When it comes to shopping sustainably, Vancouverites are spoiled for choice
If you’re looking to lead a more sustainable lifestyle, pay a visit to The Soap Dispensary, Vancouver's first dedicated refill shop that specializes in premium bulk soaps, cleaners, hygiene and beauty products, plus a selection of popular and unique DIY ingredients so you can make the essentials at home, too.
Opened in 2011, The Soap Dispensary selects products that have minimal impact on human and environmental health. With a large percentage of household waste coming from groceries, The Soap Dispensary began refilling food in 2015. Two years later, they expanded next door to open Kitchen Staples, a packaging-free speciality grocery store that emphasizes locally made and organic ingredients.
The Soap DispensaryNo matter your kitchen and homeware needs, you’ll almost certainly find what you are looking for at The Soap Dispensary. The store stocks about 400 bulk food products, ranging from pantry staples like spices and grains to packaging-free items like tofu and chips, as well as unique and specialty goods like plant-based proteins and cheese.
In keeping with its sustainable mission, The Soap Dispensary partners with environmentally and socially responsible companies near and far. “We feel lucky to be based in beautiful British Columbia where at last count, 65 percent of our soap suppliers and 73 percent of our grocery suppliers call home!” says founder Linh Truong.
One of their partners is Vancouver's oldest recycling company, Recycling Alternative, where The Soap Dispensary recycles packaging and materials they can’t reuse, such as excess cardboard, mixed paper and clear soft plastic. As they outline on their website, downcycling of packaging is important to capture whatever value is in the material and prevent it from becoming waste and pollution.
Whether you’re looking for DIY materials like aloe vera and charcoal clay, reusable containers to store your goods, or lifestyle goods like candles and books, The Soap Dispensary has every you need to turn your home into a sustainable oasis.