A new low-waste grocery store in Northside aims to give residents more food options and reduce plastic waste at the same time
Lierer’s Market opened in March with bulk refill items like rice, beans, pasta, coffee, shampoo, and household cleaners.
"We encourage people to bring in their own containers, and as long as they're clean and dry, we'll fill whatever they have with whatever they want," said Creative Director Alex Heppner.
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Owner Bryan Lierer says they wanted to make sustainable shopping more accessible.
"I don't really think you're given the choice right now," he said. "Our typical experience is really just going to the mega store with the pre-packaged and plastic bags of everything. And so we just wanted to create an alternative option for that."
The store also brings more food options to the neighborhood, which doesn't have a full-service grocery store.
"With food there was some plastic that we had to kind of make concessions for," Heppner said. "And so we're neighborhood ambassadors for the Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub, and so anything that you get from us that you can't recycle curbside, we take back and recycle through the Hub."
That's one of a few collaborations that Lierer says is an important part of their mission: making sustainable living more accessible generally, not just when it comes to getting groceries.
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"We are also a drop-off spot for Queen City Commons Compost," Lierer said. "We are a safe space for people on their journeys to learn about [sustainability]. We're non-judgmental. You know, we've gone through this just like them. We're just willing to share the information we've acquired over the past few years."
Heppner says it feels good to be part of the solution to the climate crisis.
Lierer's Market is a financial supporter of Cincinnati Public Radio.
