A Guide to 5 Sustainable Businesses in Berkeley
Any Berkeley local and Cal Student knows the pure staggering amount of retail businesses, restaurants and cafes that line downtown streets like Telegraph and Shattuck. In between classes and on the weekends, students and local citizens of the city alike can be found grabbing cups of Berkeley brewed coffee, hauling groceries from the Berkley Bowl and Trader Joes and dipping into thrift stores in the hope that today is the day of their lucky find.
But did you know that some of these local businesses may be trendsetters in sustainability or offer unique ways to reduce your waste and carbon footprint?
Many campus staples and student’s favorite hangout places offer opportunities to reduce waste, promote environmental responsibility and a greener lifestyle. Outside of these there are also so many little known businesses you may not have heard of before that specialize in sustainability!
Keep reading for a guide to just a few of these local sustainable staples and stay tuned on EthiCAL’s instagram page for an upcoming video series about each of these businesses!
1. re-up refill store
The Re-Up Refill Shop offers a range of ecological bath, body, cooking, food, kitchen, and cleaning products in refillable containers and is an amazing way to reduce waste from single-use plastics. Located on College Ave close to North Oakland, it’s easily accessible by bus and BART. Go with your own containers to shop or purchase some of their containers there for use !
2. out of the closet
Located on University Ave and only a five minute bus ride from Downtown, Out of the Closet is a unique thrift shop that has a huge range of second-hand clothes, accessories and furniture. Unlike a lot of thrift stores in the area, Out of the Closet often has very low prices for their items and offers a cost effective way to be more sustainable with your clothing consumption! Come with your own bag and some donations of clothes or other items during this spring cleaning season!
3. Plentea
In the midst of dozens of boba tea shops frequently visited by students, Plentea stands out as one of the only stores to choose to combat the widespread waste of single use plastic cups. With over 20 flavors of tea served in reusable glass bottles for a price equal to competitors, Plentea offers an excellent opportunity to grab boba with a friend without the consequence of having to throw away another plastic cup! Plus, the cute glass bottles can be cleaned, brought to the store again for use in the future and reused in countless creative ways! Check out here for some ways you could use your Plentea glass bottle!
4. ASHA
Another popular tea and boba shop is ASHA Tea House, which specializes in ethically sourced whole leaf teas and offers many ways to stay sustainable through their drinks and other merchandise! With seasonal teas sourced from around the world and a beautiful space within the cafe, ASHA is a great place in Downtown Berkeley to try out something new. Check out their merch products like tote bags and their metal large boba straws available for purchase (one of the only places locally to get one!)
5. Sliver
With so many pizzeria options to choose from in Berkeley, Sliver is a cult favorite for so many reasons. From its “Pizza of the Day model” to its famous green sauce, Sliver is a Bay Area staple that gives customers a great way to responsibly and healthily buy pizza any day of the week! Every single one of Sliver’s daily pizzas features no meat and instead includes only vegetable-based ingredients. Implementing a plant-based diet is one avenue of exploring a sustainable lifestyle and can often start with choosing to visit restaurants that support this diet!
Want to see EthiCAL members in action at these locations and more? Follow our social media page for a video series coming later this month as we visit all of these locations and share sustainability tips and secrets!
