Living in a consumer paradise has its downsides, like the sheer amount of packaging that you wind up throwing away—mostly plastic. Plastic is an amazing material, and it gets used to package everything from shampoo to produce for one simple reason: It works really well at keeping food fresh and protected from damage. Plus, it’s really convenient.
But that convenience has a price, because we’re throwing away a lot of plastic packaging. Almost all plastic packaging is thrown away after a single use (hence the term “single-use plastic”), and a huge amount of that plastic winds up in the environment. That’s a big reason why so many Americans are looking for ways to reduce their dependence on single-sue plastic.
Which often leads them to zero-waste stores, also known as refill stores (or, more charmingly, “refilleries”). These stores let you bring your own reusable containers to buy groceries, health and beauty products, and cleaning products, eliminating (in theory) plastic waste. This might seem like an obvious way to live a more sustainable life—but there are downsides.
Zero-waste or refill stores all operate similarly: You bring your own containers, whether that’s Tupperware or other sealable plastic bowls, glass jars, or literally any container that can be filled, sealed, and then cleaned for re-use. Most products are offered raw, in bulk, in large dispensers or pump stations without individual packaging; some products (like dissolvable cleaning tablets that you mix with water) are sold individually. Most stores offer containers for sale (or for free, via donations) if you don’t have your own, or if you miscalculate and need a few extra.
You weigh your containers when you enter the store, then fill them up with whatever you want. Aside from eliminating single-use packaging, this also has the advantage of enabling you to buy only as much as you need. If your cereal regularly goes stale at home because you don’t eat through a standard box fast enough, you can purchase just a small amount that’s ideal for your consumption rate.
When you’re done, you weigh the containers again and pay for the weight of each product. You bring the stuff home, use it, and when you’re done you clean out your containers, bring them back, and repeat the process. If you commit to the lifestyle, you eliminate all that packaging you would otherwise throw into the trash.
A refill store can definitely help you reduce the amount of stuff you’re throwing into the trash or the recycling bin. And less plastic in our landfills and oceans is definitely a good thing. But that doesn’t mean zero-waste stores don’t have their downsides:
Sanitation. You have to clean your reusable containers very thoroughly if you’re going to prevent bacteria or mold from creeping in—but the act of washing them can actually make them less safe to use, as rough scrubbing or dishwasher cycles can create grooves where bacteria can grow, as well as break the plastic down, allowing its components to leach into food.
Reusable math. The plastic, glass, or metal container you bring to a refill store most likely required a lot more resources to create than the flimsy single-use plastic in a standard grocery store—which means you have to use them a lot to actually have a net-positive impact. If this is a permanent shift in how you shop, you’ll eventually get there—but the number of uses resets every time you have to introduce a new container, further eroding the impact.
Price. Zero-waste shops usually have some pretty tough margins, and can be as much as three times more expensive for certain products than a traditional grocery store.
Spoilage and spillage. Single-use plastics are pretty good at keeping food fresh and free from blemishes—one study demonstrated that plastic-wrapped cucumbers lasted more than a week longer than “naked” ones. Unwrapped produce may spoil faster, leading to increased food waste.
There’s also the issue of spillage in the store—mistakes with dispensers or knocking loose produce onto the floor leads to waste and bruising, further increasing the potential for food waste.
Choice. Most zero-waste stores are fervently local and focused on environmentally friendly products, which makes sense. But that means that you might not find a lot of familiar brands in those dispensers, so you might need to adjust your expectations and preferences.
That said, zero-waste stores offer an opportunity to lead a less wasteful lifestyle. If you have a refillery nearby and want to give it a go, there are some basic best-practices to follow:
Choose containers wisely. You want to bring containers that are appropriately sized so you can buy the amount of products that you need. You can use just about anything—old cereal boxes can be filled with fresh cereal, for example—but filling a square plastic storage container with shampoo might be a little awkward.
Pre-plan. Because you have to fill up your own containers, shopping at a refill store can take a little longer than shopping at a regular grocery store. Know what you need (and how much of it you need) before you go to cut down on the amount of time it takes to get through your list.
Contain containers. Don’t forget you’ll need to transport your collection of jars, bowls, and boxes from the store to your home, so you’ll need to bring some shopping bags to put everything into. You might already bring your own bags when you shop, but keep in mind that your glass and metal containers may be heavier than the single-use plastics at a traditional store, so make sure your shopping bags are strong enough—and that you can carry them all.
Go slow. Many dispensers in zero-waste stores work using gravity, so it’s easy to have a torrent of beans or whatever just go shooting everywhere. Your container will fill up quickly, so be careful to avoid spillage.
Ask. Zero-waste stores are usually run by people who have a lot of knowledge and passion about the environment and consumption. If you need advice on replacing your usual products or storing something, asking the owners or employees is almost always your best bet.
