Vancouver’s first zero-waste grocery store officially opened its doors Wednesday in East Vancouver, after its crowdfunding campaign raised over $50,000.
Nada, initially called Zero Waste Market, started out in 2015 as a pop-up that offered packaging-free goods at different spots throughout Vancouver.
It managed to secure its current address at 675 E Broadway back in August 2017, but the funds it publicly raised allowed it to fill the space with all the necessities, such as equipment and storage, according to The Georgia Straight.
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“This store is the result of over two years of learning from our customers,” Brianne Miller, founder and CEO at Nada, said in a media statement. “We know now how enthusiastic Vancouverites are about the zero-waste movement and are excited to offer space where it is more accessible and efficient to shop this way, both while reducing waste and supporting a more just food system.”
The store carries it all: locally sourced produce, meat, and frozen foods, as well as spices, dry items, baked goods, cleaning products, personal care options, and eco-friendly items like stainless-steel straws and bamboo toothbrushes.
Everything is available without plastics or packaging, in bulk, so customers must bring their own reusable containers like bags, jars, or Tupperware. Products are sold according to weight (minus the weight of the containers).
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The staff is also aiming to keep all stock organic and responsibly produced.
Nada is part of a growing movement of businesses ditching plastics and packaging like Earth.Food.Love in Devon, Bulk Market in London and LØS Market in Copenhagen.
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