Help Center

We've made our ordering as straight forward as possible. You don't need to sign up for an account until you are ready to place your order, so feel free to browse to your plastic free heart's content! Once you've put your order together, create an account and click on your cart to input your postal code, select your delivery date and place your order. 

Orders need to be placed by 10 AM on Sunday of the week of your scheduled delivery date. 

Delivery days and order cutoff times:

Kitchener & Waterloo: Wednesday deliveries - Orders due Sundays by 10 AM

Guelph: Thursday deliveries - Orders due Sundays by 10 AM

Cambridge & Hamilton: Friday deliveries - Orders due Sundays by 10 AM

We are able to offer plastic free groceries by working with an amazing group of local suppliers who have already moved to plastic free options or are doing so for us (local businesses are amazing!). 

Bulk Items (products you would find available at a bulk store):

Any product that has a deposit on it is packed in glass jars that are returned directly to us to be washed, sanitized and reused.

Deli, Cheese, Meat and Seafood:

These products are packed in non-waxed compostable/ recyclable kraft butcher wrap. Because this wrap is wax free they items can dry out faster than they normally would so we recommend moving them to a glass or stainless steel container once you've received your order. Once your food is stored in a container, if your paper wrap is dry it can be recycled. If it is wet or has any residue, just pop it in your compost bin! 

Glass or BPA-free Can Packaged Items (juices, pickles, sustainable canned seafood, etc):

Due to limitations in the supply chain or health and safety concerns, some products we have available are sent out in cans or packaged jars which need to be recycled in your blue bin. We try and avoid this as much as possible as reusing is always best. If you know of a supplier that would be willing to work with us for reusable packaging on any of these items, send us a message at info@zerocery.ca. We want as much input from our customers as possible and if there's a reusable packaging product we don't carry, it's probably because we don't know about it!

I get it, you've got a straightforward question and just want it answered!

Email info@zerocery.ca and we'll try and get back to you as quickly as we possibly can.

Zerocery currently delivers to Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Hamilton and Guelph as well as smaller municipalities in between. You can search our postal code tool to see if/ when we deliver to you. If we don't deliver to your area and you'd be interested in our service, send a quick email to info@zerocery.ca and we'll let you know what we can do!

Wednesdays: Kitchener and Waterloo

Thursdays: Guelph

Fridays: Cambridge and Hamilton

Your order is due by 10 AM on Sunday of the week of your scheduled delivery. For example, if your delivery day is on a Wednesday (or Thursday, or Friday), your order is due to us by the Sunday of that same week, by 10 AM.

Your order is sent out to you in our insulated totes with freezer packs to keep any produce and refrigerated items cold. Any meat and fish is sent out frozen and packed within a smaller insulated bag inside your tote to ensure an optimal temperature until you get home. Orders are delivered between 2 PM and 8 PM on the date of your scheduled delivery.

Once the order is dropped off, you will receive a text message indicating where it was left. We always look for the most shaded and hidden area on porches or beside doors. If you live in a building, we require a concierge to receive the order, or to have a door code to access the building. 

All of our totes, freezer packs, freezer bags and jars are returnable and reusable. Simply leave them outside and we will pick them up when we drop off your next delivery! 

Once you receive your order, you can contact us with any concerns or questions by emailing info@zerocery.ca.

We've already had quite a bit of interest from all over Ontario for our service. We would love to be able to deliver to everyone in Ontario eventually, but we want to do that the right way, and stay true to our values.

We aim to work with suppliers within the community and when we stretch too far past our delivery area, we risk losing that element of community. In order to service other areas right away, we would be driving long distances, increasing the financial and environmental cost of delivery. Our personal delivery service is also what allows us to be as zero waste as possible. Many of our competitors send their deliveries out with courier services, which means increased single use packaging and waste.

So the long answer is: Soon!

 Send an email to info@zerocery.ca if you have hopes of deliveries going to your area.

• LOCAL- Beyond our suppliers, we aim to have as many of our products grown and produced locally as possible, or as close to home as we can find when there isn’t a local option. We are also always on the look out for local suppliers that we might not be aware of and if you think we're missing out on something, then send us a message and we'll look into it!
• PACKAGING- Like all zero waste stores, there is some packaging that comes along with certain products we purchase in bulk. Our aim is to push our suppliers to reduce and eliminate this altogether as our purchasing power grows. Just like with our local products, if there's a package free item you're excited about that we don't carry, then reach out with the suggestion!
• ORGANIC?- We will have a full selection of organic options, however we will also have a full selection of non organic products. Purchasing organic is a priority to many, however it is also a cost that not everyone can afford. We aim to make zero waste shopping accessible to all.
• FAIRTRADE- Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers. Zerocery is committed to sourcing only fair trade products in the categories listed on the Fairtrade Canada website. We believe in equity throughout the supply chain and we intend to take a lower margin on our fair trade products in order to make them more accessible.

We aim to source packaging and plastic free in every possible category and we are well on our way to doing so. That being said, there are a few items we are still currently having trouble sourcing completely zero waste including crackers, chips, sour cream and many plant based alternatives. We're already working with out suppliers to try and find alternatives to these, but until we can find a source we won't be offering these for sale. We have made an exception for plant based proteins brands such as Montreal-based Gusta. They have done a fantastic job reducing packaging and, as plant based alternatives reduce waste in so many other ways, we want to include these options.

• PRODUCE- Our produce will be packed without plastic, wrapped in recycled kraft paper where necessary to avoid crushing etc.
• PANTRY- Any dried goods or liquids that can be purchased in bulk will be packed in reusable and returnable glass containers.
• DAIRY & EGGS- All milk, cream and yogurt products will be in reusable and returnable glass containers. Hard cheese will be wrapped in compostable butcher wrap and our eggs will be in compostable packaging.
• PLANT BASED- Our plant based alternatives will be packed in returnable glass containers for any possible products and compostable butcher wrap for any deli items available. Package free plant based alternatives are an underdeveloped category, so some of our products will come with minimal packaging to start. Due to the smaller environmental impact that goes in to this category, we intend to have a robust selection and work with our suppliers to minimize packaging as quickly as possible over time.
• MEAT & SEAFOOD- Our meat and seafood and will be packed frozen in fully compostable butcher wrap.
• BATH & BODY- Our bath and home products will be packed in reusable, returnable containers or sold package free in bulk for our soap, shampoo and conditioner bars.
• RECIPE KITS- We fully intend to offer zero waste recipe kits starting in 2020. The recipe kits will be package free and contain the exact portions that you need. Whether you're cooking for 1 or 12 we'll have a packaging free, food waste reducing alternative for you!

One of the most important goals that Zerocery aims to achieve is to support and help grow other fantastic local businesses focusing or willing to focus on reducing packaging and plastics. We keep as small of a packing space as possible and work with local suppliers already doing a fantastic job in each of our categories. We optimize our delivery route to reduce our emissions as much as possible and offer delivery between our suppliers to help cut down on their own time and delivery costs. Many of our suppliers already purchase from one another for specific items and we aim to be a bridge to make that system more cost effective, simple and as waste free as possible. 

Canada's grocery system is dominated by 4-5 giant corporations who are too slow or unwilling to make the changes needed to move towards a sustainable and supportive food system. The suppliers we work with are willing, able and eager to make these changes and we want to be a support for them to grow as much as possible and change the food landscape of Canada. Change needs to happen and we want to help facilitate that in whatever small way we can.

Your first delivery has a one time $10 deposit to help us cover the cost of our totes and freezer packs. The actual cost on these items is higher than the $10 deposit, however we want to keep this as easy and affordable as possible. On your next delivery day, you simply leave your tote outside your door along with any freezer packs and jars for pick up. The $10 deposit is only on your first order. 

If you ever decide that Zerocery isn't your thing, just let us know and we will ask you to leave the totes, freezer packs and any jars out for pick up on our next scheduled delivery day for your area. Your $10 deposit will be refunded to you within 10 days of pick up. 

In order to avoid plastic packaging, we deliver many of our items in reusable and returnable glass jars with a $1 deposit. You can keep the jar as long as it takes to use up your supplies. When you're done, simply put any empty jars in your Zerocery totes outside your door for pick up on the next delivery. 

Jar refunds are totalled monthly and sent out in gift card format by the 15th of the following month to be used on a future order. With Shopify unable to add credits directly to a customer account, the gift card format is the simplest and most user friendly way that we have found to provide jar refunds. To add greater flexibility, multiple gift cards can be used on one purchase. 

• We live our vision in every aspect of our operations, including hiring and partnerships. From the employees on our team to the suppliers we partner with, we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment. We are committed to being as diverse as the communities we serve, across race, gender, age, religion, identity and experience.

• We will be a living wage employer, paying our employees fair wages with a focus on internal advancement and development.

• We have a commitment to working with local producers and growers prioritizing other local businesses with a living wage commitment.

• We will work to support and grow other local businesses, assisting our suppliers and community in moving towards a zero waste workplace and lifestyle. We will offer our returnable and reusable jar program to all businesses we work with, helping to eliminate single use plastic jars and tubs wherever we can.

• Making a socially and environmentally conscious lifestyle more affordable and accessible is at the core of what we do. Living zero waste can be cost and time prohibitive for so many, a pain we hope to ease with our affordable delivery network. We aim to offer affordable alternatives wherever possible and in many cases we will be taking a lower margin on items in an effort to improve their accessibility. 

• Zerocery will be offering a full range of zero waste home and body products. Among those we will have zero waste menstruation products such as the diva cup and period panties. 100% of the profit we make from our menstruation products will go to purchase menstruation products for shelters in KW, Cambridge, Hamilton and Guelph. For every two menstruation products purchased, we will be able to donate one product or the cash equivalent to The Period Purse - a charity focused on providing menstruation products to people who menstruate.