New zero-waste grocery store now open in New Hampshire

As sustainability and climate change dominate the headlines globally, zero waste grocery stores are landing on the front page of U.S. newspapers as well.

A nod to the zero-waste movement, these grocery stores are popping up coast to coast encouraging shoppers to move away from single-use plastics and other environmentally harmful packaging.

The global pandemic has caused many to rethink their consumption and impact on the environment. Juliette Buell is one of them.

She is the founder and owner of Live Free Refillery the first zero-waste grocery store in the state of New Hampshire that opened this month.

Located in Bedford at 460 State Route 101, the new 2,100-square-foot store is not only a new grocery store for shoppers in New Hampshire but offers package-free grocery shopping that is sustainable.

Live Free Refillery takes the stress out of grocery shopping by offering a simplified selection of foods, in reusable or biodegradable packaging, from sources that can be trusted, according to the grocer’s website.

“Grocers can play a huge role in moving the sustainability world forward, especially in terms of eliminating single-use plastic packaging,” Buell told WGB.

With only nine percent of all plastics getting recycled, Buell said the timing of the opening of her zero-waste grocery store is overdue. “I'm 40 years old and I am beyond ready,” she said.

With a background in agriculture, during her research of opening the grocery store Buell said she realized the West Coast had more exposure to the refill movement than on the East Coast. But that is about to change as her store increases the store count of zero waste grocers on the Atlantic shore.

“I just think the refillery movement is awesome and a lot of these refilleries are run by women,” she said. “I think it’s so cool because it's like women are entering the grocery industry. This is creating an in for women who are the primary buyers of food and the homes across the country and it's our way of influencing the food system and saying we can do better and let me lead the way.”

From a sustainable stance, zero-waste grocers eliminate the use of new disposable plastic containers and instead rely on reused or repurposed containers from shoppers.

The store offers bulk foods in produce, dairy, non-toxic body care products, cleaning supplies and other planet-friendly items.

Many communities across the country and around the world are working towards zero waste and Buell said people are becoming more energized and excited to see this unfold.

“Yes, there is enthusiasm in the younger generation but people across the board are excited,” she said.