Vancouver's first zero-waste grocery store open for business

Vancouver's first zero-waste food grocery store officiallyopensSaturday.

The Soap Dispensary & Kitchen Staples at 3718 Main Streetjoins otherzero-waste grocery stores such asSalt Spring Island'sGreen Zero Waste Grocery,Ottawa'sNuGrocery andMontreal'spicerie Loco.

The Soap Dispensary first opened in 2011 asan environmentally-friendlyrefill shop offering cleaning products in bulk, reusable containers and kitchen wares.

But now, the husband and wifeco-ownershaveexpanded their shopto includegroceries such asberries, herbs, cheese and dips.

"You won't find a shred of plastic in there," said On the Coastfood columnist Gail Johnson who took a tour of the store.

Johnson said ownerLinh Truongrealized customers wanted more thancleaning supplies and personal cosmetics.

Truongwanted a place where food could be purchased without plastic packaging, which led owners to offerkitchen staples.

Cooking oils, honey, vinegar, soy sauce andtamariare all on tap. Close to 50 herbs and spices, chips, seeds, yogurt and catniphave also been added.

Lower Mainland food suppliers havebegun delivering their products to the store. Perogies, dumplings, vegan cookie dough, wheat and oats fill the shelvesnext to plastic-free cooking and cleaning utensils.

Reduce, reuse and recycle

Truongsaid the goal is to reduce and reuse materials and only use recycling as a last resort.

"Critics will say recycling does have its own problems. It takes energy, it takes transport, there's pollution involved," said Johnson.

"While bulk food stores are great about reducing food packaging to a certain extent, you still have to use a plastic bag or plastic container for your peanut butter or dried lentils."

Ideally, customerswill use theirown glass containers, though they are available to buyat the store.

"Kind of old timey, kind of quaint, but it works," said Johnson.

Also on the horizon is a second zero-waste market called Nada. That organization has operated pop-up shops in Kitsilano and at other venues such as farmers marketsaround Vancouver since2015.

They are nowworking onopening a brick-and-mortar location at675 East Broadway.

With files from On the Coast