eateries & shopping

There’s a zero-waste store, called Victoria’s Pantry in Hermanus, that you have to check out if you are ever in the area!

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About Victoria’s Pantry

Victoria’s Pantry was started a little over a year ago by 23-year-old Victoria Young-Pugh.  Victoria sells a variety of local produce supplied by local farmers, including microgreens and strawberry plants.  The shop is also fully stocked with pantry essentials such as spices, herbs, dried fruits, loose-leaf teas, coffee, dried beans, etc. Victoria’s Pantry also sells a variety locally made, plastic-free, home and beauty products. And if you are looking for on the go reusables such as reusable bottles, straws, fruit and veg bags, shopping bags, then Victoria’s Pantry has you covered.

The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.

Robert Swan

My Zero Waste Journey

My green vegan journey had led me to zero waste living, which is really better defined as low impact living.  For me it’s a natural step as being vegan and being green goes hand in hand in so many ways. Low impact living means changing to new habits which will have less negative impact on the environment. Many of our everyday habits cause harm to the environment which then causes harm to the animals and even people living in that environment.

Shops like Victoria’s Pantry make it easier to reduce our waste. Whether you have wanted to go zero waste or go vegan but haven’t manage to make the change, I suggest you start small! After all, one small change will lead to another, and another… Before you know it, there will be millions of us making small changes every day, which will lead to less animal cruelty and less environmental damage!

We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.

Anne Marie Bonneau aka The Zero Waste Chef

Where is Victoria’s Pantry?

Victoria’s Pantry is located at 14 Hope Street in Hermanus, 120km outside of the Cape Town CBD.  The new location is in collaboration with Tulip Coffee and Maillard Co.  The zero-waste shop is also an eco-brick drop off point, so if you live in the area, or are on vacation in or around Hermanus at some point, keep it in mind.

Let’s get Social!

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with my posts! If you’d like to see other zero waste shops I have found, have a look here. Alternatively, If you are looking for some vegan recipe inspiration, have a look here. 

If you end up visiting this zero waste shop, after reading about it for the first time here, please tag me and let me know what you think. Remember to hashtag it  #thegreenveganchick

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If you want to live a zero-waste lifestyle, Shop Zero, which is located in Woodstock, can definitely help you on your journey. 

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About Shop Zero

Shop Zero sell a great variety of items that help us reduce our waste. From reusable products (water bottles, coffee cups, straws, shopping bags, etc.. ) to packaging free products (food, cleaning, beauty, etc…) to products is minimal plastic free packaging. Shop Zero allows you to either dip your toe into the zero waste movement by making a single change or you can jump straight in and make a complete lifestyle switch. They also have a vegan café that serves daily meals, smoothies, coffees and treats. And recently they started selling plants too!

Shop Zero is an amazing shop, which I don’t visit as often as I would like too but I do regularly shop on their online store. They deliver nation wide which makes it possible for everyone in SA to have access to their amazing products. And if you spend R850 or more delivery is free! What I love most about their online store is the packaging! The items I have ordered have all arrived in minimal reused paper and/or cardboard packaging sealed with 100% fully biodegradable packing tape. 

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Where are they?

Shop Zero is located at 403 Albert Road in Woodstock, very close to the Old Biscuit Mill. They are open from Mondays to Fridays from 9am to 5pm and on Saturdays from 9am to 3:30pm. You can contact the shop on 084 201 5652.

Have you been> What is your favourite thing about zero waste shops? Let me know in a comment below. To see what other zero waste shops I have found, have a look here. If you’d like to see green and vegan products I have found browse my Directory. Alternatively, If you are looking for some vegan recipe inspiration, have a look here. 

Let’s Get Social!

Be sure to follow Shop Zero on Facebook and Instagram. And follow me on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with my posts! If you end up visiting this zero waste shop, after reading about it for the first time here, please tag me and let me know what you think. Remember to hashtag it  #thegreenveganchick

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There’s a brand new zero waste store in Simon’s Town called The Conscious Co-op that combines organic produce and package free foods with vintage clothing & homeware!

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Conscious Consumerism

One of the first things we can do to help the environment is to become conscious of our everyday purchases and the impact they have on us, the animals, the environment and our local economy.

Ask the questions. What is it made of? Is it harmful to my health and the environment? Where animals harmed in the making? Where did it come from and who actually made it? How long will I use it? Do I really need it or do I have something similar already? Am I just buying it because it is on special?Did it come in unnecessary packaging? Can it be reused or recycled or can it biodegrade? What will happen to it if I throw it away? 

Being aware positively impacts our behaviour and leads us to become conscious consumers! We start to seek out ways to make a positive change and use our buying power for good! Kind of like a superhero, don’t you think?

As a conscious consumer I aim to buy locally made, natural, chemical free, environmentally friendly, vegan, reusable products that are free from unnecessary packaging. Places like The Conscious Co-Op offer all the things I look for in a local store.

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The Conscious Co-Op

The Conscious Co-Op is the sister store of The Daily Goods Store in Muizenberg (see post here) They have an amazing variety of products to help their customers live a more conscious lifestyle. You can shop for organic fruit and veg, packaging free dry goods, fresh breads, earth friendly cleaning products, zero waste lifestyle products and even buy fresh flowers! Their vintage clothing and homeware section is such a lovely addition and really does make it a one stop shop.

I brought along my own reusable bags and glass jars but they do also sell empty glass bottles and jars in case you forget yours or need more.

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Where are they?

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Let’s get social!

Be sure to follow The Conscious Co-Op on Facebook and Instagram to help them grow. And don’t forget to follow me on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with my posts! 

If you end up visiting this zero waste shop, after reading about it for the first time here, please tag me and let me know what you think. Remember to hashtag it  #thegreenveganchick

There is a hidden #zerowaste gem in Muizenberg called The Daily Goods Store. I just love to pop in and stock up on some essentials!

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The Daily Goods Store

The Daily Goods Store has a variety of packaging free dry goods, earth friendly cleaning products, organic fruit and veg, zero waste lifestyle products and so much more! They have also recently added a book swap section where you can bring a book and take a book. They also offer a weekly Muizenberg only organic produce and grocery orders delivery service.

When I stop by, I bring along my own reusable bags and containers. Alternatively they have used jars for you to use for free or you can buy a new jar. Then they also offer paper bags which you can buy for 25c & 50c each, and they use that money to plant trees!

Sooner or later, we will have to recognise that the Earth has rights, too, to live without pollution. What mankind must know is that human beings cannot live without Mother Earth, but the planet can live without humans. The most important thing is the indigenous people are not vindictive by nature.

Evo Morales

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Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

Albert Einstein

Where are they?

The shop is located at 29 Palmer road and their trading hours are Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 5:30pm and on Saturday from 9am to 2pm.

Let’s get Social!

A little birdie told me that The Daily Goods Store have some exciting things coming soon so be sure to follow them on on Facebook and Instagram. And follow me on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with my posts! If you’d like to see green and vegan products I have found browse my Directory. Alternatively, If you are looking for some vegan recipe inspiration, have a look here. 

If you end up visiting this zero waste shop, after reading about it for the first time here, please tag me and let me know what you think. Remember to hashtag it  #thegreenveganchick

Keep close to Nature’s heart, yourself; and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods.

Samuel Hall Young

The Low Impact Living (LIL) Grocer & Café in Glencairn is a zero shopper’s dream in the making where one can shop for waste free fruit, vegetables, dry goods, and have something to eat and drink.

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What is zero waste shopping?

When you go shopping at your local grocer, you’ll notice that most items are packaged in plastic. Yes, some of the packagings can be recycled but most will end up in the bin, and ultimately a landfill, after being used only once. The aim of a zero waste shop is not to buy something that can be recycled, instead of ending up in a landfill, but to rather buy something that requires no disposal whatsoever. The zero waste movement is all about reusing, and not wasting.  

“Buy Less, choose well, make it last”

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Once we as consumers are aware of the negative impact that our shopping habits can have on the environment, we start to seek out ways to make a positive change. At first, it may be by refusing plastic bags and taking a reusable bag to the shops. And pretty soon we start to buy products in glass containers instead of plastic. We take our reusable fruit and veg bags with us whenever we go shopping and refuse single-use plastic. And before we know it, our green journey has led us to become zero waste shoppers. 

“There is no such thing as ‘away’, when we throw anything away, it must go somewhere.”

Annie Leonard

Zero waste shops are places that sell loose products free from packaging as well as products that promote green living. Shops where you take your own reusable shopping bags and containers and buy exactly what you need, which means you use and waste less. 

Over the past two years, quite a few of these shops have popped up across Cape Town. I have added a ‘Zero Waste Shops‘ section on my blog’s Directory and will be featuring each one.

“The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.”

Paulo Coelho

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LIL waste free Grocer & Café

The LIL Grocer & Café in Glencairn which was created by Earth Warrior/ Artist Jade Khoury, will very soon become a one-stop-shop for zero shoppers. I first visited the shop in December, when I met Jade and listened to her vision for the shop. It’s only a few months later and on my recent visit, I could see it is becoming reality, and it is all thanks to a membership campaign and the ongoing support of the zero waste community. The shop boasts a section filled with locally sourced fresh organic fruit and vegetables as well as fresh artisan bread made by Cape Point Bakery. They recently added a dry goods section where you can buy grains, seeds, nuts, dried fruit, flours, pasta, coffee, teas, herbs spices, and superfood powders. They still plan to add products to the waste-free lifestyle section as well as a waste-free home & body products section.

“Living with less does not mean lack. It makes room for more. More time, more money available and more room for quality life experiences.”

Jade Khoury

The idea is to bring along your own reusable bags and containers but if you forget, they have a selection of clean jars in their pay-it-forward cupboard, which has been donated by customers. They also offer 100% compostable paper bags made from sustainable forestry which will cost you 50c and R1 depending on the size.

The vegan-friendly waste-free café offers a variety of dairy-free smoothies, fresh juices, toasties as well as baked goods, loads of which happen to be vegan. If you are planning on sitting down for a smoothie it will be served in a reusable jar with a reusable straw. When ordering be sure to specify sweetening the smoothie with either coconut sugar or dates as they also offer honey as a sweetener.

If you are stopping by for a take away drink, remembered to bring along your own reusable cup and you will get R2 off your purchase. But if you forget, you can get it in a compostable cup which will cost you an extra R2. And if you want to buy some baked goods, be sure to bring along your reusable container, as the items will be placed in a very cute newspaper pocket. We bought some vegan cookies and croissants, which was placed in one of these, but next time, I will definitely remember to take along my reusable containers.

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The LIL Grocer & Café is also a venue of sorts, as they host quite a few events on a regular basis. From Make it/Mend it Mondays to Lil Talks, Book swop Sunday’s (every second Sunday) and Lil Workshops; their aim is not only to educate but also to inspire people to be more earth friendly.

I’d love to attend some of these events in the near future and will definitely be stopping at the LIL Grocer & Café regularly.  Have you been? What is your favourite thing about zero waste shops? Let me know in a comment below.

“The most environmentally friendly product, is the one you didn’t buy.”

Joshua Becker

Where are they?

The LIL Grocer & Café is located at 12-14 Glen Road in Glencairn, which is between Fish Hoek and Simons Town. They are open from Mondays to Saturdays from 7 am to 5 pm and on Sundays and Public Holidays, from 8 am to 3 pm. 

Let’s get Social!

Be sure to follow The LIL Grocer & Café on Facebook and Instagram. And follow me on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with my posts! If you end up visiting this zero waste shop, after reading about it for the first time here, please tag me and let me know what you think. Remember to hashtag it  #thegreenveganchick