Hi there, and welcome to Let’s Go Zero Waste, a zero waste directory!
Let’s Go Zero Waste is a searchable collection of businesses and initiatives,
- where you can bring your own containers, mugs, etc;
- that sell package-free products or products in compostable packaging;
- that are all about plastic-free living;
- that promote sustainable production & waste reduction; and,
- whose focuses are on repairing, reusing, recirculating, upcycling and/or composting.
Aiming for a zero waste lifestyle can at times be both difficult and overwhelming (though rewarding in the long run). When we began our pursuit in September 2019 we assumed that it would be quite easy to do. We were in for a bit of a surprise, even more so because we live in a small town.
Prior to September we had already started to reduce our waste by mostly giving up plastic bags, bottles, straws, and single-use coffee cups. These items were pretty easy to phase out of our lives, it just became a task of remembering to bring the reusable options along when we went out.
But there were still so many single-use, throw-away items that we were using daily. One of the most noticeable places to encounter this was in our kitchen.
Looking in our cupboards and fridge we found granola bars in wrappers, milk in plastic bags and sometimes cartons (no, they’re not just cardboard), frozen vegetable bags, a package of cookies, cottage cheese in a plastic container with plastic film on top, and so much more plastic-wrapped items.
Basically, anything food related that we didn’t make ourselves, and even then, the ingredients we used to make the food was mostly in wasteful, single-use packaging.
Another room full of single-use, throw-away items was the bathroom. From our plastic toothbrushes with a definite end life to shampoo and conditioner in plastic bottles, to skin care products as well as throw-away razors, everything was headed for the landfill after such a short period of use. It just didn’t seem to end, but we were ready to make a difference.
We immediately wanted to change out our plastic, single-use packaging for refillable products, returnable glass bottles, and even items wrapped in compostable paper, if necessary. We also wanted to start using items such as razors with replaceable blades and compostable toothbrushes.
Now that we were in this mindset we had to find places to shop for these products. For some items zero waste shopping was easy, such as bamboo toothbrushes. For others (mostly the refills) we had to spend a lot of time searching for places that had BYOC (bring your own container) programs via the internet.
However, even though some “no packaging” businesses are quite obvious, although not easy to search out, others are not obvious at all. This is because “zero waste” isn’t their main selling point.
So, after a few months of hard work, we found many zero waste options that could fit into our family’s lifestyle, though many weren’t local. We figured that if we were having issues finding places to shop zero waste, many others probably were as well.
Therefore, we decided to create a zero waste directory in order to facilitate waste reduction for others (and to put all of our research to good use).
Now, rather than spending your nights searching for package-free items, refilleries or zero waste initiatives in your area, you can access the Let’s Go Zero Waste directory to find all that you are looking for.
The directory has a long way to go to make it a handy, one-stop resource for everyone. Currently, we have 135 listings, of which 100 are BYO (“bring your own”)-friendly shops, spread over 75 towns & cities across Canada, and we’re adding more everyday (we have a big list of places, but slow typing hands 😉 ).
So, if you know of any places to add, please let us know and suggest a place!
Welcome to Let’s Go Zero Waste!
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