Eco-Friendly Places to Shop in Tampa Bay

Earth Day is coming up on Monday, April 22. While it’s important to teach kids about the basics of helping our planet with acts such as recycling and composting, you can also help the environment as a family by shopping for and using eco-friendly products.

The good news is that it's becoming easier to find sustainable products in stores today. Even better, some stores are dedicated to exclusively selling recycled and zero-waste products! Here are some of our favorite places in Tampa Bay where you can find eco-friendly goods.

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Lüfka (featured in cover image)

4222 N. Florida Ave., Tampa
Lüfka is Tampa’s first-ever zero-waste store. This quaint Seminole Heights shop sells handcrafted and naturally made items such as bath and body products, laundry care, hair care, pet products and cleaning products. You can even pick up reusable items like UNpaper Towel Rolls, Wheat Straw Toothbrushes and utensil kits. When you visit again, be sure to bring your own containers to refill some of your favorite finds!

Sans Market

1037 Central Ave., St. Petersburg
Sans Market in St. Pete aims to provide eco-friendly items at an affordable price. You can stock up on beauty and personal care goods, cleaning supplies, kitchen items, feminine hygiene products and more. Bring your own containers or purchase one of their refillable ones and pay a visit to the Bulk Bar to purchase products by the ounce. Have some empty jars at home lying around? Sans Market accepts container donations to use for their products (no plastic).

Rollin’ Oats Market

2841 Dr. Martin Luther King St. N., St. Petersburg | 1021 N. MacDill Ave., Tampa
Rollin’ Oats is filled with all-natural, organic and NON-GMO food products, bath and body products and cleaning products mostly sourced from local producers. They offer sustainable food for every dietary need. Their selection of produce, baked goods, specialty cheese, farm-fresh meats and even local craft beer and wine are all clean and made with healthier ingredients. Fun tip: got a picky eater? Head to their extensive bulk goods section to let them choose and fill their own reusable containers!

Fat Beet Farm

13830 W. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa
Using green initiatives, Fat Been Farm doubles as a market and a place where families can learn about sustainable farming in Florida. The heart of their farm is the Biodigester—a giant machine that’s fed with all the waste from their kitchen and crops, which is then broken down and used as a nutrient-dense fertilizer. They offer farm tours, including special kids’ tours. You can also purchase freshly made meals, bakery items, take-and-bake items and lettuce and microgreens.

The Dancing Goat Dairy Farm

12502 Maverick Court, Tampa
This sustainable local farm produces an array of products like eggs, goat and cow milk, homemade goat cheeses, yogurt, kefir, artisanal goat milk soaps, shampoos and shaving bars. You can pick up their products on select days at their main Tampa farm or at their St. Pete Meet Up. And be sure to inquire about farm tours! Little ones will love visiting with the animals while learning where their farm-fresh products come from.

More Sustainable Shopping Ideas

Go Thrifting!

Thanks to the recent influx of TikTok and Instagram influencers sharing their thrift purchases, shopping secondhand has gained recent popularity. Heading to the thrift store can be a fun outing since it’s kind of like a treasure hunt—you never know what you’ll find!

It’s a great spot to get stuff like used books, home décor and kids' clothes (that you KNOW they’ll grow out of within a few months anyway) for a fraction of the price you’d pay in a retail store. Many thrift stores also have special shopping days where certain items are marked down even lower, giving you more bang for your buck.

Check Out Local Farmers Markets

There are tons of great farmers markets year-round in Tampa Bay. They’re the perfect spot to pick up unique, handmade goods along with fresh, local produce, eggs and honey. Scan the QR code to find our picks for top farmers markets around town!

Looking to go greener but not sure what to look for that makes a product eco-friendly? Here’s what to look for when you’re out shopping:

• Green Seal Certification
• Energy Star
• Environmental Working Group (EWG) Verified
• Fair Trade Certified
• Certified B Corporation (B Corp)
• Non-GMO Project Verified
• Forest Stewardship Council

Featured Image credit: Zoe Joiner | Originally published in the April 2024 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.