11 Zero Waste Stores In Portland, Oregon: Your Package Free PDX

The Realm Refillery supports a circular economic system by giving shoppers the option to purchase as much, or as little, of a product as they need, eliminating the need for pesky plastic packaging and producing less food waste.

Their bulk bins are loaded with zero waste cleaning supplies, bath and body products, and dried goods. The bulk wonderland even has a cold bar stocked with refrigerated essentials like tofu, yogurt, cheese, and veganaise. The store has shelves of donated jars free for anyone to use, meaning you won’t have to panic if you make an unplanned stop or end up buying more than planned (it happens to the best of us).

They donate a portion of their monthly proceeds to local charities and nonprofits that support climate change and equality for BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+.

Mama & Hapa is one of the most innovative bulk stores Portland has to offer. They have a custom RFID-system that allows customers to ditch the scales and thus, the time it takes to weigh things at checkout.

This one-stop plastic-free shop in Portland, Oregon is filled with various home care supplies like glass cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, dish soap, and hand soap. You can also find various self-care products like zero waste shampoo bars, conditioners, and lip balm. Many of their shampoos, lotions, and body products are Leaping-Bunny certified.

With their access to free reusable jars, they have saved over 50,000 plastic containers from entering the landfills.

Plastic-free is just their Way of Being. This store sources reusable, low-waste products from ethical black, Latinx, indigenous, LGBTQ+, and/or woman-owned businesses, and is proud to be a member of 1% for the Planet.

Female-friendly self-care essentials are highlighted here with facial rounds, deodorants, cleansers, toners, mists, oils, treatments, facial tools, menstruation products, and pregnancy accessories. You can also find home goods like reusable paper towels, compost bins, laundry paste, coffee filters, and veggie huggers.

Woman-owned Null Refillery encourages customers to refill existing containers rather than relying on new ones.

A PDX eco cleaning specialist, you’ll find dish soap, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, glass cleaner, stain removers, and more. You can show your body love, too, with essentials like toothpaste tabs, sustainable lip balm, lotion bars, shampoo bars, and more.

Their low-barrier refilling process keeps locally-sourced products eco-friendly and affordable. For $10 a month, customers can join the Refilling Circle, a program that helps dispense bulk laundry and soap refills to the community for free through the local high school’s food pantry.

The owner of Simple Sundries believes that the preservation of Earth must first be solved by fixing the current system of economic and environmental exploitation rooted in current societal issues against ethnic-minorities and women.

The mission of this waste free shop in Portland is to eliminate dependency on plastic by offering affordable, waste free products and inspiring everyday climate action. Their upcycle project provides members with products in donated recycled glass and plastic packaging.

You can find zero waste hand and body soap, dish soap, laundry soap, eco-friendly shampoo, shave cream, deodorant, face wash, and more.

Simple Sundries supports the Clackamas and Cowlitz people and their effort of land reclamation for native communities. They vow to be environmental stewards of the land and to protect its sustainable future with respect to indigenous values.

New Seasons Market makes the list of best zero waste stores in Portland, and for good reason. The neighborhood grocery store is dedicated to preventing food waste, reducing single-use packaging with a circular packaging program, and mitigating climate change with carbon offsets.

As one of the first grocers to become a Certified B. Corp, 10% of their profits are donated to organizations that support hunger relief, education, and environmental conservation. Excess food is donated to local food recovery partners.

New Seasons Market works with 1,250 regional vendors to provide seasonal produce and unique, handcrafted items like hot sauces, nut butters, and salsas. They have departments for bakery, cheese, deli, meat, produce, seafood, and bulk grocery items.

When it comes to zero waste grocery stores in Portland, Oregon (or anywhere, for that matter), co-ops are usually a solid bet.

People’s Food Co-op is a community-owned, vegetarian grocery store that has been in SE Portland since 1970. They also have the longest running year round market in Portland, featuring local produce and artisan foods using organic, local, and ethically-sourced ingredients.

They offer a sizable bulk food section for sustainable snacks, pantry staples, and bulk spices Portland foodies will certainly appreciate, as well as local and organic produce and vegetarian and vegan groceries. The weekly Farmers’ Market features a unique line-up of vendors selling seasonal produce, fresh-baked bread, beautiful flowers, and prepared food.

Aiming to bridge the gap between sustainability and affordability, both the Co-op and their Farmers’ Market participate in the Double Up Food Bucks Program, which matches $20 per week for people using EBT cards at the market.

Located in the vibrant Alberta Arts District, Alberta Co-op offers local and sustainable grocery and wellness items that are sourced based on ethical guidelines that prioritize local, organic, and fair-trade products.

Alberta Co-Op offers bountiful departments of produce, bulk foods, dairy products, grab & go foods, beer & wine, wellness products, and household goods. They feature over 150 discounted Co-Op basics like vegetarian beans, peanut butter, pasta, and olive oil.

Supporting their mission of affordability, community, education, diversity, and cooperation, they share local resources to food pantries, domestic violence services, and BIPOC owned-businesses.

Bulk foods are the best foods, and the best foods are at Food Front Co-Op. Food Front builds long-term relationships with local vendors to support small farmers and ensure sustainability remains achievable.

They feature an extensive bulk food section that can help you curb your plastic usage. This Portland bulk store fills their bulk bar with various nuts, coffees, seeds, grains, spices, legumes, and other dried goods. Notable sustainable food brands they feature include Equal Exchange, Grizzlies Granola and Bob’s Red Mill Grains.

Know Thy Food is dedicated to creating food transparency in the community. Their key beliefs are connecting farmers and producers directly to customers, supporting locally and sustainably produced foods, and minimizing the use of non-renewable resources.

This Portland bulk store has a lot to offer including fresh produce, package-free snacks, and pantry staples. Their bulk foods department features self-serve bulk pantry staples and eco-friendly household items. You’ll also find a solid selection of local beverages like local teas, kombucha, craft beers, and ciders.

The co-op partners with Feed the Mass, a non-profit providing educational courses on sustainable solutions to combat food waste.

Of all sustainable stores near Portland, Clary Sage Herbarium is the best for anyone interested in DIY beauty and wellness or cooking. It’s a Boricua women-owned healing space filled with organic herbs, tinctures, teas, therapeutic essential oils, flower-essences, incense, crystals, and elixirs like Bee Calm Stress Relief Spray, Happiness Tonic, and Liver Vitality

Bulk herbs are sourced organically and locally and packaged with compostable packaging.

Clary Sage Herbarium has a personal mission to decolonize herbalism by forgoing wild-crafted products. They feature a section exclusively for BIPOC creators featuring earrings, tonic, incense, tinctures, and more.