We’re very thrilled to see the rise in awareness on low impact and sustainable brands in the Philippines over the last few years. From skincare products to fresh produce, alternative groceries have been popping up in every major city. And for good reason, too: by supporting these shops we are in turn supporting social enterprises, revisiting time-tested methods (salt stones, anyone?), encouraging small but mindful businesses, while in turn lessening our reliance on plastic and single use packaging. So, are you eager to get started? Here’s a list of the stores we frequent plus our top buys from each:
2nd Floor, Languages International Bldg., 926 Arnaiz Ave., Makati
Opened in 2010, Ritual can be considered as a veteran in the package-free department since they were the first to introduce the idea of bringing your own containers for shopping. Step into their Makati store and it’s like you’ve been transported back in time: wooden toys, weaved baskets, sikwate (rich chocolate that reminds us of our carefree summers in the province), handcrafted bars of soap (rustic
and beautiful), plus huge containers filled with lesser known but high quality local produce such as saba flour, balicucha (pulled mascobado sugar), dried herbs and spices, even rice all sourced from small-scale farmers.
Our fave buys: Refillable Lavender Liquid Body Soap in old Ginebra bottles, refillable borax (for making your own detergent at home), Mushroom Salt, and their Vegan Mayo.
YDG Coffee, Mandala Park, Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong
Located inside YDG Coffee, you can enjoy your robust coffee, breakfast, and get work done (there is free wifi) in this cool yet sustainable café. Humble Market exclusively carries Seeds of Life, a line of locally-produced nut butters and healthy spreads. Think Creamy Almond Butter, Date Butter, and Tahini to name a few, all created by Humble Market co-founder Roanna Medina. Humble Market also carries various compostable home cleaning accessories such as wooden Dish Brushes, to personal care items like silicon menstrual cups, refillable deodorants, reusable cutlery, etc. The store is also near the weekly Good Food Sundays, a popular vegan food market.
Our fave buys: Vegan Lip Balm in compostable cardboard packaging, Farfalle pasta, adlai.
Unit 30, 68 Roces, 68 Don A. Roces Ave, Quezon City
Founded by the force behind Sip Stainless Steel Straws, Pocholo Espina, Loop is one of the newer stores to open in Quezon City. The store may be small but it offers wide array of personal skin care products from shampoo bars to natural toothpastes, a selection of locally made weaved accessories, sustainable bags, even upcycled yoga mats. Loop is very current and understands that going package-free is a lifestyle choice and therefore aims to offer alternatives in all aspects. They have started to venture into sustainable products for pets starting with unique Abaca toys made by a partner community in Payatas. Loop also tests each and every product that they carry ensuring that quality is never compromised, offering only products that they believe in and vouch for.
Our fave buys: Create your own mess kit at the store. Choose from reusable tumblers, coffee cups, steel straws, even pouches to house them all in. They ship plastic-free, too.
Cubao Expo, General Romulo Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City
A homey package-free stop where you will be greeted by co-owners Kat and Hazel, giving KatHa a fun and youthful vibe. They just celebrated their grand opening last weekend and we really love that it is in the heart of Cubao, in the artsy and always alive Cubao Expo no less. From Mushroom Chicharon to refillable castile soaps, they have interesting offerings like cacao nibs with chili, lemon balls (dried
lemons you can just pop into your kettle and tada – hot tea!, plus homemade peanut butter. Yum! Everything is sold by the gram and prices are impressively affordable.
Our fave buys: Their flower and fruit teas are must-tries and they have quite a selection. We
recommend their Purple Globe Amaranth Tea and Butterfly Pea Tree. You can also create your trail mix in-store!
Finally, a mindful zero waste store in the South! Slo Store is a concept store of Aryann Avenido, the brains behind Slo Living, a mindful brand that offers earth-friendly products and solutions to our every day plastic dilemmas. Slo Store will open this July and will be housed in coffee shop Bean & Yolk, Alabang. The package-free shop will house pantry staples such as sugar, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, flour,
etc. all locally sourced from a community in Quezon province.
Our fave buys: The innovative collapsible straw unique to Slo, so tiny that it will fit in your pocket. And the Slo Tote that has thoughtful pockets making sure that our mason jars and bottles are secure when you about shopping.
It’s plastic-free July and the best time to kickstart your zero-waste lifestyle. Find more sustainable and package-free brands at Simple: Zero Waste Pop Up on July 27-28, 2019 at Malingap Central Food Hall, 40 Malingap Street, Teacher’s Village Quezon City. Bring your containers, produce bags and reusable totes for a whole weekend of zero-waste shopping!
