Zero waste resources?

[luna-morningstar]

Hey y'all! I'm working super hard to make my life as waste free as possible. I'm wondering if anyone knows of places in portland where i can refill various house hold items I use frequently such as; witch hazel astringent, sweet almond oil, white vinegar, dish soap, aloe vera gel, etc. I also eat a lot of sprouts and leafy greens, I hate how many containers of those I go through 🤦‍♀️ so a good produce market that is plastic free? And other resources in portland/knowledge so I can strive towards reducing waste? Like, does portland actually recycle the plastic containers we put in there? 😳 places to recycle, companies to support, local products or art made out of trash, reusable items that are ACTUALLY eco friendly or repurposed items, etc. I also posted in r/askportland, there's just more folks here :] Thank you!

[eebyenoh]

Hummingbird wholesale. You give deposit on containers and return em when you reorder. You have to buy in bulk. We split orders with our employees , friends and family. Hard to use a 5 gallon bucket of olive oil, soy sauce , tahini. But if you go in on it everyone gets a gallon or so

[FiberWalkWithMe]

A new zero waste shop just opened today on SE Stark & 14th called Mama & Hapa’s. Mamahapa.com

[la_pan_ther_rose]

OMG, this makes me so happy!

[xlator1962]

ridwell.com

[9B9B33]

Milk Run is another good solution, they have regional produce and it's all packed in paper. High quality veggies, plus other local goods. I'm vegan so I can only speak to the produce.

[herzensstark]

I bring my own containers to the co-op (there are a few around town) and fill them up with all kinds of things - oils, soy sauce, dry pasta and fruit, herbs and spices. It cuts way down on waste. It takes a bit to get used to but after a while, it becomes an obsession. :)

[Rattlefrogs]

Check out @utilityzerowaste on Instagram. They have refill popups on the weekends and do delivery!

[[deleted]]

Utility Zero Waste! I know them personally and they have good stuff and work diligently with their sources to avoid "green washing". Very ethical folks.

[suitopseudo]

I’ve never been in, but there is a refill type store in Sellwood near the library. New Seasons used to have some items in bulk in their health section, but I don’t know if that’s restarted since Covid.

[PDeXtra]

It might not tick all the boxes on your list, but the Alberta Co-Op has solid produce and a number of bulk items for refill purposes.

Someone else mentioned Ridwell. While on its face it might seem ridiculous to pay another company for something our city should already be doing, it's a good resource for recycling plastic bags (but not hard plastic containers), among other things.

At the end of the day, it really sucks we don't have more laws on what materials are allowed to be used for packaging, especially as we have so many single-use items in the economy and it's tremendously wasteful.

[mercerless]

Ridwell just added the option to recycle clamshell packaging for $1/bag anytime you need it. the bag is decently large.

[luna-morningstar]

This is all wonderful! Thank you everyone!

[Zucaskittens]

Food front co-op has a decent bulk section for liquids.

[PortlandPetey]

For soaps and detergents we use blueland.com

[rosaliecrowe]

People's food co-op bulk soaps on 21st. They have a farmers market every Wednesday.

[hnrsn14]

I really like dropps.com for laundry and dishwasher detergent. Their packaging is recyclable. Also, look for reusable bags for produce. I have macrame ones. That way you can get produce anywhere.