More Than 15,000 Containers Saved Thanks to You

  • 2022

    3,399 containers

  • 2023

    5,064 containers

  • 2024

    7,729 containers

Free Bottle & Bag Bank Program

Our Bottle Bank and Bag Bank help keep useful items in circulation.

These banks are stocked by customer donations and make it possible for us to offer free bottles and bags for anyone who might need them. ​​They also help give containers and bags otherwise headed to the landfill or recycling plant a new life.

  • Donate clean, label-free containers for others to refill
  • Drop off gently-used bags for the next shopper
  • Try refilling without needing to buy new packaging

We accept glass, metal, AND plastic containers for our bottle bank.
Though plastic containers may not be very pretty to look at, we purposefully accept them for our Bottle Bank because plastic is one of the hardest materials to recycle, so the longer we can use a plastic container the lower its carbon footprint becomes. Read more about what containers we can and can't accept (and what shape they need to be in) here.​

We'll take paper, canvas, mesh, and drawstring bags that are in good shape and can be reused.

TRASH TALK

11,000 containers saved from landfills

16,500 trees planted through a past partnership

120 donated containers reused

1,000 bags put back to use

Where We Started

In our early years, we partnered with Eden Reforestation Projects and helped plant more than 16,500 trees in areas affected by deforestation. That chapter helped define our values and showed us how small businesses can contribute to something bigger.

Where We Are Going

As we grow, we’re focusing our community efforts right here in Duluth and across the Midwest. That includes new partnerships with local organizations focused on sustainability, education, and care for the environment.

If you know a group that could use support, we’d love to hear about it.

AT REN MARKET

We Want Everyone to Feel Welcome

To help reduce barriers, we offer a few discounts:

10 percent off with valid student ID

 35 percent off with WIC or EBT card

If you know of an accessibility gap, email us. We’ll see what we can do.

We make a conscious decision to prioritize accessibility when it comes to our product selection and prices.

We believe that in order to make long lasting sustainable changes in our communities, refillable options should be made as available as possible to everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status or income. This means that we search for products that are affordable eco-friendly alternatives to their box store counterparts. For example - did you know that our cheapest laundry detergent option is only $0.09 per load?!

While not all of our bulk options are as cheap as you will find at Wal-Mart, most of them are designed to last longer and are made with cleaner ingredients that aren't damaging to your health or the environment. Many of our plastic free alternatives like silicone bags and bowl covers cost more up front than their single use counterparts, but will last upwards of 5-10 years. This means that you will actually save significantly more over the course of the product's lifespan.

We know that these transitions can be a bit confusing and overwhelming; our sales associates are always happy to help you find the best fit for your lifestyle and needs. Our commitment to you and our community is that we will always do our best to get you paired with the right product and we will never prioritize profit over sustainability.

Let’s Keep Building Together

Have a need, an idea, or a local nonprofit we should know about? Ren Market is here for the community and always open to new ways to help.