7 Vancouver Zero Waste Stores For Keeping Beautiful BC Beautiful

Davie St’s very own refillery has landed, right in the heart of the lively Village.

Refill Road is a stylish and passionate zero waste outpost inspiring the whole downtown community to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle, making it one of the best zero waste stores Vancouver.

WIth the intent to help Vacouverites easily obtain good, healthy, clever, simple items that don’t cost a fortune and tread the most lightly on our environment, founder Sandra has created an astoundingly wide range of refill options and zero waste items.

Their hip downtown space includes all things cruelty-free, biodegradable, and yep, refillable. Alongside your usual refillable goods like laundry soap, dish detergent, shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, and household cleaners, this shop also offers more bespoke items like cold-process soap and workshops on how to make your own.

Using traditional, artisanal methods of vegetable and essential oils, clays, herbs, and food colorants to make soap, founder Sandra teaches guests how to create natural soap.

We also love their selection of “conscious gifts,” which includes items for sale like a cute laundry gift set with wool dryer balls included, or one of our favorite quality natural toothpaste brands, Davids.

Thanks to The Soap Dispensary—the OG zero waste grocery store Vancouver—you can skip the packaging trash to find almost 800 bulk products, premium soaps, DIY ingredients, fine food, and locally-made organic staples.

Their inventory is impressive, with refillable body care, cleaning products, DIY ingredients, pantry goodies, fridge and freezer food items, kitchen tools, and a wide variety of zero waste, plastic free, and organic kitchen and home items. Some unique items include their portable fermenter kit, DIY bath bomb kits, quality essential oils, and over twenty refillable and package-free shampoos and conditioners. Simply bring your empty containers into their popular, airy Main St. shop and refill.

If you’re new to the zero waste game, they also have a solid selection of reusable storage to fill and refill again and again, with owner Linh and her friendly staff there to assist.

Added later, Kitchen Staples is a packaging-free specialty grocery store that emphasizes organic and locally made ingredients at affordable prices.

We also like that they prioritize ethical sourcing, with over 65% of their soaps and 75% of their grocery items coming from local, responsible sources.

From field to plate, The Source Bulk Foods promotes the zero waste “shopping revolution”.

Though part of a larger global franchise, these bulk food stores in Vancouver are owned and run by a local family who are genuinely passionate about reducing food waste, quality food, and healthy options for their families.

At both their Vancouver refill stores, there’s a huge variety of pantry staples, like different types of flour, dry fruits and nuts, spices, and novelty snacks like seasoned nuts, granola, candies, even energy balls. You can bring your own containers and weigh them, or use the paper bags provided if you forget.

You can also get tap kombucha, soap, oils and vinegars. They clearly label everything with the brand, ingredients, and any nutritional information.

One review noted that a number of their spices like Nutmeg were actually more affordable than the local big box No Frills grocery store, putting an end to the conception that sustainability always costs more.

Both locations include a team of qualified naturopaths, nutritionists, dieticians and passionate cooks, ready to impart their wisdom about leading a more nourished life. The staff here is always friendly and happy to help, and they’ll usually let you sample before buying.

Says Backspace, “like you, we’re frustrated and we’re taking action!” Their approach?

A refillery van making it convenient and affordable for Van-locals to live more sustainably.

Backspace’s young and ambitious team of three is making it easier to adopt sustainable habits without drastic sacrifices or a complete overhaul of your lifestyle. Find items like toothpaste tablets, laundry detergent strips, body wash, hand soap and more. They feature a deposit jar program, tons of refillable items, and a mobile van service for pop-ups—plus zero emission deliveries with the use of their electric car.

Bring the convenience of the low waste refill experience to your front door anywhere in Vancouver with a same day delivery thanks to the coolest little zero waste store Vancouver offers. Just make sure to get your order in daily before 1pm.

All the brands they partner with are based in Canada, using natural ingredients and sustainable materials, and prioritizing low-waste packaging to help Backspace achieve their mission. Think: cotton rounds or veggie brushes from Plantish Future, reusable period pads from Aisle, and scrumptious natural hair care from Good Juju.

You can also find all products online.

Founded in 2009 by two former UBC graduates, Greens set out to create a neighborhood destination market for Vancouverites to bike or walk to that makes a positive impact on the environment and our human health. Their Kitsilano shop lines busy West Broadway, making it easily accessible if you’re on mainland Vancouver.

At this bulk store, Vancouver shoppers will find all their grocery needs, thanks to their impressive pantry selection of local, natural, and organic bulk products that all meet the highest quality standards. Organic nuts, seeds, grains, pastas, rice, beans, and more are offered in their bulk department, which is kept fresh, clean, and easy to use.

We love that you’re guaranteed absolutely no GMOs, and no artificial preservatives or ingredients here.

They also offer a point rewards program that actually gives back, making Greens a great smally grocer that truly cares.

Granville Island is going zero waste, thanks to The Grainry’s hidden gem of an emporium located in the picturesque Granville Island Public Market.

This cute little family run shop manages to pack in over 700 items, making it the place to be for all your beautiful B.C. cooking, baking, and snacking needs.

Some of our snacking favorites they carry are delicious dried mango, strawberry yogurt covered pretzels, and cajun spiced almonds. In terms of rare spices, come here for all your zaatar, juniper berry, chestnut flour, mixed peppercorn, sumac spice, and Sri Lankan cassia cinnamon needs!

With rice, beans, and pastas of all kinds, endlessly unique and quality ingredients for all your cooking and baking needs, and tasty snacks, this is a one stop shop with a very friendly staff glad to recommend the perfect ingredients for your various culinary creations.

Doubling as an online hub and popular Vancity advocate of the zero waste movement, Net Zero Co is a local zero waste online store offering a slew of low-to-no waste goodies that ship worldwide. In their words, “we provide earth friendly products for your everyday life as we work towards a world thriving Net Zero.”

While not among physical Vancouver zero waste stores, they recently expanded by partnering up with Basic Goods Trading Company and Tru Earth to form a local trifecta of women-run sustainability brands under the Net Zero Co label.

It’s their shared passion to overcome the most pervasive material on Earth—plastic—which unites the trio to help everyone do something about it.

You’ll find classic must-haves like: bamboo cotton rounds, laundry detergent strips, reusable beeswax wraps, reusable food containers, wool dryer balls, and even zero waste toilet paper for the adventurous.

Then they also offer trickier items to find, for example konjac exfoliating face sponges. Made from compostable konjac root, a porous veggie root found in Asia, it magically whisks away dead skin cells, makeup, and impurities. Added infusions of aloe and bamboo charcoal also make it extra soothing and hydrating.

Not only does everything come with a 30-day guarantee, but they also plant a tree with every purchase to offset the already minimal carbon footprint of shipping orders locally.