Sunshine, shopping, and sustainability? We’re talking zero waste stores, San Diego style!
Whether you’re looking to refill everyday products or looking for zero waste groceries, America’s finest city is a fine place for a sustainable shopper. With its zero waste initiatives and eclectic collection of San Diego thrift stores, it was always going to be one of the greenest cities in the US.
We’ve gathered together the crème de la eco crème of San Diego bulk stores, so you can spend less time searching “zero waste stores near me” and more time surfing.
But before you hit the beach, swing by any of these zero waste stores in San Diego to stock up on snacks and zero waste sunscreen.
Exploring Zero Waste & Bulk Food Stores In San Diego
- Earthwell Refill Jump to store
- Scisters Salon Jump to store
- Refill Pantry Jump to store
- Sonora Refillery Jump to store
- Solana Center Jump to store
- The Mighty Bin Jump to store
- Bristlecone Market Jump to store
Earthwell Refill
Running low on bathroom essentials?
Family-owned Earthwell is one of the best zero waste stores in San Diego for non-toxic personal care products. Whether you’re looking for zero waste lotion (no ashy elbows here), haircare, hand soap, household cleaners, makeup, skincare, or pet care, there are plenty of products to bulk up your low-waste living habits.
Bring along your empty containers for refilling or browse their range of natural products designed to support you and your family’s health. They charge by weight, making it easy to stock up on a little or a lot of your favorite plastic-free essentials. You can find a complete list of all ingredients used in their refill products on their website.
They also sell art from local creators to grace your walls with San Diego magic.
Scisters Salon
Heads above the other zero waste stores in San Diego is Scisters Salon, a zero waste salon with an accompanying shoppable inventory. It’s the place to stop for a spa day or personal care product refill.
Among the salon services on offer are haircuts and coloring, sugaring (nontoxic waxing), and Reiki. They’ve designed their experience to be inclusive and consultative, so you can partner with your hairdresser to choose the best next step for your hair.
Scisters Salon sells the shampoo, conditioner, treatment, and styling products that they use in their salon, all available for refill in reusable containers. They also offer zero waste refillable skincare from Naim and eco-friendly makeup from Elate, as well as perfumes, deodorant, tooth care products, or zero waste household accessories, cleaning products, and essential oil reed diffusers.
Refill Pantry
Founded by a single mom wanting something better for her kids, San Diego zero waste shop Refill Pantry provides every day zero waste essentials to help encourage a more circular, less wasteful economy. That means products for everyone. Kids toys and play products, personal care items, cleaning supplies, aromatherapy solutions, and pet care items.
Most products are available for refill, and products that aren’t are sustainably sourced and packaged. For beginner refillers (or seasoned pros in want of a refresher), they provide guidance on their website on how to clean and sanitize your refillable cleaning products and containers before (re)use.
A portion of every purchase gets put back into the community, so families in need can stock up on zero waste products without the financial implications.
Sonora Refillery
Based in Oceanside, Sonora Refillery offers refillable and sustainable products for shipping or shopping in-store.
Refillable options include personal care products (haircare and skincare), cleaning products, oils, spices, and vinegar. Other sustainable and reusable products on offer from this zero waste San Diego store include baby care items, natural toothbrushes, and more.
Everything is plant-based, reef-safe, and are free from parabens and sulfates. They source fair trade whenever possible.
Solana Center
Few things are more critical to a zero waste lifestyle than the practice of composting. The Solana Center is a zero waste store San Diego citizens can rely on for everything composting and vermiculture (worm farming) related. Whether you’re looking for an indoor compost bin or worm bin, soil testing supplies, or composting kits, the Solana Center has everything you need to get started.
If you like the idea of composting but can’t manage it yourself, they also have worm castings (worm poop) for you to purchase and feed to your plants.
The environmental non-profit is geared at helping establish closed-loop systems at a regional level. With helpful online resources, composting kits, and supplies, you can learn all about the benefits of composting whilst supporting an impactful organization. Make sure to check out their events and workshops, too.
The Mighty Bin
The Mighty Bin is a mighty zero waste grocery store San Diego is quickly falling in love with.They offer bulk food and sustainable groceries, and they accept EBT, making them one of the most financially accessible and cheapest bulk grocery stores in San Diego.
There are plenty of staples to keep sustainable foodies happy including dried goods, baking supplies, grains, pasta, spices, herbs, nuts, dried fruit, and more. Produce is grown (mostly) without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and you’ll also find condiments, cooking oils, snacks, personal care, and household products. All products are ethically sourced with simple ingredients and plastic-free packaging.
If you’re looking for a fun way to spend an evening, The Mighty Bin offers monthly sustainability workshops on topics such as recycling, composting, and worm farming. So if you’ve been thinking about getting into vermicomposting through the Solana Center but are wondering what worms eat, they might just have some secrets to share.
The Mighty Bin also offers a monthly drop-off compost subscription.
Bristlecone Market
Designed around their delivery service, Bristlecone Market delivers locally grown produce and zero waste food products in the San Diego area on the first Saturday of every month. Named after the Bristlecone Pine tree (reported to be the oldest non-clonal living species on the planet) this San Diego zero waste market aims to be similarly resilient.
Bristlecone Market partners with regional growers to provide you with local, seasonal produce. By ordering The Local Farmer’s Pick you’ll receive 9-10 vegetables grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, harvested within 24 hours of delivery, to ensure your vegetables are the freshest possible.
You can also purchase dry, sustainable foods like legumes, nuts, pasta, granola, and dried fruit, and zero waste lifestyle supplies like soap and refillable jars. All products come in either glass or compostable packaging.