How a Portland company is trying to make zero waste shopping as easy as possible

When walking in Mama & Hapas in zero waste stores you are greeted with fresh smells and the buzzing swirl of large dispensers dispensing shampoos, soaps and cleaning products.

At the company’s four locations in the Portland area, the goal is to provide a shopping experience that minimizes the use of single-use plastics as much as possible.

You’ll find everything from facial cleanser and hand soap to muscle-soothing cooling gel and toilet bowl cleaner.

“We have pretty much every liquid you can think of that’s inedible,” says Ross Ching, who owns Mama and Hapa’s with his wife Nadia Takla.

In addition to liquids, the store also offers a variety of household items without plastic packaging. Here you will find bamboo toothbrushes, lip balm in paper tubes instead of plastic tubes and even cloth diapers.

Ching’s main goal was to create zero waste shopping as accessible as possible. For him, that meant keeping prices low and building a simple shopping system for customers.

The store’s liquid dispensing system is activated by an RFID card. Customers grab a card and move from station to station, tapping to start the dispenser’s flow and removing the card when done. The card keeps track of what you fill and is then scanned at check-out.

Shoppers can bring their own containers or purchase new, reusable containers in store. Mama & Hapa’s also offers a pot pick-up and drop-off program. Customers can drop off unwanted, clean containers so that another customer can use them for free. Empty maple syrup glasses and Tostito’s nacho cheese jars line the shelves of that department.

“If you want to do something good for the environment, it usually always costs more,” says Ching. “And so we try to keep our prices the same as you would find at Fred Meyer or Safeway.”

Mama & Hapa’s has four locations: two in Portland, one in Milwaukie and one in Beaverton.

“The idea is that you can save on plastic and not have to pay more,” says Ching.

If you go: All locations are open daily from 10am to 7pm; 1389 SE Stark Street, Portland; 3806 N. Mississippi Avenue, Portland; 11122 SE Main Street, Milwaukee; 12695 SW Crescent Street #130, Beaverton

– Vickie Connor is a visual journalist who covers feature films, travel and outdoor adventures and co-hosts the podcast The Oregonian’s Peak Northwest. Reach her out [email protected]