Chris Simmonds, owner of Less Than in the Fan
Look around your house. There are likely more than a few plastic bottles of dish detergent, bags and wrap, Tupperware and juice bottles in your home. Though they may leave your sight when you toss them in the trash or recycling bin, those items never actually exit the environment.
If this bothers you, going zero waste might be your solution.
Zero waste is about repurposing recyclables so that you don’t have to buy more plastic. The goal is to keep containers you’d otherwise throw away, while sustainably restocking the products you’re paying for.
Richmond’s zero-waste stores are a launchpad to this lifestyle and can turn your home into a more environmentally conscious space. There are several outlets in the region that allow you to refill your sundries, minus the plastic.
Chris Simmonds owns Less Than on Lombardy Street, which also has locations in Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Hampton. The zero-waste and refill shop focuses on products with simple ingredients made by environmentally responsible companies.
“Nothing in our shop is packaged in plastic,” Simmonds says. “Plastic doesn’t really go away.”
Less Than’s retail offerings include house-brand home goods and are sold in packaging that’s “biodegradable, compostable, reusable or upcyclable,” Simmonds notes. The refill aspect includes detergents, cleaners, dish soaps, shampoos, conditioners and bodywash that shoppers can fill using either their own containers or reusable containers available from the shop.
Eryn Cook, who runs Eco Inspired in Bon Air
In Bon Air, Eryn Cook runs Eco Inspired, a refill shop with a mission to help people reduce plastic waste by refilling everyday items and buying sustainably made products. She started her business in 2021 as a pop-up that traveled to farmers markets and has since expanded her reach with the retail location off of Forest Hill Avenue. “I’m trying to make it very easy and accessible for everyone to reduce their waste and support a local business as well,” Cook says.
Similar to Less Than, Eco Inspired is a combination retail shop offering products with no footprint after use. On the refill side, the shop stocks home goods staples, cleaning products and personal care items — all things Cook applies at home.
“This is how I live,” Cook says. “I looked inward at how I could reduce my own waste and do more than just recycle. I’ve been living this way for almost my whole adult life. With this shop, I wanted to show people that there is a sustainable way to shop, there is a way to reduce your plastic waste.”
Both shops offer resources and support to customers to help them in transitioning to zero waste. “It’s important to me to be able to educate people,” Cook says. “To meet them where they are in terms of how they’re shopping and to be able to show them that they can have great products with less plastics.”
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in the Region
If you’re trying to start a zero-waste program or just want to repurpose leftover junk, Central Virginia Waste Management Authority’s Julie Buchanan recommends these resources.
- Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network: This statewide group coordinates and shares information about projects to curb plastic pollution. Virtual meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month.
- Securis Inc.: Electronics recycling is offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the first Saturday of the month in Henrico. Most items are free to recycle, while others, including TVs, monitors and CPUs require a fee.
- SCRAP Richmond Creative Reuse Center: Donate your unused arts and crafts supplies or discover stuff here for your next creative project.
- City of Richmond Composting Initiative: This pilot program to reduce food waste destined for landfills has placed purple-and-green bins around the city for drop-off composting. A list of sites is available online.
- Pop Up Stop: This group, based in Richmond, aims to reduce the amount of clothing and textiles that are incinerated or sent to landfills.
- A Better Impact: Jacob Sequeira and Kassidy Coleman offer an in-depth guide to zero-waste inspired by comics.
