Christine Horner, copy editor

Making the switch to a more sustainable lifestyle can be daunting. There’s a lot of misinformation circulating about what is and isn’t sustainable. Take greenwashing for an example. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council’s website, “Greenwashing is the act of making false or misleading statements about the environmental benefits of a product or practice.” Think of terms like “natural” or “eco-friendly,” these labels seem promising but don’t actually mean anything real.

Fortunately, we have safe havens like refill stores to help promote sustainable living and to educate us about leading a more genuinely environmentally friendly lifestyle. But what are refill stores anyway? I would best describe them as minimal-packaging stores where customers can bring empty bottles to get refills of things like dry and household goods as well as cosmetics. These goods can include pantry staples such as pasta, cleaning supplies like dish soap and personal care items like body wash. Additionally, they can carry tools like bamboo dish brushes, reusable straws and even stainless steel tea infusers. There are several refill stores in the Twin Cities area, two of which are Tare Market, a national chain of refill stores. One of them is located in Nokomis on 2717 E. 38th Street, and the other is in Northeast on 945 Broadway Street NE.

I had the chance to visit the Nokomis location recently, where I browsed the store and spoke with one of the employees, Andy. I asked them what advice they would give someone who is trying to live more sustainably but doesn’t know where to start. They mentioned that starting small is okay — you don’t have to shift everything all at once. They suggested swapping out some of the packaged goods they would otherwise buy at retailers and grocery stores for some of the products that Tare Market and other refill stores carry. They also recommended buying in bulk, which is an option that Tare offers for an array of its products including, kitchen, cleaning and personal care. On top of all this, they also offer community recycling for products from specific brands such as Gillette and Colgate.

I also visited another refill store called R Marketplace at 1922 1st Ave in downtown Anoka. This small but mighty shop offers similar products to Tare, and they also carry a wide variety of children’s toys. During my recent visit, I spoke with Michelle, who suggested that newcomers to the sustainability movement use up what they have before buying more stuff and to be forgiving of yourself when mistakes are made because it’s very difficult to do zero waste perfectly with the way our society is set up. I asked about any ingredients to avoid, and they listed synthetic fragrance, anything with “poly” in the name because it usually means that it’s derived from plastic or petroleum, and to be cognizant of buzzwords and greenwashing. I also asked about which packaging-free products they would recommend swapping to, and they said that the easiest would be a shampoo bar.

Whether you’re just hearing about sustainable practices through this article or you’ve been active in this movement for years, refill stores like Tare and R Marketplace are excellent resources to start and maintain a sustainable lifestyle. Their knowledgeable staff and innovative products will be sure to inspire you to live green. Don’t forget to bring your reusable bags!