Low Waste Living Resources in Vancouver, Washington
In our community, there’s wisdom to be shared and resources to discover. Seeking to live a zero-waste life is not about solitary heroics but finding strength and knowledge through connections. Local recycling centers, farmers’ markets, and sustainability groups often form the backbone of this endeavor. These are places where goods can be found that have stories, where faces are familiar, and where the heartbeat of a neighborhood is palpable.
Sometimes, the task may seem daunting, but small, everyday choices can have profound effects. A reusable water bottle, choosing to compost, or simply engaging in conversations with like-minded individuals are all threads in the fabric of this lifestyle.
To make it a bit easier, we’d like to share some local resources for folks here in Vancouver, just over the bridge in Portland, or new friends that may be passing through.
Zero-Waste Shopping, that's us!
We hope you already know that we're your local low waste living shop and bulk refillery. We offer a wide range of plastic-free kitchen and home essentials, personal care items, locally made pottery, and more. We’ve carefully vetted the sourcing and sustainability of all products in our store.
Our bulk refillery offers essential items like dish soap, laundry detergent, and hand soap, as well as all-purpose cleaners and cleaning-grade vinegar. We also have shampoo, conditioner, body wash, bubble bath, room sprays, and DIY ingredients such as butters, carrier oils, resins, and more. All our products are made with environmentally friendly ingredients and are free from plastics and parabens.
If you haven't already, you should check out our ever-growing herbal apothecary, which has a large selection of single herbs, base teas, and tea blends. You can bring your own container to fill (just get the tare weight at our scale before filling), use one of our customer-donated jars, or head straight to our ready-to-go pre-fill section.
We host various community events at our community table, including bi-weekly free community swaps, advocacy crash courses, and mutual aid offerings like the Vancouver Free Fridge in our back parking lot, kitchen compost drop-off, and a Resiliency Garden. Like we said, everyday choices = profound effects.
We also accept donations of some usually recycled goods that can be given a second life.
*Glass jars - Clean, label removed, and a lid that fits.
*Paper bags with handles.
Partner program drop-offs:
*Furry Friends - cat items
*Secondhand Pet Supply: Gently used or new pet supply items are available for donation
*Clark County Food Bank & FISH: Egg cartons - 1 dozen quantity only.
*Project Huddle: Yarn can be donated @forget.me.knot.community.
Feed The Soil, Compost Your Enemies 😏
-WeCompost Hubs are community hub bins for dropping off kitchen waste are available. There's one located at Kindred! All food waste is accepted, including cooked or raw meat, seafood and bones, prepared or cooked food, baked goods, dairy products, grains, produce, and coffee grounds. Items not accepted include those labeled “compostable” or “biodegradable,” such as bags, grease, paper towels, paper plates, glass, styrofoam, and pet waste.
-Waste Connections collection service offers green curbside bins that are picked up bi-weekly. Allowed materials include all compostable pre- and post-consumer food waste, such as whole or partial pieces of produce, meats, bones, cheese, bread, cereals, coffee grounds, and eggshells. Not allowed materials include dead animals, all other plastics, diapers, cat litter, free-flowing liquid waste, ashes, pet waste, garbage, glass, foam, compostable service ware, soiled paper, or any materials prohibited by the organics processor.
-Community gardens and composting sites are available for those interested in composting. Local kitchen scraps and yard waste drop off sites can be found here!
-There are free community composting workshops and education held by the Clark County Composter Recycler Program! Highly recommend these for hands-on learning everything from a full 3-bin system to a smaller worm-bin operation.
Recycling & Beyond!
- City of Vancouver curbside recycling program: the blue bins!
- Earth Friendly Recycling: Did you know there's a local, family-owned business that recycles electronics, appliances, and #6 polystyrene foam? Located in central Vancouver, these folks are our hero's - helping us recycling items that would otherwise end up in the landfill.
- West Vancouver Materials Recovery Center: A resource for recycling cardboard, plastics, metals, paper, hazardous household waste, and more.
For more information and free workshops on recycling and composting, visit https://www.cityofvancouver.us/services/garbage-recycling/recycleu/.
Buy Nothing or Second-hand options include:
- Check out our bi-weekly swaps: Participate in themed bi-weekly swaps to embrace a low-waste and anti-capitalistic lifestyle. Bring good-condition items that match the theme and pick up something new. (No broken, damaged, or out-of-theme items.)
- Buy-nothing groups on social media: Search for buy-nothing groups on platforms like Facebook and Reddit to connect with neighbors. Check out https://buynothingproject.org/about for more information.
-Our favorite thrift stores that actively contribute to our local communities are ReTails thrift store, which is affiliated with a local humane society, and Secondhand Solutions thrift store, which is associated with a local family shelter.
-When searching for something specific and local, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and Craigslist are all excellent options.
Keep It Local - We Can Help Each Other Thrive!
When you need to purchase something new, consider supporting local small businesses and vendors. One great way to do this is by visiting our local farmers market . By buying local, you actively reduce the carbon footprint of your purchase.
We hope these local resources provide you with a starting point for your low-waste living lifestyle or perhaps introduce you to a resource you haven’t heard of before!