NU Grocery
Ottawa, ON
Ontario’s first zero-waste grocery store with bulk, package-free groceries and household essentials.
About
NU Grocery is a zero-waste grocery store in Ottawa offering bulk, package-free groceries, household products, and everyday low-waste essentials. The business describes itself as Ontario’s first zero-waste grocery store and operates from 143 Main Street in Old Ottawa East.
Customers can shop in person for what NU calls the full zero-waste experience, bringing their own clean containers or using a paper bag or borrowed jar. NU also offers online shopping and says it works to keep shipping materials as low-waste as possible by using recyclable and compostable paper-based packaging and reusing boxes and packing supplies whenever possible.
How it works
Visit the Ottawa store with clean reusable containers, or shop online.
In store, follow NU Grocery’s refill process: tare, fill, and pay. If you do not bring a container, paper bags and borrowed jars are available.
Shop from a wide range of groceries and household products, including food, personal care, cleaning, and kitchen essentials.
For online orders, NU says it uses recyclable and compostable paper-based shipping materials and reuses packing supplies whenever possible.
Why it’s low-waste
NU Grocery helps reduce packaging waste by making bulk and package-free shopping more accessible in Ottawa. The store combines refill-style shopping, reusable container culture, and lower-waste shipping practices, while also positioning itself as an educational platform focused on eliminating waste and reinventing consumption.
Good for
Bulk grocery shopping
Package-free household essentials
Refill-style shopping
Ottawa residents
People looking for both in-store and online low-waste options