Kenndra Smith is the manager of the new Farm Bound Zero Waste Organic Grocery in Kelowna.

(ROB MUNRO / iNFOnews.ca)

KELOWNA - Even those most dedicated to generating zero waste realize it isn’t all that easy.

Kenndra Smith is a prime example.

She’s the manager of the newly opened Farm Bound Zero Waste Organic Grocery but freely admits she’s still got a lot to learn.

“I’m fairly new to it,” Smith told iNFOnews.ca, saying she really started getting into seriously reducing waste about a year ago. “I was aware of it but I wasn’t making that awareness a reality.”

If she was hungry and wanted a bag of chips, she would buy it, even if it was wrapped in plastic. She may still do that on occasion, saying she would be hypocritical to say she didn’t. But, she’s getting there.

Fresh fruit is a key attraction at Farm Bound

(ROB MUNRO / iNFOnews.ca)

Smith has been doing a lot of research into waste and where it goes, especially in the seven months since she planned to start working at the store. But, a couple of broken water pipes delayed the opening until yesterday, April 1.

The idea behind the small Farm Bound shop at 438 Lawrence Avenue in downtown Kelowna is to have people bring in their own re-useable jars and other containers so there are no plastics going to the dump.

While they do supply some containers, there is no plastic in the store.

It’s the brainchild Jaye Coward who started off – and continues – to deliver organic produce to customers throughout the Okanagan and as far north as the Peace River country.

There is a store in Vernon open two part-days a week (Thursdays and Saturdays) and plans for a Penticton outlet by the summer.

Bring your own containers if you want to stock up on rice, oats and lentils at Farm Bound grocery

(ROB MUNRO / iNFOnews.ca)

The store is just one of a growing number of groups and organizations looking into ways to promote waste reduction and, especially, the elimination of single use plastic bags.

There is a Zero Waste Okanagan Facebook page that boasts 304 members (with 89 listing themselves as Kelowna residents) with posts asking questions about things like the best way to dispose of plastic pill bottles, plastic utensils and old leather boots.

Over at the Green Okanagan web page, there’s listings of stores that promote less waste and allow for things like re-using your old plastic produce bags.

Even large grocery chains are in on the action with Save-On Foods, for example, donating produce to food banks rather than dumping it.

Farm Bound may be a small store but it’s tapping into a growing interest in reducing waste, Smith noted.

“I heard about it before I moved here,” Victoria Sinopoli, a clerk at the store said. “I’ve been zero waste for a long time so I kept bugging Jaye to let me come and work here. There’s lots of these stores in Europe and there should be more here.”

With the Regional District of the North Okanagan calling for a valley-wide ban of single-use plastic bags, Farm Bound may be the wave of the future.

Victoria Sinopoli is thrilled to live her zero waste lifestyle while working at a zero waste grocery.

(ROB MUNRO / iNFOnews.ca)

To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2019