Sans Market is a zero waste shop in the heart of the EDGE District of St. Petersburg. This eco-friendly store offers everything from soaps and detergents, to shampoo and sunscreen. Myriad scrubs, lotions, and sustainable toiletries are also available in the locally-owned concept.

Owner Eniko Olah debuted Sans Market years ago in the Tampa Bay region. Amidst the pandemic, Olah and the team behind Lida’s Jungle joined forces to open a shared space at 1037 Central Avenue.

This isn’t your average shopping experience. At Sans Market, you can bring your own refillable containers to load up on your home and cleaning needs.

We asked Olah for a few tips on how we can be more sustainable today. The Sans Market owner also provides insights into what Zero Waste means, products you should look for, and the small steps you can take right now to be more sustainable in your daily life.

To begin, what does “zero waste” mean?

Zero Waste is not necessarily a goal, but it’s more of a mindset shift and a lifestyle choice. It’s all about thinking differently about the waste that you produce and trying to reduce it through different behaviors. We like to use the “R”’s of sustainability as a model to guide that thinking.

If someone wanted to begin auditing their own home for single use items, where should they begin/what should they look for?

Unfortunately our homes are full of single-use plastic. Instead of starting with a specific part of the house, try to think about what items you use on a regular basis that might be single-use plastic. That way instead of obsessing over something small that you buy infrequently, like a wand of mascara or a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, focus on the things that you tend to buy almost every grocery trip that are high-use items in your home. So things like dish soap, shower gel or laundry detergent are all great places to start.

If someone wanted to begin going near zero waste today, what are some simple things they can do?

We always tell people to be patient with themselves since it can be overwhelming. If you’re looking to up your eco-game maybe pick a room in the house or a specific habit that you want to work on and focus on that. After you feel like you’ve implemented positive changes in that areas for at least six weeks then move onto the next thing. That way you know it will stick and it will feel more manageable.

Sans Market has so many great products. Are there several you’re most excited for shoppers to try? 

I like showing people the products that maybe are a little bit more unique or ‘extreme’ that you might not even be thinking about. Like reusable period products, or installing a bidet on your toilet. It really opens peoples minds up to different ways they can live their life that might seem unconventional but once you adopt them are actually not only better for the planet but also for your body and your wallet.

So I’m also pushing hard for folks to get in on wearing sunscreen every day. Do y’all offer the reef safe sunscreen?

We do offer reef safe sunscreen both in our bulk bar so people can refill their containers, as well as in a prefilled aluminum recyclable tin.

So I know we talked about bidets. Could you speak to the benefits of bidets and why more people should consider buying them?

Bidets are easy to install on your toilet at home without any plumbing needed. Not only do they get you cleaner than just paper alone, but you’ll end up using less toilet paper since you only need to pat dry. Once they make the switch to bidets, people tend to use a cotton cloth to pat dry (we sell some as well – Toilet UnPaper cloths). So it’s better for the environment (no trees needed!), better for your body (you get a cleaner, healthier butthole), and in the long run better for your wallet (no need to buy tp).

What inspired you to launch Sans Market, and what has it been like partnering up with Lida’s Jungle?

My background is in the packaged goods industry and having seen the amount of waste created in that sector propelled me to start my own zero waste store. Also it came from a personal need of not being able to find what I wanted for myself and my family.

Partnering with Lida’s Jungle and moving into the new store space has probably been one of the best things that’s happened to us. We share similar values and have a similar clientele, plus the owners and their staff are just really great people.

You’ve created a staging area in the back of the store. How do you visualize/conceptualize a zero waste?

“It’s great to be able to show people how their home can look if they transition to reusable, natural items. On a deeper more spiritual level there’s a type of feng shui that these natural materials bring to a home, which is almost the opposite of what a home cluttered full of plastic items feels like. There is also a strong overlap between zero waste and minimalism, so having a zero waste home space like this brings to life the notion that you don’t need a lot of stuff to be happy, but rather a few high quality reusable items that will last you a lifetime.”

Are there any local (regional) zero waste brands people should have on their  radar?

There are so many great zero waste  brands out there but instead of calling one or two out I would suggest people come in the store and browse around and see what speaks to them. We love supporting small local businesses that share our values and we have quite a few we love partnering with so we’re happy to share the information with people when they’re in the store!

Follow Sans Market on Instagram to learn more about the store and its products.