Want to reduce your plastic waste but don’t know where to start? Eco-friendly bulk stores are like traditional bulk stores but sustainability-focused, allowing you to bring your own containers and fill them with products like liquid soap, laundry detergent, lotion, facial care products, beauty products, food, and more.
Not only will you minimize plastic waste this Earth Day and beyond, but you will also reduce food waste by only purchasing what you know you’ll need. Here are eight eco-friendly bulk stores to start your sustainability journey. Decorative Birthday Candles
This zero-waste refill shop has a variety of sustainable products for cleaning, beauty, and more. Hand and body wash, eco-friendly dryer sheets, shampoo bars, solid dish bars, and even plastic-free floss are available at affordable prices. Customers can bring their containers to refill or choose from donated sustainable packaging. Refill Emporium also offers a recycling service for hard-to-recycle materials like plastic wrappers and other packaging. Refill Emporium, 21524 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores; refillemporium.com.
This Ferndale refillery aims to help metro Detroiters reduce plastic waste and live more sustainably. The shop offers bath, body, laundry, household cleaning, hair care, facial care, beauty, oral care, first aid, personal hygiene products, spices, herbs, dry goods, and more. Customers can bring their containers to refill. Recycling and composting services are available, too. Walking Lightly, 1031 Hilton Road, Ferndale; walkinglightly.net.
86 Plastic Co. was named after the term used in restaurants to indicate an item is no longer available. It encourages customers to make small swaps to cut out single-use plastic on everyday items. Customers can bring their containers to this zero-waste shop and refill them with a variety of dry foods like dried fruit, grains, nuts, oils, spices, snacks, and teas, as well as household items like cleaning supplies, shampoo, body wash, sunscreen, toothpaste, laundry detergent, and more. 86 Plastic Co., 5075 Livernois Road, Troy; 86plasticco.com.
This bulk food store recently celebrated 41 years of eco-friendly grocery shopping. By The Pound’s shelves are stocked with spices, teas, grains, coffee, almost any flour you can think of, candy, nuts, and much more. Bags and containers are available for customers to fill, but bringing your own containers is also encouraged. By The Pound, 1952 S. Industrial Hwy., Ann Arbor; facebook.com/bythelb.
BYOC Co. (Bring Your Own Container) is a refill station and zero-waste shop that offers eco-friendly and ethically produced products. Customers’ favorites include dryer balls, shower steamers, fabric softener pods, curly hair gel, and solid dish soap. Customers are encouraged to bring their containers, hence the name. The shop also has plenty of containers for purchase and a donation shelf of free containers. BYOC Co., 255 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; and 550 Forest Ave., Plymouth; byocco.com.
This Michigan refillery features locally made and sustainably sourced products for your home, kitchen, bath, and beauty routine. Most of their products, including cream deodorant, solid perfume, beeswax birthday candles, soap berries, and more, are sourced from small, Michigan-based makers, artisans, and creators. Bee Joyful also hosts various events and workshops like clothing swaps, zero-waste mixology classes, and composting 101 classes. Bee Joyful, 3203 Broad St., Dexter; beejoyfulshop.com.
The Red Oak Refillery is based in Michigan, woman-owned, allergen-free, clean, safe, natural, and effective. Best-sellers include natural bug spray, toilet bombs, all-purpose cleaner, concentrated laundry soap, biodegradable lip balm, and automatic dish powder. Customers are encouraged to bring their own containers. The Red Oak Refillery also offers mentorship opportunities for those looking to start their own refill station. Red Oak Refillery, 4755 Dixie Hwy., Waterford; redoakrefillery.com.
This low-waste bulk store has everything you need to stock your kitchen without all the plastic. MI-Fillosophy offers pasta, rice, beans, nuts, baking ingredients, extracts, spices, dried fruits, sauces, home goods, reusables, soaps, and more. Recent favorites include organic popcorn, chocolate chips, jarred baking mix, Peru whole-bean coffee, and essential oils. MI-Fillosophy, 1170 Ann Arbor Road, Plymouth; mifillosophy.com.
Magnesium Fire Starter For more community development news, visit hourdetroit.com.