We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Isabelle DeMillan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Isabelle, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

A package free, plastic free grocery store is not a new concept. It is a lifestyle of the past that I have brought back to life in hopes to encourage a less wasteful, more mindful way of life.

The most recent inspiration for starting The Mighty Bin came a few years ago after I discovered the ‘zero waste movement’ after watching Bea Johnson’s Ted Talk. A light bulb went off in my head when I realized how beneficial a minimalist, toxin-free lifestyle could have not only on our mental and physical health, but on the prosperity of our planet. And most importantly, it was something an individual person could adopt and feel that they are part of the solution towards a sustainable future.

I decided to experiment with ‘low-waste’ living and immediately felt the positive effects right away. I signed up for a recycled toilet paper subscription, transitioned to shampoo bars, dabbled with bulk bins, and started using rags instead of paper towels. It felt really good to waste less. It was my ‘a ha’ moment where I realized we as individuals hold tremendous power for change.

In a world filled with so much eco-anxiety and uncertainty, we can’t just wait around for someone else to make things better. We need to take action into our own hands and that starts with looking at your daily life and making simple changes. Collectively, these changes will make a great impact.

Even though I was reducing my waste, I realized there was no way I could truly be ‘zero waste’. I was frustrated with the reality that our society does not cater to a low-waste and non-toxic way of life. I wanted a low waste lifestyle to be easy because then everyone could jump on board. The only way I could see this happening is by having a grocery store that catered to a sustainable lifestyle. So I decided to open up a sustainable business that provides everyone with the resources to learn and easily adopt low-waste habits. Consumers will be able to live more consciously while using their buying power to invest in companies and businesses that are committed to a sustainable future.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I struggled for years trying to figure out what kind of career I wanted that would fulfill my passion to help the planet and bring me happiness.
I found a love for green building design near the end of my undergraduate studies in conservation biology, and decided to further my studies in this field. I was feeling really discouraged not being able to get my foot in the door in this niche, new field. I dabbled in a few different jobs before realizing I needed to take a leap and create a career for myself that met my standard for sustainability. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to make a low waste lifestyle easy because then everyone could jump on board. The only way I could see this happening is by opening up a grocery store that made it convenient to make these sustainable swaps.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

Our products must meet a sustainability standard. For our food product, we source most of our bulk foods in our bins and gravity dispensers from west coast based organic distributors. We support local vendors as much as possible who source from local farms and package in paper or glass. We source our plastic-free zero waste products from vendors who have a focus on environmental and social responsibility.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Starting The Mighty Bin at the height of covid was a very stressful decision, but I stood by my mission because I knew this sustainable business was something our society needed in order to progress in a positive way. I encourage all new business owners to stick by their mission if they feel they bring a positive influence to their community.

Contact Info:

• Website: themightybin.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themightybin/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themightybin