We McSisters have purchased products from Zero Waste Outlet.  We were so impressed with the products and especially pleased to find a company that actually does what it says - there is no plastic in the packaging or the products, for that matter, and the boxes used are amazingly exactly the right size for what you order.  We were really impressed by that.  We invited Brian, the owner of Zero Waste Outlet, to be a guest blogger on McSisters Tackle Plastic and he agreed.  Thank you, Brian, for sharing your very inspiring story and for creating a business that makes a difference in the world.

I started Zero Waste Outlet in 2019, as a small family business. After an intensely scary bout with cancer forced me to re-examine my purpose in life, my perspective was changed when I got a particularly packaging-heavy box from Amazon. The item I ordered had come in its own packaging, with its own styrofoam inserts to keep the contents safe. Despite this, the warehouse had packed it in what must have been, quite simply, the biggest box they could nd. Amazon included several plastic blow-up bubbles and styrofoam packing peanuts in this huge box as well. This honestly frustrated me– the item I ordered was perfectly capable of being shipped by itself! Why, all of a sudden, did my retail experience need to be full of all this excessive plastic waste? This sentiment of mine, shared by many, is what fueled my inspiration to start my business.

Zero Waste Outlet takes pride in the way we package our products. We really feel that we go above and beyond when we refuse to use any styrofoam or packing peanuts in our shipments. We turn our noses up at air-lled plastic bags when it comes to packing our orders safely– we opt for more eco-friendly materials. From in-house, hand-printed cardboard boxes that naturally biodegrade, (we use water-based ink) to reused packing newspaper from our vendors and community, each component of the order and shipping process is considered. Additionally, we use a nifty crinkle paper that forms a soft yet rm barrier for more fragile products. Our packing tape, stickers, and labels are always berglass-free, and recyclable.

In addition to our commitment to what we use to pack orders, we also pay a lot of attention to how we pack them. We try to combine boxes and save space as much as possible, while still being mindful of the size and durability of each piece. Every now and then we will use a tissue paper or jute thread to wrap or tie products neatly together. The result of all of this fussing is an order of zero waste products, proudly packed in a zero waste way. This is the service we’re committed to providing at our company.

If you’ve made it to the end of this blog, then congratulations! You’re probably thinking about the way that you shop online, and how your essential goods are shipped to you. How can you make sure you’re supporting green shipping practices? Well, sourcing your home goods from Zero Waste Outlet is an easy plug for me to share, but there are certainly several merchants out there that are dedicated to green packaging. If you’re interested in a new product from a new brand, take the time to look at their “About Us” section, to see if they say anything about their packing and shipping practices. Not every online retailer will have something like this on their website, but a responsible one should be open to sharing that information, if you decide to utilize email, or a contact form.

Thanks for taking the time to learn more about eco-conscious online retailing and shipping! Together we’ll reduce our plastic footprint.

What can you do?

• Try shopping at Zero Waste Outlet: https://zerowasteoutlet.com

• Be mindful of how and where you shop and switch to eco-conscious retail whether it’s online or brick and mortar.