Plastic pollution is a pressing global issue with significant environmental and health impacts. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), humans produce more than 430 million metric tons of plastic annually, with two-thirds of this being short-lived products that soon become waste.
This waste often ends up in the ocean, contributing to the estimated 19 to 23 million metric tons of plastic that enter aquatic ecosystems each year.
The production of plastic is one of the most energy-intensive manufacturing processes, generating 1.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 alone. Once discarded, plastics can take hundreds of years to break down, and their persistence in the environment poses a severe threat to wildlife.
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Millions of animals, including birds, fish, and marine mammals, die each year due to entanglement or ingestion of plastic debris.
Concerned about our massive plastic problem? Zero-waste stores can help.
These stores, which aim to reduce or eliminate plastic waste, are gaining traction in various communities across the country. Zero-waste grocery stores offer a sustainable alternative to traditional supermarkets, allowing shoppers to purchase food and other products without the accompanying plastic packaging.
What can you expect to find at these stores? We turned to Larasati Vitoux, owner of Maison Jar in Brooklyn, NY, to find out.
Maison Jar: a zero-waste store grows in Brooklyn
In March 2022, Vitoux opened Maison Jar in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn as a way to import sustainability concepts from her home country to the United States.
“I am originally from France, and during my time back in France, I experienced shopping at zero-waste grocery stores,” Vitoux tells VegNews. “I enjoyed the eco-friendly and minimalist approach, as well as the sense of community.”
The concept of zero-waste stores is well-established in Europe, but when Vitoux returned to New York, she found there was only one similar store in the entire city. This gap in the market motivated her to establish Maison Jar.
Here, shoppers bring their own clean containers to fill with the various bulk products available, reducing single-use packaging and promoting a zero-waste lifestyle.
Upon entering, customers weigh their containers at the provided scales and note the weight to ensure they only pay for the product itself, not the container. They then fill their containers with a wide range of bulk products.
Maison Jar
“We are a refillery, meaning we sell most of our products in bulk and encourage customers to bring their own containers,” Vitoux says. “We work with vendors that provide products with minimal packaging and have closed-loop systems, such as our coffee suppliers who use a bucket system for deliveries.”
At checkout, the container’s weight is subtracted from the total weight to determine the final price, allowing for a seamless and waste-free shopping experience.
Maison Jar
In general, zero-waste stores like Vitoux’s are stocked with a variety of foods that can help you live your best zero-waste life. These range from grains and legumes, such as quinoa, rice, lentils, and chickpeas, to nutrient-dense nuts and seeds such as almonds and chia seeds.
Dried fruits, including apricots and dates, offer convenient snacking options, while spices and herbs add flavor to meals without plastic packaging.
“Our top sellers are classic products like extra virgin olive oil, nuts, and grains,” Vitoux says. “There is a noticeable trend towards healthier snacking options, such as energy chunks and snacks with no added sugar.”
“Our customers enjoy cooking and prefer buying simple ingredients rather than ultra-processed foods,” she says.
Zero-waste stores also carry flour, baking supplies, various pastas, vegan snacks such as granola, and loose-leaf tea and coffee, all available in bulk to support a sustainable lifestyle.
Zero-waste vegan food finds
In addition to these staples, Maison Jar also offers produce sourced from local farmers and purveyors.
“Most of our food items are organic, about 95 percent. We also prioritize local and seasonal produce as much as possible,” Vitoux says. “Being eco-friendly is crucial, and we work with vendors that have closed-loop systems to minimize waste.”
Rind
Vitoux also stocks vegetarian deli items, including vegan cheeses from New York companies such as Rind and Bandit, another sustainability move that encourages consumers to explore alternatives to dairy cheese, which is more eco-intensive than plant-based alternatives.
“The plant-based cheeses we carry are very popular,” Vitoux says. “As a French person, I can be picky with my cheese, and they are really good.”
Over the course of two years in business, Vitoux observed a few key trends. “Customers have been asking for more variety in grains, like sorghum, bulgur, and farro,” she says. “There’s also a trend against ultra-processed food because people are becoming more aware of its links to health issues.”
And while shopping at zero-waste stores can be pricier than traditional mega supermarkets, Vitoux makes sure to continue to incentivize more shoppers to consider zero-waste stores.
“We host a monthly ‘Refill Happy Hour,’ offering 20 percent off any refills,” Vitoux says. “It’s a great way for us to give back to our customers and encourage sustainable shopping habits.”
Maison Jar
Ultimately, Vitoux is hopeful that Maison Jar and zero-waste stores like it can chip away at the plastic crisis. “We want to empower our customers to make the right choices and be aware of their impact,” she says. “We’re not here to finger-point; we’re here to provide alternatives and support.”
More zero-waste stores to try
Currently, there are approximately 1,300 zero-waste stores in the US, varying in size and offerings. Here are just eight of the zero-waste stores which, akin to Maison Jar, are hoping to make plastic waste obsolete.
re_grocery
1re_grocery
Los Angeles, CA
Re_grocery offers more than 500 refillable bulk goods and a variety of sustainable products. The store encourages customers to bring their own containers to reduce waste and stocks various vegan essentials, including grains, legumes, nuts, and dried fruits. Re_grocery also features eco-friendly personal care items and household products.
2Package Free Shop
New York, NY
This store focuses on eliminating single-use plastics and offers a variety of sustainable products. In addition to food items, Package Free Shop sells personal care and household products, making it a one-stop shop for zero-waste living. Customers can find items like reusable straws, stainless steel food containers, and toxin-free personal care products.
The Package Free Shop’s initiatives have already diverted over 75 million units of trash from landfills since its launch in 2017.
The Refill Shoppe
3The Refill Shoppe
Ventura, CA
The Refill Shoppe offers a selection of more than 80 eco-friendly personal care and cleaning products in bulk. including shampoo, conditioner, lotion, bath gel, dish soap, laundry detergent, and more. It also offers customization options like adding scents, colors, and essential oils to most products.
As its name suggests, customers are encouraged to bring their own containers to refill or purchase reusable ones in-store.
4Precycle
Brooklyn, NY
Precycle is a zero-waste grocery store that emphasizes reducing packaging waste. The store offers a variety of staples, including grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, along with specialty goods such as jars of pickled items. It also sells its own reusable totes with compartments to sort your zero-waste goods.
Fillgood.co
5FillGood
Richmond, CA
FillGood is an online zero-waste store that offers home delivery in the San Francisco Bay Area. The store stocks bulk food items, including grains, pasta, and baking supplies, as well as personal care and cleaning products. In 2022 alone, the store diverted more than 190,000 single-use plastics from the waste stream.
6Simply Bulk Market
Longmont, CO
Simply Bulk Market offers more than 500 bulk food items, including 100 jars of spices, 10 varieties of oats, 16 types of beans, and 18 kinds of rice, alongside cereals, nuts, and trail mix. The store also features eco-friendly household products, such as bulk bars of soap, liquid soaps, skincare products, shampoo, detergent, and cleaners.
The Zero Market
7The Zero Market
Denver, CO
This store offers more than 1,200 products aimed at promoting a zero-waste lifestyle, including bulk foods, as well as personal care items and household products. Notably, The Zero Market stocks toxin-free, preservative-free, and cruelty-free body care products, alongside eco-friendly household items, all available without disposable packaging.
8The Wally Shop
Brooklyn, NY
An online zero-waste grocery delivery service that operates primarily in New York City, The Wally Shop offers a variety of bulk foods, including grains, legumes, and fresh produce sourced from local farmers’ markets and bulk stores.
Items are delivered in reusable containers such as glass jars, cotton mesh bags, and tote bags, which the company collects for reuse with future deliveries. This model eliminates disposable packaging and reduces the carbon footprint by using bicycles for delivery.
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Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.
