Eco-friendly alternatives to grocery stores
Adopting sustainable and eco-friendly practices into your grocery shopping routine helps cut costs and supports our local communities.
Farmers markets
Luckily in NC, there are local farmer's markets in almost every town. Shopping at farmer's markets is often cheaper, and your dollars help support local communities and businesses. These markets also offer more than produce; there are often homemade goods like bread, canned items, as well as jewelry and clothing.
Some local markets include:
- Raleigh State Farmer's Market
- Black Farmer's Market (opens in April)
- South Durham Farmers' Market
- Cary Downtown Farmer's Market
Eco-friendly grocery stores
Some grocery stores encourage bulk shopping and reusing containers rather than single-use plastics.
Joining a food co-op is also a great alternative to traditional grocery store shopping. Stores like Sprout Farmers Market and Fresh Market have refill options that allow people to shop the amount they need using their own containers or using eco-friendly packaging.
Aldi and Lidl already are making strides towards affordable groceries, but another way that they are helping is by promoting reusable bags. Even if you buy bags in stores, the bags are made from recyclable materials.
Local food co-ops
Food co-ops are grocery stores owned by local communities. Typically, they offer cheaper prices and provide healthier options.
- Weaver Street Market
- Durham Co-op
- Fertile Ground Food Cooperative
Hygiene & personal goods
Billions of single-use plastics derive from beauty and personal care items. Save money by refilling your products instead of buying new. The packaging for these products are often made of paper or recycled material that can either be recycled or reused. There are many stores across the Triangle that offer products ranging from lotion to shampoo to toilet cleaning products.
Mindful Merchant in Cary
Mindful Merchant offers mostly eco-friendly cleaning products. Their refill station allows customers to bring their own containers and fill up on coffee, hygiene products like mouthwash tablets and dish soap and cleaning products. Staff weigh their containers before and after filling and are only charged for the product, not the packaging. They also accept old batteries and container donations. Mindful Merchant also partners with Fillaree in Durham and Fiddle Tree Farm in Apex.
Fillaree in Durham
Fillaree is a women-owned and led company that focuses on personal care and cleaning items. The website provides a map of local refill stations and makes at-home refills easy.
Part & Parcel in Durham
Part & Parcel is a sustainable grocery store that offers refillable items like grains, spices and dried fruits and vegetables. All of their orders are packed in upcycled glass or paper bags. The store carries bulk grocery items, home cleaning supplies, personal care products and more. They also accept SNAP/EBT benefits.
Fiddle Tree Farm in Apex
Fiddle Tree is a small farm located in Apex that specializes in natural skin care products. They make their own goat milk soaps and lotions.
