Zero Grocery
Zuleyka Strasner, founder of Zero Grocery
Today we're spotlighting Zuleyka Strasner, the founder of Zero Grocery. America's first ever plastic-free online grocery, Zero Grocery proves that convenience and environmentalism can go hand in hand. Removing the need for plastic packaging and single-use plastic in the kitchen, Zuleyka is leading the zero-plastic movement, one pantry at a time.
Founded back in 2018, Zuleyka was inspired to start the company after a honeymoon trip to the Corn Islands, an archipelago off the coast of Nicaragua. Shocked by the amount of plastic pollution found in this remote part of the world, she wanted to do something about it. With 90% of global plastic waste coming from food consumption, Zuleyka decided to tackle the issue by creating a less wasteful food system. And Zero Grocery was born!
We had the chance to talk to Zuleyka about the inspiration behind Zero Grocery and the importance of the zero-waste movement in tackling plastic pollution today.
What sparked your interest in the food supply chain and how food is produced and packaged?
The moment that really changed my view on plastic and the scale of the problem was on my honeymoon in the Corn Islands. These otherwise beautiful, idyllic islands off the coast of Nicaragua are under constant attack by plastic waste that washes ashore. And little of that waste is generated by the islanders—you can see that when you look at the labels.
From that, I was inspired to change the way I shopped, and in experiencing just how difficult and laborious it is for an individual to shop plastic-free (in San Francisco, one of the better places to do it!), I was inspired to create a service that would enable every community to have access to healthy, affordable, sustainable groceries.
Can you tell us about the alternative packaging used by Zero Grocery and the positive environmental impacts re-usable packaging can have for our oceans and wildlife?
From a consumer standpoint, it's very simple. Zero essentially uses a milk(wo)man model. Customers order groceries online or on their phone and receive it the next day in reusable glass jars and compostable packaging (for things that don't fit well in jars, like cheese). When the customer is finished and places their next order, they leave their empties for us and we take it back to our warehouse to sanitize, refill, and send back out to the next home.
Experts say that 40-60% of all plastic produced is as single-use product packaging, and food is one of the biggest culprits. Most people think nothing of the bag that comes with their $2 chips, but what they don't realize is that that bag will be in the environment for hundreds of years and make its way into our own food chain by breaking down further—the average person eats a credit card worth of micro-plastics every week.
Zero Grocery aims to make it easier for people to live sustainably. What are the biggest challenges we face today when it comes to living a zero-waste lifestyle?
The traditional barriers to living plastic-free are cost, convenience, and selection. You either need to spend a lot of money to avoid plastic, go far out of your way and devote a lot of time, or settle for products you're not as satisfied by. Zero addresses all of this—we have over 2000 items in our catalogue, at affordable prices, and next-day delivery.
What are your top tips for those who are thinking about changing to a zero-waste lifestyle?
Be kind to yourself and be realistic. The world doesn't need a handful of people doing zero-waste perfectly. It needs a lot of people—millions of people—doing zero-waste pretty well most of the time.
How has COVID-19 affected the way in which people are engaging with the zero-waste movement?
I think people are becoming more aware of their consumption habits. It's easier to see the effects of your behaviour on your waste-bin when you're at home all the time. And the increased use of delivery services really heightened that—with excessive takeout containers, plastic cutlery, and all of that.
Moreover, the truth is that the likelihood of experiencing more pandemics is tied to how we consume goods. Climate change and rates of infectious disease are directly linked. There are repercussions for everything we do to nature. I think people are recognising, perhaps somewhat less directly, that we can't continue doing the same things we have been.
What's next for Zero Grocery?
Zero's mission is to enable every American to shop plastic-free. And we're focused fully on making that a reality, one market at a time.
