9 Bulk & Zero Waste Stores in NYC Taking A Bite Out Of The Big Apple’s Waste

If you’re a New Yorker wondering, “How can you buy food in bulk without plastic in NYC?”, Precycle can help. The owner of the shop was raised in Latvia during the era of the Soviet Union. After seeing first hand how difficult access to resources can be, she created Precycle.

One of the best zero waste food stores NYC offers, Precycle aims to empower customers to reduce their environmental impact by supplying products that are independently sourced from local farms and sustainable food systems.

You’ll find rows of organic fruits, local eggs, and bulk pantry staples. The bulk bar also stocks powdered laundry detergents, dishwashing liquid, and Castile soap. And if you need a hand carrying all of your new goodies, they sell reusable tote bags worthy enough to be shown off at the Fashion District.

Maison Jar NYC combats the climate crisis by partnering with responsible vendors to provide low waste products to the community. You can find baking ingredients, legumes, teas, breads, produce, nuts, seeds, organic snacks and a lot more on the shelves.

Their mission is to be as sustainable, accessible, and transparent as possible—which is why you can access a full product and supplier list on their website. This one-stop shop prioritizes products that have certified labels, and will always choose organic whenever possible.

Recognizing the importance of education in conservation, this place provides sustainability workshops for the community and is one of the best zero waste stores in Brooklyn.

This woman-owned shop aims to cut the bridge between sustainability and affordability. Earth & Me is a brick-and-mortar store that offers zero waste home goods and self-care products.

Candles, organic bath bombs, and other self-care goods are easy to find. Some unique items in stock include wooden potato peelers, collapsible cups, hair texturizer, and products for our furry friends, like pet soap bars, upcycled leashes, and waste pouches. Your next walk in Central Park just got a lot more sustainable.

Earth & Me has partnered with UP-STAND, a woman and minority owned business dedicated to improving accessibility. Not only does the owner list current accessibility features from the shop on her website, but she also invites customers to call ahead for special accommodation requests.

The mission of A Sustainable Village is to support the community in small, sustainable changes. They highlight the importance of progress over perfection, recognizing that small steps are still steps.

This is the place to be for all your aromatic needs, like soy candles, handcrafted soap bars, lavender cleaning spray, and more. As one of several refill stores NYC boasts, bring your own jars to stock up on liquid hand sanitizer, zero waste hand soap, and dish soap. There are also hand-curated gift boxes perfect for a variety of occasions.

They also feature a blog post dedicated to the local composting schedule, highlighting a list of acceptable scraps, and drop-off and curbside pickup information.

Common Good refill stations can be found all across the United States, but their presence in New York alone is impressive. Anywhere you find yourself in the city, you can shop this zero waste store, Greenwich Village all the way to Cypress Hills.

This woman-owned business stocks plant-based products suitable for every room in the house—many of which we personally use, like their delightfully scented and super effective DIY Multi-Purpose Cleaning Spray. Their zero waste cleaning products are paraben and sulfate free and are not tested on animals.

Perhaps the most unique item sold here are the closed-loop refill boxes. With these boxes, you can create your own refillery at home using their all-purpose cleaner, dish soap, hand soap, laundry detergent, glass cleaner, and more. Besides the refill boxes, you can get plenty of other pay-by-ounce refillable products for your hands, body, and home.

Common Good offers services both in-person and online. For the latter, shipping boxes are made from recycled content and printed with natural ink.

Fountain House + Body is not only a retail space for low waste living goods, but a rehabilitation one for those in need of employment.

Founded by the mental health nonprofit Fountain House, this plastic-free and bulk shop joins multiple Soho based thrift stores upping the collective eco-shopping efforts of Manhatten locals. Any profits are reinvested back into their employment mission to “provide meaningful paid work opportunities to people with serious mental illness”.

As the name suggests, this NYC waste free shop offers “durable, reusable, and beautiful” products for the house and body. They offer both a select line of natural, handmade in-house cleaning products and personal care bars, as well as a variety of goods sourced from other sustainable brands. Think: candles, brushes, air plants (to ensure that city air pollution doesn’t carry over into your apartment), and so much more.

While NYC bulk food stores are numerous, this one will make you feel a little bit better about that weekly grocery bill. This member-run cooperative grocer provides organic foods and household products to the local community. 4th Street Food Co-Op provides food for the people, not for the profit.

This Co-op is both environmentally friendly and community oriented, being 100% Wind Powered and donating resources to local community organizations that align with their ethics.

In the bulk dry goods section, you can bring your own jars and stock up on beans, cereals, lentils, grains, pasta, dried fruits, flours, nuts, seeds, spices, and coffee. In the produce department, you can find local organic fruits and vegetables as well as pasteurized eggs.

The Park Slope Food Co-op is a member owned and operated food store where only members can shop. They support a diverse and inclusive community, catering to members with different cultures and economic capabilities.

Both a health food store and bulk food store in NYC, they stock a large selection of locally grown produce, meats, cheese, bulk items, and more. The produce aisle features around 225 items of fresh produce. During the growing season, the majority of products are sourced within a 200-mile range. In the name of transparency, each item is identified with a geographical location tag.

The store follows an environmental policy that maximizes the amount of products grown organically, locally, and cruelty-free. An Environmental Committee reviews products sold by the co-op to ensure that they come from sustainable food brands.

Oriental Pastry and Grocery is a family-owned grocer that stocks authentic Middle-Eastern pastries and sweets.

While not solely dedicated to the zero waste movement, this place has bulk bins full of flavorful seasonings and snacks, such as toasted corn nuts, natural pecans, sliced almonds, and cashews. You can find dates, herbs, and teas in bulk, too.

The real showstopper here is the pickled food bar. Bring in your own plasti-free food container and stock up on various pickled products such as onions, lemons, peppers, and more.