm for us. We won’t ring the doorbell unless you’ve expressly asked us to do so. All of our products are packaged in delivery boxes with ice packs to keep the juice cool for a few hours — just don’t leave them on your stoop all day, especially if it’s hot. Because our juices are raw, they must be kept at or below 4°C at all times, so please refrigerate them once you’re awake, or as soon as you get home.
Of course! We simply ask that you leave drop-off instructions that are as detailed as possible in the Delivery Instructions section of the checkout. If you’d like your order left with a concierge or building manager, or if our driver will require a buzzer code to gain access to your apartment or office building, please let us know.
Unfortunately not. During checkout, you will be prompted to select a delivery window. Your order will arrive within this window. Because our delivery team members cover a lot of ground in a short period of time, their routes are mapped according to efficiency; unfortunately, this means that we cannot promise that your order will arrive at a specific time within the specified window.
We are sorry to disappoint you, friend, but our delivery routes run on a tight schedule, and thus do not allow for any deviations. However, we are always working to expand our reach; please send us an email at delivery@greenhouse.ca if you would like to see your neighbourhood added to our map! In the meantime, you are most welcome to place a pre-order for pick up at any of our shops next time you are in the neighbourhood. Visit our locations page to select your preferred shop, and then give our store team a shout. They’d be happy to help. Psst! You can also take a glance at our Partner Stores — we are listed in many stores beyond the GTA (and even beyond Ontario).
That’s a very generous idea! We highly encourage the gifting of juice, and we’d be happy to help you shower your friends and family with healthy gifts, and commemorate any and every occasion. Simply enter the name and delivery address of your lucky recipient at checkout, and we’ll help you spread some good cheer. If you’d like us to be the ones to alert your giftee to the presence of juice on his or her doorstep, please send us an email at delivery@greenhouse.ca.
We do, indeed! For information about adding juice to your next event, or for information about corporate cleanses, tasting parties, and more, email us at hello@greenhouse.ca.
We now offer juice subscriptions so you can receive the same order every week, every other week, or every month — automagically! To turn your order into a subscription, simply select the delivery frequency of your choice during checkout. You’ll be asked to create an account, which will allow you to then skip an order if you’re going to be out of town, or cancel your subscription any time.
If you’d like to change your recurring order, please contact us at hello@greenhouse.ca and our team can help to amend your order.
Absolutely! Click on "My Account" in the top right corner of our website by 2pm the day before your order is due to arrive to skip your upcoming delivery.
At this time, our Greenhouse Gift Cards are only available for purchase and redemption at our own store locations. We’re sorry!
Yes! We ask that you please leave a maximum of 20 clean bottles (along with the delivery crate and ice packs) outside at the time of your next delivery. Please be sure to make a note of any bottles left out in the Delivery Instructions section of your checkout page. Our delivery team will add all bottles returned through our home delivery program to your account.
We deliver 2- and 3-day cleanses in one delivery.
Oh, no! We are so sorry to hear that. Please send an email to delivery@greenhouse.ca, and let us know what went wrong.