The subject of sustainability and zero-waste living is now common knowledge for many people. Nowadays, people are actively trying to live sustainably, producing little to no waste throughout a typical day. Living a waste-free lifestyle is now a trend that is here to stay. This movement affects all facets of life, including how and where you shop.
What Are Zero Waste Stores, And How Do They Differ From Regular Stores?
Where and how you make your purchases are crucial to the zero waste movement as a consumer. In simple terms, zero waste stores are stores that market zero waste goods. These stores are your first stop if you’re starting with zero waste and sustainable living. You can find everything you need to aid your waste-free living at these stores.
At zero waste stores, think cruelty-free, ethically made, organic and sustainable products, plastic-free packaging, refilling, and bulk purchasing options.
Why Should You Shop Zero Waste?
There are many benefits to shopping zero waste, with plastic pollution being first on the list.
Plastic, especially single-use plastic, is destroying our environment. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that out of the 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic manufactured between 1950 and 2017, about 7 billion were converted to plastic waste and sent to landfills. While holding corporations and big polluters accountable is essential, individual actions such as using less plastic and transitioning to plastic alternatives are also required.
The issue of food waste is another reason to shop zero waste. UNEP also highlights that around 30% of food produced globally each year is wasted. This is also fuelling the current climate crisis. Shopping zero waste helps to cut down on food waste.
Where Can You Shop Zero Waste?
Currently, several zero-waste stores exist across various countries. These stores can be physical stores where you can walk in and buy products right away or online stores where you can shop in the comfort of your home. Below are 37 zero-waste stores located in the UK, Netherlands, Germany, United States, and France, where you can shop for your zero-waste products.
Zero Waste Stores In The UK
The Source Bulk Foods: The Source Bulk Foods is a zero-waste store in London that deals with bulk foods, household, lifestyle, and personal care products. The food section includes a variety of organic foods to provide healthy food options while reducing waste. Stores have been set up in different communities – Battersea, Chiswick, Brighton, Richmond, Putney, West Hampstead, and Crouch End – and in addition to free shipping on orders over £50, you receive rewards every time you shop through their Source Rewards Program.
Zero Waste Bulk Foods: Nicky started the East London walk-in store Zero Waste Bulk Foods because she enjoyed cooking but despised waste. Zero Waste Bulk Foods aims to make bulk foods available to everyone while reducing grocery packaging. You can shop for organic foods for your pantry and home essentials, such as housekeeping products and health and beauty products.
Plastic Freedom: Plastic Freedom started from Beth’s spare room at home and has grown to a fully stocked warehouse with zero waste products ranging from beauty to home and garden products to food and drinks, outdoor, clothing, baby, and kids. Over 331,000 plastic products have been kept out of landfills, and 65,000 trees have been planted worldwide. In addition, rewards are received for shopping and referrals.
Zero Waste Path: Bianca and Giulio launched the online zero waste store Zero Waste Path in 2018. The store offers handcrafted vegan, cruelty, and palm oil-free personal care products for skin and hair and has a workshop in Cambridge where products are produced. As a result, over 217,084 plastic bottles have been saved from landfills.
The Refillery: The Refillery is a grocery and ethical goods store to increase accessibility to plastic-free, ethical shopping for more people. Personal care and household cleaning items are also sold at the store. Every purchase you make helps protect the rainforest through a partnership between The Refillery and One Tribe.
M2O Refills: M2O Refills is a home Refill service in Manchester that offers a home delivery service of eco-friendly products, supplied in re-usable glass bottles. At each delivery, empty bottles are collected for fresh refills. Food and household products are also available.
Blossom and Hops: Previously called Kick Plastic, Blossom and Hops is a zero-waste store by Lesley, located in Hertfordshire. The store offers a collection of natural, sustainable products for your home, garden, wildlife, lifestyle, and wellbeing. Products are delivered throughout the UK, with free delivery on orders over £50. You also earn points when you shop and refer friends.
Zero Waste Stores In The Netherlands
Bluehouse World: Bluehouse World is a conscious marketplace where plastic-free, vegan, and organic products can be purchased. You can shop everything from accessories to kitchen and beauty products.
Little Plant Pantry: Little Plant Pantry, a local whole foods store, is Amsterdam’s first plastic-free shop where vegan and organic food products are sold. Little Plant Pantry’s mission is to encourage a plant-based diet while avoiding single-use plastic packaging. Both store pickups and home delivery in Amsterdam are available.
Miisha: Miisha is another zero-waste store in the Netherlands offering products for home, beauty, kids, and personal care to aid your sustainable lifestyle. Delivery or store pickup in Amsterdam is available, with free shipping for orders over €50.
Zo Zero: Zo Zero is an online zero waste store offering plastic-free and natural products to help you break free from plastics. Products for personal and household use are sold at Zo Zero.
Delicious Food: Delicious Food is an organic food store in Amsterdam offering a wide range of delicious pastries, homemade spreads, beautiful pasta, luxury mueslis, wines, chocolate, and other delicacies, nuts, dried fruits, and other food products.
Plastic Free Amsterdam: Plastic Free Amsterdam is your one-stop plastic-free store for all your bathroom, kitchen, home, and skin care essentials. Products are delivered throughout the Netherlands, with free shipping for orders above €50. Plastic Free Amsterdam also has a Rewards Program where you earn points for shopping.
Zero Waste Stores In Germany
Zero Hero: Zero Hero, a zero-waste store in Germany, specializes in unpackaged groceries, dry goods, liquid products, and everyday goods. The store is located in Nuremberg, Erlangen, and Hausen.
Tante Olga: Tante Olga is an online and organic bulk store located in Cologne. The store is Cologne’s first unpacked shop. All things body and bath, cleaning, kitchen, and babies can be purchased at Tante Olga. In addition, Tante Olga also has an academy where you can educate yourself on zero waste, sustainable living, and DIY. Orders above €50 qualify for free shipping.
Bode Natural Foods: Bode Natural Foods store is located in Hamburg. Drinks, legumes, grains, cereals, and other food products are sold in 100% biodegradable packaging that completely degrades within 180 days without any trace.
OhneGedöns: At the zero-waste retail store OhneGedöns, you can purchase organically grown groceries, household products, drinks, and clothing from Hamburg designers.
Original Unverpackt (Original Unpackaged): Original Unverpackt, Germany’s first zero-waste store, was the first supermarket in Berlin to focus on the zero-waste lifestyle. You can find everything zero waste at Original Unverpackt. Products are shipped within Germany with free shipping above €50.
Wunderbar Unverpackt (Wonderful Unpacked): Wunderbar Unverpackt is a zero-waste store in Göttingen and Braunschweig. Groceries and other non-food everyday items are available at the store.
Unverpackt Darmstadt: Unverpackt Darmstadt is the first grocery store in Darmstadt to offer alternatives to plastic. Naturally, healthy foods such as dry products, dairy, beverages, spices, and even cleaning products are all available without plastic packaging.
Zero Waste Stores In The United States
Eco Roots: Eco Roots is founded by Antonia Pitica to provide you with the best eco-friendly and low-waste products out there. You can shop a range of beauty, health, and household products, with free shipping in the US for orders above $45. A portion of every sale is donated back to the environment.
Bite: Bite is on a mission to eliminate plastic, one healthy smile at a time. Bite offers plastic and toxin-free oral care products, and other personal care products such as deodorant and body balm. Subscription services are available.
One World Zero Waste: One World Zero Waste is a zero-waste store in Florida where varieties of bulk foods and home, kitchen, health, and beauty products are sold. Food products are grown locally and are organic. The shipping option is available with orders $75+ qualifying for free shipping.
Plastic Free Pursuit: Plastic Free Pursuit is an online zero-waste store working to save the planet one product at a time. The store markets plastic-free products for home, office, personal care, and health, as well as accessories such as bags and backpacks, jewelry, and footwear.
Ethique: Ethique is the go-to for solid beauty bars. This zero-waste cosmetic brand is saying no to plastic bottles with their handcrafted solid shampoos, conditioners, face & body, and solid beauty bars. Since 2012, Ethique has saved over 20 million + plastic bottles from entering landfills.
Azure Standard: Azure Standard delivers high-quality, organic, natural, and non-GMO groceries, in addition to health, household, and garden products.
The Earthling Co: The Earthling Co. has a collection of earth-friendly products for hair, body, skin, kitchen, and bathroom. Products can be purchased based on allergen – vegan, coconut, and gluten-free. Curated bundles and sets are available to help save money and free shipping on $55+ orders.
Plaine Products: Plaine Products is founded by two sisters, Lindsey and Alison Delaplaine, due to the plastic waste problem. Refillable vegan bath and body products are sold in reusable aluminum bottles. So far, 413k + plastic bottles have been prevented from ending up in landfills. Free shipping is available for orders over $100.
The Source Zero: The Source Zero is San Jose’s first zero-waste and soap refill store. Products for kitchen, bathroom, and other personal care are available at the store.
Seed Phytonutrients: Seed Phytonutrients is a clean beauty brand specializing in hair, face, and body products which come in sustainable packaging. The shower-friendly paper bottles with plastic liners have been recently switched to aluminum, which is a more sustainable material.
Dropps: At Dropps, you can purchase a range of green cleaning products from detergents for stain and odor to those for sensitive skin, dish and hand-washer, fabric softener, and kitchen brushes and sponges, all of which come in plastic-free packaging. Over 3M plastic bottles have been avoided with Dropps. Reward programs are also available when you shop.
Zero Waste Stores In France
Day By Day: Day By Day is a bulk grocery store launched in May 2013 with more than 750 products available. Over 69 stores are available in France, where you can shop for cosmetics, confectionery, and household and food products such as cookies, dried fruits, pasta, grains, and cereals. In addition, a mobile app is available where you can shop and find stores.
The Naked Shop: The Naked Shop was established to address Paris’s shortage of liquids in bulk. The shop’s mission is to offer liquid products without packaging. In addition, household maintenance, body, and hair care products are marketed at the store.
Les Glaneuses (The Gleaners): Les Glaneuses is an online store with a selection of zero waste products, from artisan products to organic soaps, reading materials, and other products for your home. Renting option is available instead of buying, especially for products that you use less frequently.
Le Bar à Vrac (The Bulk Bar): Le Bar à Vrac is a grocery store and bar located in Marseille. The Bulk Bar offers a wide range of cosmetics, gifts, toddlers, household products, and foods with vegetarian/vegan alternatives.
Jean Bouteille: Jean Bouteille is changing the way we consume liquid products by offering a substitute for the single-use design. Liquids are sold in bulk and in reusable or returnable bottles. Several sales outlets are available in France.
La Maison du ZéroDéchet (Zero Waste House): La Maison du Zéro Déchet was created as the brainchild of Zero Waste France, an organization that has been advocating for waste reduction since 1997. You can discover alternatives to disposable and single-use at the shop. Zero Waste House also has a second-hand section where you can find all sorts of zero-waste second-hand items.
Also, Zerowastemag.com has a Useful Links Directory where you can find directories, organizations, and movements related to Zero waste from around the world.
