When I was exposed to the zero waste lifestyle in 2017, I quickly googled “zero waste store Minnesota”. No results. Then I googled “zero waste store USA”. I learned of Lauren Singer’s Package-Free Shop in Brooklyn, NY and in.gredients in Austin, Texas. I quickly discovered that zero waste stores were popping up in masses in Australia, Europe, and Canada, but those were the only two in the USA. Why weren’t there more? And better yet, why didn’t one exist locally so that I could shop there?!
Meanwhile, I was hearing from my community (Minneapolis, MN) that people wanted to shop at a zero waste store. Local Co-Ops were amazing, but some offered little to no variety in their bulk aisle, were difficult to get to, and lacked everyday items like bamboo toothbrushes or plastic-free dish soap. I was told by many that they wanted a zero waste store where they could purchase the everyday items they needed, waste-free.
I was a member of a few difference environmental groups, and at these meetings I’d echo what everyone else was saying, “Wouldn’t it be great if someone started a zero waste store here in the Twin Cities?” For a year this would be my mantra. And even though I was dreaming about starting a store, and even quietly sketching out store ideas on a notepad, I was mostly keeping my thoughts to myself. Though I am confident, capable, and an intelligent woman, I was hesitant about starting a business. Would it be successful? Where would I get the capital to start it? How do I find the necessary lawyers, accountants, web designers, etc. to make this business run?
One of my favorite podcasts is Jenna Kutcher’s Goal Digger’s Podcast. In one episode she talked about how women talk themselves out of taking risks. I listened to that podcast and realized that I had been talking myself out of the risk of starting a zero waste store for almost two years. I had been making excuses as to why someone else was better suited when really I wanted to start one myself. With Jenna’s words, I realized I needed to jump in to my business idea with both feet and give it a shot.
So the next time I found myself in one of those community meetings, I started asking who was interested in working together to start a zero waste store. I then gathered everyone from that list in the back room of a coffee shop and posed the question, “How do we bring sustainable living to Minnesota?” In a sense, Tare Market was born right then and there.
Tare Market will be Minnesota’s first zero waste store. It aims to make sustainable living more accessible and convenient. Tare Market will sell shelf-stable food, home and health products, and sustainable living supplies. Tare Market aims to fight climate change by providing people with a local waste-free option.
Are you interested in starting your own zero waste store? Send me a message on the Contact Me page to be notified when my course, How to Start Your Own Zero Waste Store, is available for registration.