London’s Leading Zero Waste Grocery Stores
London rarely disappoints and on our search for the best zero waste grocery stores, we were thrilled by the abundance of options.
Zero waste stores provide their customers with a shopping experience that is free of plastic and packaging. The store concept is primarily dependent upon refill and bulk opportunities, with customers bringing their own containers to refill food, toiletries, or cleaning products.
Not solely focused on packaging, zero waste stores also promote a holistic and sustainable lifestyle by stocking local and organic products.
Here are the best grocery stores for the sustainably minded.
1. Bulk Market £
6 Bohemia Pl, London E8 1DU
East London's Bulk Market sells a wide range of zero-waste goods from local social enterprises, farms and co-ops within a 50-mile radius. Ingrid Caldironi, the owner of Bulk Market, even makes some of the products herself!
Get involved: Bulk has a composting programme in which you can take your food waste to them and place in their composter, which locals can subsequently pick up to use.
2. Whole Foods Market ££
63-97 Kensington High St, Kensington, London W8 5SE
The Kensington High Street store has a large unpackaged zero waste section and like all other Whole Foods, only sells products that are free of artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives. Their stores in Fulham and Richmond also have bulk buy sections, where you can find goodies like bulk frozen berries.
Get involved: You can take your own containers for the cheese and meat counters, coffee bar and bakery. There are also refill sections for your rice, lentils and nuts.
https://www.wholefoodsmarket.co.uk/
3. BYO £
21-23 Tooting High Street, Tooting, London, SW17 0SN
Bring Your Own (BYO) store is redefining the way we shop by encouraging customers to reuse their packaging and eliminate single use plastics. BYO encourages customers to fill up their own containers with foods and plastic-free accessories, like tote bags, OrganiCups and hydrophil soap pouches.
Get involved: Bring your own container (bottles, jars and bags) + weight it + fill it + pay for the contents only.
4. The Refill Larder £
122 High Street, Teddington, TW11 8JB
The founder of Refill Larder, Kate Chesshyre, is motivated to address the lack of plastic-free options available for day-to-day household items and food in the local supermarkets. Consumers have the option to shop online or in store at their Teddington base and buy refill cleaning products, as well as delicious organic food. Say hello to reusable food wraps, organic bamboo wipes and refillable Jojoba shampoo.
Get involved: You can recycle your bathroom products such as toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and other packaging with Refill Larder. The shop has teamed with TerraCycle, a recycling organisation that is able to recycle hard plastics that the local council cannot.
5. Mother Works £
1, Canalside, Here East Estate, London, E20 3BS
The Mother Works café in Hackney Wick serves affordable, organic and plant-based cuisine and beverages including kombucha; as well as a packaging-free refill station for high-quality items like the granola produced in-store.
Get involved: Bring your container or cup to this café to help them achieve their zero-waste goal and receive a discount.
6. Swop Market £
7 Burnt Ash Rd, Lee Green, London, SE12 8RG
Shop Without Packaging (SWOP) is supplying all of the sustainable goods with a fully plastic-free assortment. SWOP stocks solely vegetarian and vegan food that has been ethically and locally sourced whenever possible, in addition to household and personal hygiene refills.
Get involved: If you can't locate your favourite vegan or vegetarian food that meets all of the environmental criteria, let the Swop Market know and they'll do their best to source it for you!
7. Earthly Matters ££
5 Newburgh Street, London W1F 7RG
The first shop in its neighbourhood to position itself as a zero waste refill store. Earthly Matters stocks an impressive range of organic, allergen-free and environmentally friendly products. The store encourages customers to bring their own containers that they can fill up with cool products like immune- boosting vitamins,
Get involved: You can take your empty container to refill at Earthly Matters store as a means of cutting down on single use plastics.