There are zero reasons why you should be wasting your money on single-use products with plastic packaging, especially now that New Orleans’ first zero waste supply and bulk refill store, Vintage Green Review, is opening for business!
After occupying 3530 Magazine Street with a multi-week pop-up, Vintage Green Review has announced that it will permanently inhabit the location as a brick-and-mortar store. The store’s owner, Sarah Andert, was extremely encouraged by the pop-up’s reception and impact.
Since the pop-up began on March 1, customers who have chosen to refill existing containers with bulk refill supplies have saved 91 plastic bottles from landfills. Additionally, customers choosing reusable and sustainable supplies have replaced 1,451 rolls of disposable paper towels, more than 32,000 pieces of disposable plastic cutlery, and avoided using 81 pieces of single-use disposable plastic from toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, and mouthwash.
“There’s no such thing as ‘away’ when something is thrown away. It has to go somewhere,” said owner Sarah Andert. “We think our plastic is getting recycled, but with only nine percent of all plastics completing this process, we simply produce too much of it to keep up. Reusable, upcycled, and all-natural, biodegradable products are the way forward.”
Vintage Green Review will function as a zero waste education, lifestyle, and consulting business, along with offering bulk refill supplies, zero waste products, and reusable containers.
While the shop is currently open for business, it will have its grand opening celebration on Earth Day weekend from April 22nd-April 25th. During grand opening weekend, visitors can stop in for discounted products, product giveaways, and pop-up food vendors. Vintage Green Review’s hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
The store will be New Orleans’s first and only shop that primarily functions as a zero waste and bulk refill bar, offering customers a long-term option for sustainable shopping, zero waste supplies, and plastic-free living.
Andert started Vintage Green Review in August 2019 as a business that primarily offered workshops and consulting services on sustainable living, along with selling vintage and reusable goods at local markets. After COVID-19 hit and those markets shut down, she launched her e-commerce business.
“I wanted to be the person who could not only recommend solutions but also provide them locally,” said Andert. “Operating out of a physical location allows me to engage directly and regularly with customers, offer tips and solutions, and gives people an opportunity to make sustainable changes in a way that can also spark their own curiosity and creativity.”
New Orleans residents are on the front line of climate change, witnessing the environmental, social, and economic impacts that coastal erosion and ocean pollution can have. The city, famous for its Mardi Gras beads, to-go cups, and gallons of glitter, still has a lot to learn when it comes to sustainability.
“I’ve found that people want sustainable options that still align with our local traditions,” said Andert. “I want to show people how to reduce their waste and carbon footprint, but also how to do it in a way that’s joyful, inspiring, and fun.
