Shopping Zero-Waste in LA at re_grocery

This blog post is longgg overdue! One of my absolute favorite places in Los Angeles is a zero-waste refill store called re_grocery. I will literally go on a day when I’m off from work and call it self-care. It satisfies my need for novelty, and it’s good for the planet!

A couple of years ago, I trekked across the city (13 miles in LA is no joke) because I had never been to Highland Park and because this hipster neighborhood is where I had researched three zero-waste stores: re_grocery, Sustain LA, and Wild Terra.

These stores are where you can fill up on household goods and ingredients in bulk without any single-use plastic packaging. Wild Terra’s brick-and-mortar sadly closed, but they had a great selection of herbs and loose-leaf teas. They have since re-branded to Wild & Tea and sell online. Sustain LA was mostly kitchen and bath products and cleaning supplies, but re_grocery had it all! Cleaning supplies, fresh food, and almost every dry grocery staple you could imagine. I asked an employee if they had plans to come to West LA, and they said their second store would be in Mar Vista, which is super close to me! That store opened in August 2022, and then they opened a third location in Studio City shortly after.

What does shopping zero waste a re_grocery look like?

You can either bring your own containers, or use the paper bags and glass jars they provide for an additional fee. I’ve seen someone load up on hand soap in a wine bottle (they have funnels you can use)! I usually bring a mix of empty glass jars and plastic yogurt containers.

The first step is to put your empty container on a scale to weigh it, and then scan a little tag and secure the rubber band around your container. At checkout, they weigh your full containers, and you pay by weight, so this is an important step so you aren’t over-charged.

Next, you get to fill up your containers! If you have a lot of containers, grab a cute little cart. Re_grocery has so many things, I feel like a kid in a candy shop and always try something new. They have protein powders and loose-leaf teas. Any non-perishable cooking staple you need from flour to turmeric to rice to dehydrated soup mixes to pitaya power. They have liquid shampoo, conditioner, body wash, dish soap, and laundry detergent. They have oils, vinegars, and kombucha on tap.

If you’re making a recipe that calls for an ingredient like nutmeg or lentils that you don’t have but only need like a ¼ cup of it, this is the place to come. I think it would be so fun to go and make your own trail mix. They have a variety of nuts, crackers, dried fruit, and chocolate-covered snacks!

I often buy dishwasher pods, rice, popcorn kernels, cornstarch (for making tofu crispy in the air fryer), white vinegar, rolled oats, chia seeds, and hemp hearts.

Every time I go to re_grocery, I feel like there are more fresh food items like eggs, kimchi, and some vegetables. If you need things like metal food containers, plastic-free deodorant, hair ties, or stasher bags, they also have a bunch of non-plastic items for purchase.

After you fill a container, you can take a piece of tape and write down the product code so the cashier knows what it is. They offer a rewards program where you get $10 off after spending $100.

They are open 9 am to 7 pm every day, and you can order for pick-up or get your items delivered to your house. Re_grocery also sometimes partners with other companies like Suay to recycle old towels, Ridwell to recycle wine corks, and Madewell to donate your old denim (in exchange for a Madewell discount!). You can follow them on Instagram to learn about all their events!

If you don’t live in Los Angeles, re_grocery also ships nationwide! You can check out their extensive website to see everything they offer (it’s overwhelming but in a good way).