Business Echo - Allisha Heidt

Business Echo is an interview series celebrating the incredible individuals shaping the business landscape in the Okanagan. Through candid conversations, we’ll dive into their journeys, challenges, and triumphs—offering inspiration and insights along the way.

In a world where single-use plastics dominate our everyday lives, Allisha is on a mission to make sustainable living easy and affordable. As the founder of Chickpeace Refillery, a zero-waste refill store, she’s helping our community reduce single-use plastics with eco-friendly, refillable essentials. Stocking mostly Canadian, women-owned brands, her business is all about impact—on both the environment and the people it serves. In this interview, she shares her journey and why small changes matter. Let's dive in!

OE: Hello! thank you for granting this interview, could you please tell us a little about yourself

AH: My name is Allisha Heidt and I am the owner of Chickpeace Zero Waste. I have been passionate about the planet for as long as I can remember. I started Chickpeace to make sustainable choices more accessible and affordable for our community. When I am not filling jars I am the mom of two beautiful wild little humans. I love adventuring especially in nature or exploring new corners of the world. I am a forever student and love learning and finding opportunities for personal growth. I am also an avid yogi and would spend every day on my mat if I could.

OE: What is your business all about and what inspired you to start your business?

AH: Chickpeace is a BCorp certified zero waste refill store on a mission to reduce single use plastics from the planet. We provide eco-friendly and refillable options for personal care, cleaning and pantry products. Our shelves are filled with nearly all Canadian brands, many of which are women owned. I was inspired to start Chickpeace because I wanted to create a business that made an impact on our community and the environment. We focus on people and purpose over profit and really try to use Chickpeace as a force of good as much as possible. Aside from being a refillery, we provide composting services for residential (drop off) and commercial (pick up). We have a community kitchen in the back that support many small businesses too.

OE: Can you share a defining moment that reinforced your commitment to reducing waste?

AH: I was travelling in my early twenties in south east Asia and I was shocked to see the amount of garbage everywhere especially by the ocean. I was planning on doing post graduate studies when I returned to Canada and after that moment I knew helping the planet was what I wanted to focus on. When I came back I pursued a graduate degree focusing on building sustainable communities at UBCO.

OE: What’s a piece of advice you’d give to women looking to start their own business?

AH: Follow your dreams and don't be afraid of failure. Its in these moments that you get to experience your greatest stretches and that's where you go. Connect with like minded humans that will raise you up and support you on the journey.

OE: What’s the most unique or unexpected item people can refill at your store?

AH: Customers are pretty excited to see Umami salad dressing in bulk. They are another local business that makes the tastiest finishing sauces. We are the only retail location to offer it in bulk.

OE: What simple swaps do you recommend for someone just beginning their sustainability journey?

AH: First start small and choose just one or two items that you can commit to. Save your dish soap and hand soap container and begin with that. Slowly introduce more fills as you start to gain momentum and commit to the first swaps you decided on.

OE: What’s your favorite Okanagan spot to relax or find inspiration?

AH: Usually on my mat at Pranify yoga. I feel like being in that space is so nourishing. It's like therapy, the spa, church and the gym all at once.

OE: What’s one thing about you that people might not know?

AH: Something that people may not know about me is that english is my second language. My family immigrated to Canada from Tanzania and so I only really learned to speak english when I was in kindergarten.