Smithers is now a home of one of the first zero waste stores in Northern B.C.
ReJar Zero Waste opened its doors on Tuesday (July 7), which focuses on a reduction in single use plastics as well as organic, cruelty free items.
According to Owner Emilie Schmidt, the opening experience was challenging especially with COVID-19 precautions.
Among the precautions are all jars that come into the store to be refilled must be cleaned, all pumps for the shampoo and conditioner are sanitized after every use and the bulk food section may only be used by staff members.
Schmidt said it is important to keep the precautions post pandemic.
“I think it’s also important to keep some of these rules in place regardless of there being a pandemic. It’s always good to be able to control a bulk food refillery environment regardless if there is something going on or not,” she said.
According to Schmidt, there is a zero waste store in Terrace that opened last year which was the first in Northern BC.
She also said it’s a positive feeling being the first zero-waste store in the Bulkley Valley.
“Just being the first one in Smithers and having a storefront here has just been amazing and the feedback has been great and people have been so supportive and it’s really great to support and react with this,” she said.
Schmidt added it has been a neat experience for customers to change their mindset on a zero waste store.
The store is located in the alleyway between Kitchen Works and Blue Water Sushi at 1226 Main St.