Reusable containers with everything from veggie chips and pasta to vinegar, dried fruit, chocolate and coffee line the shelves of Nude Foods Market to make zero waste shopping a reality.
The store — founded by Boulder residents Rachel Irons, Verity Noble, Jimmy Udovich and Matt Arnold — is the first zero waste grocery store in Boulder. It opened earlier this month.
For the founders, it’s been a dream many years in the making.
The group originally offered a zero waste food delivery service and have since moved and expanded the business to a full grocery store, available for in-person shopping, pickup or delivery by bicycle or electric vehicle.
Largely, Noble views the endeavor as a way to help Boulder become the sustainable city it strives to be.
“Boulder has got this image of being really eco-friendly, and yet there wasn’t a zero waste store here,” Noble said. “It just kind of feels like a really obvious place to have one.
In 2006, the Boulder City Council adopted a zero waste resolution and strategic plan, establishing a target of 85% waste diversion by 2025. City data indicates it’s currently at 53% waste diversion.
The city’s Sustainability Coordinator Jamie Harkins noted that it’s important to go beyond sorting waste properly. The size of the city’s waste stream must be reduced, and packaging waste adds up, Harkins said.
