Zero Waste Couple Multiplies Their Impact with an Amazing Package-Free Store!
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- Опубликовано: 18 май 2021
- Paula and Nairn started their zero waste journey 5 years ago after watching the 'Trashed' documentary. They immediately started reducing their waste by swapping items like plastic toothbrushes for bamboo ones. They admit that it can be challenging, especially with kids and pets, but they're determined to continue reducing their waste and making it easier for others to do the same. They started off by sharing resources online, progressed to selling zero waste items at local markets, and finally opened a brick-and-mortar zero waste store in Victoria, BC nearly 3 years ago.
Wanting to make zero waste options more accessible to people, Paula and Nairn price check their products to match the mainstream grocery store prices so that buying package-free food isn't more expensive. They also have a 'take a jar leave a jar' system that makes it easier for people to show up at the store unprepared and still get everything they need. To make it happen, they accept recycling from customers, clean and sanitize it, and then make these containers available for free to any customer who walks in the door.
We love that their work isn't only on the consumer side of things. They couple has spent a lot of time creating a circular economy with their local suppliers to reuse buckets, jugs, and other containers so that they're reducing waste all the way through the supply chain.
You can follow and find out more about the Zero Waste Emporium in Victoria BC here:
www.zerowasteemporium.com/
/ zerowasteemporium
/ zerowasteemporium
Thanks for watching!
Mat & Danielle
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COMMENTS
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CREDITS
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Music & Song Credits:
All music in this video was composed, performed, and recorded by Mat of Exploring Alternatives.
Editing Credits:
Mat and Danielle of Exploring Alternatives
Filming Credits:
Mat and Danielle of Exploring Alternatives
Photo Credits:
Additional photos of the zero waste booth and products provided by Paula and Nairn from Zero Waste Emporium
#zerowaste #zerowasteliving #zerowastelifestyle 
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Thanks for watching! You can follow Nairn & Paula from Zero Waste Emporium here:
www.zerowasteemporium.com/
instagram.com/zerowasteemporium/
facebook.com/zerowasteemporium/
Thank you for sharing btw. Idk how often people say that in the comments.. 😊
@@alaziarahorps4348 Agreed!! Yes, thank you, Exploring Alternatives, for this great piece!!
Im so glad people are living like this and doing their best to reduce waste
this was great!
We need more stores like this EVERYWHERE.
The nearest to me is 2 hours away :(
AMEN!
I agree 100%
Yes!
My closest one shut down...I'm so sad.
Sustainable options are usually needlessly expensive for low income families who still want to contribute but can't afford to, so making these products match grocery store prices is amazing and will encourage more people to be more sustainable consumers ❤
Isn't it awful that you can get 10 meals out of crappy ramen for what a head of broccoli costs. Sad.
Winco ! As a broke af student I love winco if you have one I do recommend their bulk section for legumes pasta and nuts and butters/oils.
I never met these people, and I already love them! If more humans lived like this, the Earth would smile more ❤
Well said! 😎🌎❤️
@@DeanTheDoctor thank you bro 😎🌍🌎🌏❤💯
So true ❤
I wish there were more stores like this in the U.S.
I wish there were stores like this anywhere! Really a terrific idea! When I go to my local shop with my reusable cloth fruit and veggie bags, people look at me like l’m nuts! Thankfully I have managed to convert my husband to remember to use them too. A small victory!
Opportunity is knocking, Jason.
Yes...I'm on board!
Wait sorry for this question but you dont have a market where you can buy fruits and Vegetables in your own bag like I'm from Asia I live where there's a market you can buy anything from fish to meat to anything and you can bargain for it ,it will only cost you a dollar even lower
@@helloeverybody8204 no we don't. Everything at our stores is prepackaged. We can buy fruits and veggies, but there is a set price. No bargaining. We do have what we call farmers markets in the summer but not every town has those.
“ It shouldn’t just be up to the consumer, everyone has to take responsibility” love this!!
This couple is so inspiring! I would LOVE to visit their zero waste grocery store!! Congrats to you both 👍👍👍
Agreed. It's a pretty sweet store! Thanks so much for watching, Alex :) :)
I agree, Alex Larson!!
"It shouldn`t just be left up to the consumer" Absolutely true sir! Coca Cola changed over to single use plastic bottles because collecting and sanitizing old coke bottles was more expensive than producing and then letting the consumer throw out a single use plastic bottle. If Multinational Corporations like that would start to transition into a circular or at least more circular economy, much of the strain on the environment would be lessened by an incredible degree.
Wow!!! This reminds me of my childhood years, with my grandmother, in New England. She would always include/teach me her daily activities that consisted of gardening, cleaning and cooking etc... I learned so much from her as a child. ( I vividly remember laughing as I drank water from a hose and said to her, "Wouldn't it be funny if water was sold." Back then, that was an absurd thought or idea. Haha. Milk was in glass containers, vegetables and fruits were fresh from our garden or the farm. Her garden put other gardens to shame. She originally resided in Sicily then immigrated to the United States in 1899. The depression hit the U.S. Her European way of life became more enhanced since she had to provide for all her children. She instilled a lot of great knowledge and morals in our family. Those of us that wanted to learn became proactive in so many things. We had a stove and "cold room" in our cellar. ( Which is considered unheard of today.) Cooking and canning were a constant process. What you two are doing is beyond wonderful!!! Keep up the great job! We wish you the best with your business! Thank you for the stroll down memory lane. 💗
Farm fresh homemade sweet butter in stoneware churn.
The cold room or root cellar went out of favor after the war because of the cost of building a basement for a new house. Just like the vestibule, which for northern climates help so much in keeping the house warmer, was left off new houses for the same reason. It is sad. You were so lucky to have such a wonderful grandmother. What memories you must have learning at her knee. Thank you for sharing your story.
I drink RAW A2 Milk///Not Pasteurized/Homogenized A1 Milk !!
I’d love to see this as a blueprint that can be replicated in every community.
You guys should get awards and grants and every thing you need to teach and expand. Thank you 🙏
So cool to see our local spot featured! I also just uploaded a video about our experience shopping here! Great minds think alike!
We feel so loved !!!
Was just about to comment this Levi 😇
I was thinking I thought just saw this store in your recent video and got really excited. 😂
@@zerowasteemporium7135 it's so sad that we waist so much money on researching "Bio plastic" and not just using the tried and tested glass bottle system like in Germany. You pay for a crate of drinks in glass bottle plus a deposit then next time you go you return the bottle for cleaning and refilling and the deposit transfers to your next crate of bottle. Simple washable shopping bags available at every grocery store for about 1euro.Its just considered the norm.
When I started to watch I knew I recognized the store from Levi’s recent video, how cool!!!
This couple is so inspiring. I really like their inclusive attitude!
Strawberries are 27$ per kg. That sure is friendly on people with a tight budget.
Also the 6$/kg salt.
Respect to this couple. Hopefully this iniatiative spread all over the world esp on countries that uses plastic so much.
Me and my husband plan on going zero waste in a couple of months. Its awesome to see videos like these! It prepares us for what we are getting ourselves into! 😂
Near zero waste is pretty easy for a homesteader!
Food scraps become chicken food and compost.
Cardboard becomes sheet mulch
Plastic containers become planters
Milk jugs become mini-greenhouses
Used paper starts the brush fires
We only generate about one small bag of garbage every week in our household, and we’re cutting down more every day!
I think the more sustainable choice is to recycle plastic containers, glass and paper. Removing those materials from the material cycle results in more resources being used.
@@dondoron5377 as the lady said in the video, you can’t recycle endlessly, you just “down cycle” until the material can’t be used again. Plus recycling takes a lot of energy to do. The best thing is not to need or buy the plastic, glass etc in the first place. I use old jam jars (you use what you have at home rather than buying new containers) at the zero waste store and have significantly cut down on packaging. Then you don’t need to recycle materials because you aren’t using them in the first place. Saves resources and energy.
@@alexransome3977 I totally agree! My comment was in regard to "Plastic containers become planters" etc., which essentially results in creating their own landfill instead of actually going zero waste/waste reduction.
@@dondoron5377 yes, there’s definitely a limit to the number of plastic planters someone needs! (For me, anyway…) :)
@@alexransome3977 Makes a good way to wrap a small Gift. 🙂
My goodness I didn’t know this was posted so recently. But I’ll be sharing this video most definitely because it’s inspiring and what I have talked to my mom about wanting locally.
That’s awesome you are talking to your mom about zero waste 👏🏼🥰🌸
A Depression era and 1940’s era phrase I learned from my grandparents was “waste not want not” Another good one is: “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”
💟
You can absolutely cook pet food for your dogs, my mother does a big pot of chicken and vegetables for hers once a week.
We have been making dog food for years. Our vet has commented several times that our pets are some of the few he sees that aren't obese. Our pups love raw carrots and sweet potatoes as treats.
@itserich Because it's tasty and they deserve it, that's why. Also, why are you not feeding them meat?
@@LeMayJoseph she prolly one of those that thinks her pets are vegetarians ;-) and also asking why cook it while at the end of the same line saying she cooks dried beans rice and oats :D
Fed my pooch for 14 years with simmered (and sometimes fresh) chicken breasts, necks and hearts with vegies and boiled buckwheat (sometimes with some rice), up to 11-12 y.o. people in the street took him for a pup and then his muzzle got grey.
We give our dogs raw chicken. We keep a bag of kibble for emergencies.
this was one of the more special ones which reminded me that one of the main purposes of the entire tiny house/van life movement is to essentially reduce waste in the first place
Love how you're focusing on matching -- or beating -- your local conventional grocery store prices so that more people can afford transitioning towards less waste and aspire to zero waste. And the take a jar/leave a jar idea is brilliant.
These stores exist in France for around 6 years now. It's called en vrac buying😊 Great to hear it's catching on over there💞🙏
Zero waste stores have been in the U.S. since around 2012
@@shalombereshiyth Not everywhere because some companies are plastic dependent!
@@mickeyrosa7226 I’m aware that it’s not everywhere. Certainly it’s not everywhere even in France, but they do exist ☺️
I am a recycling nut!I drive my adult children crazy with my recycling!!I try to buy items that have minimal packaging!Kudos to you for starting this business!!God bless you both and your store!!
Very impressed that this couple considered (and successfully achieved!) matching their prices with large grocery chains, and I honestly have NO idea how they managed that. Here in Australia we have these stores, and it is so incredibly expensive it's disgusting. Items such as flour/grains/dried products are fine, though oils, shampoos, milk on tap, yoghurt, olives/pasta sauces etc, are around 4 times the price. I tried this for many months with my partner and we were hemorrhaging money... unfortunately being sustainable for us was not sustainable for our wallets. Also tried to make my own (sauces/olives), though I just kept running out of time on the weekends and became so stressed... I hope Australia catches up. This is inspiring, and warms my heart!
Love, Love, Love this. I've been vegan for over 9 years. This change in my diet was just the start of my journey. We grow some of our own food, have a large compost bin, eat mostly fresh food, cook my own bread, recycle and wear only cotton clothes (well we do the best we can), we buy mostly from thrift stores with items that we may need for our home. Wishing this family continued good luck.
I love that they say they are not perfect. Zero waste can be intimidating but knowing that you can’t be 100% plastic free is very helpful.
Lots of respect for this couple. Very inspirational. 👏
Excellent video! I wish that Zero-Waste Emporium was located in my town! Cool folks.
The Zero Waste Journey is definitely doable. In addition I appreciate patronizing a store that offers the opportunity to buy only what I need of a specific ingredient. Example: buying an oil that is required for a recipe, I may only need 2 tablespoons of that oil and instead of being forced to buy a bottle that I wont be able to finish before it goes bad I can buy what I need and will be able to use before it turns. Zero Waste.
I would love to find a shop like this - very hard to come by even in my crunchy area. Or at least a shop that doesn't require me to use plastic bags for bulk dry goods.
I'm from Brazil and this is a great idea.
Nobody's gonna talk about how my boy phased his right hand in and out of existence at 4:11
This is so inspiring. I love this. Florida needs this more than anything. I noticed the Recycling is really not recycled properly and saddens me since I have lived here for over three years. I hope we humans will start to take action like you both. I have hope we all will do our part. Thank you for giving me hope.
If I had a zero waste emporium in my town I'd definitely go there instead of the supermarket!
great new business idea, checking into it in my village too. wouldn't it be awesome if these shops popped up all over the country !
Growing your own food is the best start in going zero waste!
And much healthier without the chemicals and additives in our food and drinks that is consumed daily.
The world need more like this! You guys are amazing! Thank you!
I’m a huge fan of less plastic. We really can’t keep using plastic the way we have been. Beautiful idea and beautiful execution. Very impressive. Wish we had something like this near me.
i hope there are more people who think like this. if only people were a little less lazier, reducing or even eliminating waste won't be that hard... i can only give ♥️♥️♥️ to all hardworking people like these. you're doing mother earth a great favor.
People like you can change the world, thankyou
This is LITERALLY how stores should be though! Package free will help the environment and prevent the already over pilling of landfills! Also, encourage families to plan meals efficiently
Love this video and what an amazing couple. Being a minimalist has in turn made me a more thoughtful consumer, since I don’t consume just to consume, however, they have just inspired me to examine how I’m doing in my current life and the ways that I can strive to be even better at reducing waste.
YES!! Now, if we old get big box companies to do something similar!! Like an aisle of soap and detergent dispensers, consumers can refill and weigh their own containers... BLESS THIS COUPLE FOR DOING THIS!! 🙌❤🙌
Absolutely fantastic ... I admire your eco ethics ... love the shop ... I wish you all the love, light, happiness, health, positivity and peace to continue your lifestyle ...
... each individual on this earth should try to change just one or two things at a time moving towards zero waste, for example not flushing the toilet three times a day or pick up three bits of plastic and dispose responsibly each time we are out ... simple measures but if we were all doing it ... wow what an impact this would make ...
... indeed we are just caretakers of this earth ... sadly we haven’t been doing such a good job ... but it’s never to late to change ... thank you for sharing your vlogs ... 🙏☘️😘
Nairn & Paula, you are HEROS!! I'm middle-aged, but very keen on learning more from you, possibly even pursuing a similar venture/ franchise? God bless you, your kids, pets, customers & vendors!!!
Aww thanks for the lovely words, Dawn!! It is never too late to make a change! If you do decide to open a store, we would be happy to share our experience and help you along the way.
Wow this couple is so incredibly thoughtful and considerate. Definitely need more stores like this in America 🇺🇸. These guys need to train future entrepreneurs. I’m sure Whole Foods doesn’t do this.
the hope is that the whole world takes these lessons and embraces it not just for the earth but for our own survival and future! God bless you
I love how intuitive and respectful this guy is. It makes me smile and smile widely :)
I love how he says were all consumers, thats a lot different than what most people say in your videos. Were all part of the problem,nobody is eco Jesus but you can work on that! Pobody's nerfect,everyone can improve. I've watched this video 3 times because I'm learning so much from it.
WOW!!!!! This is so inspiring. It is the store I have been dreaming of for Atlanta. Someday your brilliant idea has to make it to be in my city. Great job!
These folks decided to light a candle rather than curse the darkness. Very cool.
Y’all are brilliant and we need more folks like y’all!!
I like when she pointed out recycling is actually downcycling, and it is also very energy and labor intense. I feel that this recycling story was made to fool all of us, the target should be first of all to avoid producing Wath is not needed. Starting from packaging is a great example well done!
Thank you! My hubby and I agree, we are not perfect but we do what we can. Composing has changed our lives and our soil. We buy bulk where we can with no extra packaging.
We don’t do paper towels and we are reducing TP. As our garden grows and farmer’s markets expands in our area, our grocery store trips lessen💖🙌
Amazing!! Keep up the great work :)
Wow! Now this is respecting Mother Earth 👏🏻👏🏻
Hoping to see this idea pop up all over our planet! What a difference one home, one store, one community....can make! Cheers and thanks for beautiful inspiration!
I love that the distributors are involved also! That makes a huge difference. We recycle plastic, glass, cardboard & aluminium, I shred mail and put it in my compost along with food scraps and I still have alot of garbage because of packaging. This couple's store is awesome!
Fantastic idea. Hope this spreads world wide. Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺🐨👍🏻😊😊😊😊😊😊
I love their all inclusive attitude. Not just vegans, vegetarians or those better off can shop there. I wish it was local to me.
yeah the few stores in my country are only in the largest cities (so far away) and their prices are ridiculous, especially considering all the cost savings from not having to make all the packaging as well and the bulk principle... but oh well... maybe one day we will see it more places
How is this possible with COVID19. I took my containers to Earthfare and Fresh Thyme Market but now it’s not allowed. Bulk bins just have pre measured food, lots of packing. I would love a store like that! 😊💖
Yeah I used to bring containers to Bulk Barn all the time, but now it's disallowed. I sure hope we can get back to that sometime soon.
Is so weird that in the US, masks are not even mandatory but reusables are banned. The science has already showed that transmission by surfaces is unlikely.
My local grocery started banning reusable bags too. So I started re-using the plastic bags. No one said anything about that lol.
@@jolenethiessen357 It's back here in BC!
@@jolenethiessen357 Bulk Barn has re-started their reusable container program in many of their stores. Check their website.
I'm glad to see how much passion and dedication they put in their journey. For me it'd be heaven. Thanks so much for the inspiration! Keep going on.
Peace
Love their down-to-earth and inclusive approach!
What an amazing journey, this video should be a documentary . We need more of you everywhere.
I love this... I'm all about the stainless steel stuff at home. Everyone gets their own stainless cup, bento/plate and tableware. There are no extras, so each kid is responsible for using the same cup all day long. Completely eliminated a huge waste in our household of just hot water for all the dish washing alone.
As for plastics, I sort, grind and melt all of our waste down. We play around with DIY injection molding for things like flower pots, garden tools, stuff like.
I love using glass jars💙
Me to. I have disposed of all my plastic tupperware (sent to thrift shop) and replaced it with glass, and I save jars to store leftovers or home made salad dressings. For anyone out there that may be facing an up coming surgery no matter how small, know that the instruments they use for that procedure now go in the trash. So ask for all those stainless steel instruments, you will be surprised at how many purposes they have, especially for crafters. Have a Blessed day Talluulah.
I love shopping at Zero Waste Emporium, thank you Paula and Nairn for creating a wonderful place to shop and help me to meet my personal zero waste goals.
Thank you for the lovely words and support Susan!! We are delighted to be part of your journey and help you achieve your goals.
Amazing inspiration ... definitely makes one think ... this is how our grandparents and great grandparents lived .. 💕🙏
More consciousness of our resources for our world is awesome
I love the way you explain that you are not perfect but trying to have less waste. Good ideas
I wish there was a store near me that's zero waste!!
Thank you both kids and pets too I love you all 👑🌈🍀🇯🇲 🐝
So great to watch! We live a low-waste life, and the biggest bulk are diapers. We had to move back to disposable diapers from fabric diapers because our child outgrew them, but needs one at night. That really sucked! Unfortunately we don't have a package-free shop around, but using glass jars, paper, containers and fabric bags cut down everything in half - an amazing achievement and totally worth it. I really like the ideas of this couple. Please, good people, keep this going, the planet says thank you 🙏🌎
I was getting pretty close to zero waste before COVID, but unfortunately most stores stopped accepting my containers and produce bags =(
Fortunately I do have a zero waste grocery store in town and 2 farmers markets, so not all is lost!
Wow this is amazing. There should be more stores like this around the U.S and the fact that you match the prices or lower it so that low income families can participate too is wonderful!
I can't wait until shops like this start coming to smaller and mid-sized towns ❤️
This is amazing. All stores should be like this!! Congrats you guys are awesome 👏 thanks for doing this
wow, if i was in Victoria BC, i would be at your door shop this week!!! Thanks, will start looking to see if there are stores like yours in Oakville Ontario. Thank you Nairn and Paula.
I really appreciate their view of a greener life style. Especially when they point out that not everything they do is green and don't hide. Hopefully companies start listening to individuals and communities about this topic .
I am so blessed to have run across you all. I have been on the journey of moving to zero waste and organic for almost 2 years. Overwhelming yes...still working unit. I love this. I would love to open a store like this and start getting more people to be zero waste as much as possible.
I just want to say thanks.
This made me observe and rethink my consumer habits. Thank you for sharing
Great job guys!! Love from the Philippines
God bless this family. Thank you for doing your part 🤙
I love these two! I wish we had a store like theirs. I'm lucky if I can find a bulk bin!
What a great concept and also wonderful for the environment
What a beautiful store, people & story. We need more stores like this across the world. Keep it up!
My kind of business. Sustainable and profitable. Kudos Kids!
I love this. I wish there were shops like this where I live. I’m glad to see there are people motivated to make an actual difference for the betterment of our environment and our own lives.
That's amazing guys! Our world needs your kind of philosophy 👍🏼🌷♥️
This couple is awesome! Now I’m looking for a zero waste grocery store in my community!
I love what they are doing not only in their day-to-day life but making some of their learnings & tools for others to use.
This is amazing what this couple is doing! It makes me feel better about trying to reuse items. Sometimes I feel cheap but videos like this help me understand my responsibility in not contributing to excess waste. Thanks for sharing. 😊❤️🙏🏼
WOOW! I wish we had stores like this all around the world! Thank you for what you are doing!
Inspiring people.hopefully stores like this will become the norm across the world.well done
Good for you! I hope your store grows and becomes a chain store .
Thank you. I appreciate both the education you've given me, and the work that you're doing, as well as your commitment and dedication..
This is incredible. I really hope there is a store like this where I live.
Impressive. This lifestyle needs dedication and mindfulness. Hope we can have more stores like the Zero Waste Emporium.
Wish we had an emporium like this in Alberta.
Yes! I love that she said to use what you have at home. There are PLENTY of things in your house that you can reuse or repurpose. Or at least use completely before you switch to a more zero waste option. We live in a tiny house (sailboat) on Vancouver Island and I love how conscious everyone is here of the environment and how they can do better. I live 20 mins from Victoria and I'll definitely check this place out. Editing to add: definitely teach yourself to sew. It's a skill everyone can use.
We look forward to seeing you!!
Yeah, we have a zero waste store here in Courtenay BC called the Local Refillery- LOVE IT!
We love Janet and the Local Refillery!! We partner with them quite often to help both stores grow :)
The pet food bags: you can clean them, cut them up and sew them into tote bags. The only waste would be the seam at the top if there is one. Same with chicken/sheep feed bags. You can also make table cloths out of them.
Oh, man, I'd give anything to have a store like this here!!! We can't even recycle glass anymore. It's so sad. Bulk frozen foods, though!!! I've been saying for so long I wish that they had bins like this that I could buy from so that I don't have to get plastic packaged frozen foods! Just knowing that it does exist somewhere gives me hope.