Local Eco-nomics: Walking Lightly
Walking Lightly For Our Planet
I ran heavily into Walking Lightly, a refillery and zero-waste shop located in Ferndale that I had just discovered. My plan to spend little time and money while inside was thwarted in the best way possible. I found everything, I (seemingly) learned everything, and I made a new friend in an hour’s time.
Tessa, the shop founder and owner made me feel like a hero; ok maybe that’s a bit extreme, but regardless I walked out feeling anew. I had filled the shop’s available-for-purchase glass bottles with direct-fill dish and hand soap and corralled some mesh produce bags, low-waste mascara, and Swedish dishcloths before heading to the register. I summed up my 32 years on Earth during that single transaction and the result was a reusable bag full of amazing products and a new fan of the Johnson Nature Center.
With a background in natural resource management and a naturalist job at the nature center, I may think more “green” than some folks, but I’m far from perfect, and admittedly, neither is Tessa. Practice makes progress, and there is no right or wrong way to start. Sustainable habits can evolve with knowledge. A sign in the store puts minds at ease; “We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly” - Anne-Marie Bonneau.
I thank Tessa, with every future ounce of the dish soap I will be purchasing, for living her dream. She built it, and yes, they are coming (in) ;)
-Ali Posner, JNC Naturalist and Lead Newsletter Editor
Below is a Q&A between myself and Tessa. Thanks for reading and think green thoughts!
Please introduce us to you and your store (or should I say, brick baby)!
I'm Tessa, the founder/owner of Walking Lightly, which is a zero-waste store & refillery in Ferndale. (And yes, haha, it is absolutely my fourth baby!) We offer home and body goods package-free. So people are welcome to come fill their own containers with things like shampoo, soaps, cleaners, etc. We also have solid options (like shampoo bars, dish soap bars, tooth tabs, etc.) and lots of plastic-free substitutions for things we probably haven't even noticed were unnecessarily made from plastic (like plastic-free floss, pens, brushes, and hair ties). We also have 5 different Terracycle programs (recycling for items that you can't recycle curbside) and try to do as much as we can to support local organizations that are working to take care of people and the planet.
How did the store come to fruition?
The store really grew out of my own frustration with plastic coming into our home. Before the pandemic, I had managed to get most of our groceries plastic-free, but really struggled with home and personal goods, and just figured my neighbors must be having the same concerns. I sometimes joke that I have a very 'Field of Dreams' approach to business (which made my husband very nervous) but it turns out that lots of community members really were having the same frustrations! I originally set up the business as delivery and pop-up so that I could manage it as a side business, (I'm a social worker by training), but the pandemic created an opportunity I'm not sure I would have otherwise taken. I was going to step down from my career to help my kids with virtual school, and decided that it was also time to take a chance and see if I could make a go of a brick and mortar shop.
Can you highlight some of your favorite products for us?
The products I get most excited about are the everyday staples in my home: refilling distilled white vinegar, dish soap, laundry, even toothpaste! It's so fun to hear customers share what their favorites are - it's always different, because people's habits and homes are different, and it really makes it feel like a community when we share our victories (and struggles, too) with each other.
I'm sure a lot of research goes into sourcing products, but can you describe your process?
I really have a four-tiered approach to bringing on a new product, so I look for a product to be:
1) From a closed-loop supplier; this means that the supplier takes their containers back. There are a lot of bulk products available, but I feel like if I am tossing large plastic containers in the recycling, maybe it's a bit better than a lot of small ones, but it's not really disrupting the system very much. I am looking for our choices to help normalize the idea of a circular economy, where the expectation is reuse rather than recycle.
2) Safe for people and the planet. I want to make sure that the products are something that everyone can feel good about bringing into their home. I also want to make sure that suppliers we use are sourcing ethically, and are paying living wages to their employees. Sustainability to me means supporting practices that care for our planet and people.
3) Effective. If the products don't work, then folks aren't going to use them. Sometimes products might require a little adjusting to, but they work!
4) Cost-effective. I am constantly searching for products that are more affordable. When you support makers who use plant-based ingredients, package sustainably and pay fair living wages, the costs can sometimes be higher. But I know that companies (mostly small businesses) who take back their containers have an added cost for doing so - most manufacturers let waste be the consumer's problem. I've got three kids, and I know how important it is to budget for a home. I also know that when I'm spending money, I'm voting with my dollars for the type of world I want, so there is a give and take with it all.
Do you have a quote that supports your mission?
The name of the shop actually comes from a quote that I had hanging on a poster in my room as a kid: "We have forgotten how to be good guests, how to walk lightly on the Earth as its other creatures do." ~Barbara Ward- I'm sure a lot of research goes into sourcing products, but can you describe your process?
(When I told my mom about the name behind the shop she searched all over their house for the poster. She didn't find it, but we both remember it, and while I didn't know I'd end up here, it makes it feel very full-circle.)
What are some largely impactful, potentially effortless changes one can make for a happier planet (and therefore a happy dance from Tessa)?
There are so many ways to start living more sustainably. I'd say pick one area where you tend to make a lot of waste, and see if you can find a substitution that works for you. If you use plastic water bottles, get a reusable one. If you use a lot of paper towels, is there a spot in your house where you can have cloths to replace some of those paper towels? Love grabbing takeout? Leave a set of utensils in your bag or car so you can skip the single-use plastic utensils. Already take your own grocery bags to the store? See if you can keep some produce bags in there, too, to bag your fruit and veggies instead of using the plastic ones at the store. If you are interested in composting, that is one change that can really make a big impact in terms of reducing household waste (food waste in the landfill is a big methane producer). Whatever it is, just pick one change that you'd like to make and give yourself the space to get comfortable with it before adding something else.
Anything else you would like to share/add?!
I would just add that there isn't the expectation to do this perfectly. I'm not perfectly sustainable, and I don't know anyone who is. Every effort is important. And the more we work together to show large stakeholders that we want and need sustainable options, the more likely we will all be to benefit from these changes. If you have any hesitations, questions, thoughts, they are all welcome here! I hope to see you soon!
Thank you for your time Tessa! Our readers can use the one-time discount code NATURECENTER10 when purchasing from her website, or mention it while visiting her store for 10% off the entire purchase! The code will be valid through the calendar year.
Article written by Naturalist and Lead Newsletter Editor, Ali Posner, January 2022
