The City of Vancouver has shared a strategic vision to make Vancouver a zero waste community by 2040, we’ve got 18.5 years to make it happen! Strategies to achieve this goal include reducing single use plastics, implementing shopping bag and disposable cup by-laws, and encouraging businesses and individuals to use reusable containers when shopping.
Some local businesses are already stepping up and implementing zero waste practices, leading the way for customers and other businesses. Here are some of our favourite low or zero-waste businesses in Vancouver.
Zero Waste Businesses in Vancouver
Nada Grocery
Grab your lunch bag and containers! This package-free food supply chain keeps excess and waste out. Shopping at Nada you won’t see packaging or confusing labels. This grocery store stocks food, lifestyle, home products and more. Every one of their products is unpackaged so that you can skip the packaging and buy exactly what you need.
>> Nada Grocery
Kind Café
With a 100% plant-based, vegan menu, Kind Café is Main Street’s only zero-waste café and eatery.
Featuring house-made cheeses, mylk, dressings, and more, they use fresh, local ingredients and all products are made from scratch. They offer reusable cloths instead of napkins, no single use plastics, no single use cups, and a bring-your-own-cup policy for take out!
>> Kind Café
Second Nature Home
You’ll find a mix of locally sourced home essentials and curated decorative arts at Second Nature Home in East Van. This sweet smelling store is known for its refilling system for laundry soaps, shampoo, and other cleaning and personal products, reducing the negative environmental impact of plastic bottle manufacturing.
The Soap Dispensary
Vancouver’s first dedicated refill shop and zero waste grocery store is The Soap Dispensary and Kitchen Staples. Specializing in refilling household soaps, cleaners, personal care products, DIY and edible ingredients, customers are encouraged to bring their own containers to eliminate single-use plastic packaging. They also offer tools to support zero waste living made by local brands and carefully sourced sustainable choices.
AspenClean
Cleaning can be green! Local sustainability pioneers, AspenClean offer low environmental impact products and services proving chemicals don’t equal true cleanliness. To achieve a healthy home or office environment they use cosmetic-grade natural ingredients like baking soda, organic essential oils and simple soaps combined with the scrubbing power of technical microfiber cloths.
>> AspenClean
Love Food Hate Waste
Did you know, 63% of the food Canadians throw food away that could have been eaten? A great resource to reduce household food waste is Love Food Hate Waste, an initiative of Metro Vancouver with the National Zero Waste Council. They offer useful ideas for meal planning, reducing your food waste and even tips for wasting less when cooking and eating with kids.
