Honor Earth Day at These Eco-Friendly Shops in the Sacramento Area

Earth Day is April 22, a time to learn about and celebrate our home planet and learn about how we can protect it. Now in its 55th year, Earth Day began in 1970 to raise awareness about environmental issues. It has since become a global phenomenon, with people in every corner of the globe participating in education events, tree planting, clean-ups, and more.

Earth Day is also a great time for us to reflect on the little steps we can take to protect the environment. One of the easiest ways we can do that is by reducing our consumption of toxic products and focusing more on reusable, sustainable items. But it can be hard to know where to start. One suggestion is to pay a visit to one of the many eco-friendly shops in the greater Sacramento area. These one-stop shops have everything you need for a sustainable lifestyle, from natural bath and beauty products to household cleaners to Earth-friendly home goods. In addition, their helpful staff can give you tips and tricks on sustainability. Following is a list of eco shops in and around Sacramento.

Nudge Eco Store | Midtown Sacramento

Owned by a local couple, this Earth friendly shop in Midtown Sacramento operates on the philosophy that it just takes a “nudge” to live a low-waste, non-toxic lifestyle. They carry a range of eco-friendly products, including home cleaning products, kitchenware, cosmetics, kids’ items, and more. All of their products are sustainable and free from common toxins.

Green Living in Sacramento County

Placerville Food Co-op | Placerville

Sure, this community-owned grocery store is best known for its wide selection of seasonal organic produce, sustainable meats and seafood, fair-trade chocolate and local wine. But they also have a large selection of eco-friendly home goods as well. Handmade wooden cutting boards, reusable tote bags, non-toxic detergents, and handmade beauty products are products they carry.

Photo Courtesy of Placerville Food Co-Op

The Hen House Soap Company | Wilton

It doesn’t get more local than this soap company, which produces its own products on its fifth-generation farm in Wilton. The family-run shop specializes in all-natural skin care made with organic, locally produced and sustainably sourced ingredients. Bar soap, bath salts, body lotion, and facial serums are just a few of the products they offer. They also have candles in scents such as lemon rosemary and French pear and apple lemon lavender, made with soy wax and natural essential oils.

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Rutherford Reserve | Auburn

This adorable shop in Auburn encourages you to “refill, reuse, and rethink.” They offer a refill service for every imaginable product, from shampoo and conditioner to biodegradable cleaners and laundry powder. They also sell a paw salve for your four-legged friends and a non-toxic insect repellent spray. You can also pick up sage bundles, reusable tissues, and lavender sachets for your dryer.

Photo Courtesy of Rutherford Reserve Refillery

Refill Madness | Midtown Sacramento

Ditch the single-use plastics and head to this refillery in Midtown Sacramento. Bring your own refillable container (or purchase one there) and choose from among body wash, hand soap, laundry liquid, dish detergent, household cleaners and more! They also have laundry powders and dishwasher powders, all of which are free from toxic chemicals. If you’re looking for reusable products to replace disposable ones, they have that too: bamboo toothbrushes, reusable coffee filters, silicone food storage, and glass straws.

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Village General Store & Refillery | Roseville

Helping community members achieve a sustainable lifestyle is the goal of this eco general store in Roseville. They have dozens of products available in their refill bar, including pantry items such as pasta, rice, baking ingredients, spices, and tea. Need a little help to improve your sustainable life? They also offer services such as mending, workshops such as sourdough bread baking, and clothing swaps.

Ecojoyous | Old Sacramento

Photo Courtesy of Ecojoyous

This Earth-friendly shop in Old Sacramento has a wide range of products for those seeking sustainability. For starters, they have a refillery, offering all types of bulk bath and body products and non-toxic household cleaners. They also have plenty of natural, handmade, and locally produced gift items, such as soaps, stationery, candles, tote bags, and more.

Davis Food Co-op | Davis

The Davis Food Co-op is the go-to spot for humanely raised meats, organic produce, fair trade coffee and tea, and other good-for-the-planet grocery items. In addition, they sell a slew of sustainable goods such as skincare, cleaning products, supplements, candles, tote bags and more. They also host workshops and classes such as vegan baking basics, home canning, and DIY bath products.

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Of Land and Sea | Sacramento

Located near Sacramento’s Hollywood Park neighborhood, this zero-waste general store is known for its knowledgeable staff, who are willing and eager to help you make the right purchase! They have a refillery onsite, as well as eco-friendly gift items, bath and body products, unique greeting cards, reusable food storage, and even books.

Learn More About Eco-Friendly Living

Thinking about going green? Following are some common products found in local shops.

• Reusable paper towels. Typically made from cotton flannel, these square-shaped cloths can be washed and used again and again. Some of them are even designed to fit on a paper towel holder.
• Dryer balls. Made from felted wool, these balls can be tossed in the dryer to replace commercial fabric softener sheets, which are often loaded with chemicals. They can also speed up the drying process.
• Shampoo and conditioner bars. Like a bar of soap, these are solid bars of shampoo that reduce the use of heavy plastics in traditional shampoo and conditioner bottles.
• Stainless steel/glass straws. Prefer using a straw when sipping beverages but don’t want to pollute the planet with single-use plastic? Stainless steel and glass straws are washable and reusable and some even come with their own tiny brushes and cloth carrying bags.
• Reusable sandwich bags. Did you know that the average household uses 500 Ziploc bags a year? Silicone bags can be washed in the dishwasher and used over and over, saving the planet while saving you money!
• Bamboo toothbrushes. We don’t typically consider toothbrushes as a disposable product, but billions of them are discarded a year. Bamboo toothbrushes offer the same cleaning power as their plastic counterparts but are made from a biodegradable, renewable resource.

Mason jars. Grandma was right! These simple glass jars can be used for more than just canning or pickling. They make great food storage containers, are recyclable, and don’t contain toxic ingredients like plastic storage containers. There are also stainless steel versions available.