Started by entrepreneur Isabell DeMillan, The Mighty Bin is a “zero-waste” concept store that opened on April 9th, 2022. DeMillan said, “I formulated this store based off of what was a struggle for me” and was inspired by her own quest in seeking plastic-free packaging. The Mighty Bin is a modern solution to excess packaging waste that many seek but find difficult to practice within the conventional grocery model. DeMillan decided to create a grocery store that was aligned with her personal values by providing organic foods in bulk gravity bins that would be easily accessible to customers who can bring their own containers to re-fill products. Partially funded by a crowd sourced Kickstarter campaign that raised $35,000, The Mighty Bin features foods without synthetic additives and other fair-trade, ethically sourced products. By using sustainable, plastic-free products such as bamboo, coconut and cotton bags for bulk containers and glass repurposed jars directly reduces excess waste.
Located on El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego’s North Park neighborhood, The Mighty Bin also provides locally grown produce grown without pesticides from vendors in California and Oregon. The Mighty Bin has partnered with established recycling and composting companies for any waste that is created, as DeMillan seeks eventually to completely reduce the stores environmental footprint. DeMillan shares her thoughts on the zero-waste lifestyles, “I was tired of searching for organic food. We need to put our buying power to good. We need to put our money where it is going to make the most change.” Although, DeMillan has faced some supply-chain issues for items such as garbanzo beans and black pepper, customers can check the frequently updated store inventory lists for products that are available on the company website.
