Eight zero-waste shops in Spain that can save you money (and the planet)

Zero-waste shopping is not just about saving the planet. In Spain, a growing number of shops are making it easier to buy exactly what you need, avoid unnecessary packaging and, in many cases, spend less money along the way. For plant-based shoppers, they can also be a treasure trove of vegan-friendly ingredients.

The idea is wonderfully simple: instead of buying a large, heavily packaged bag of something because that is the only option available, you can choose the exact amount you need. A handful of nuts, 100g of spices or enough rice for the week – nothing more, nothing less.

That can mean less food ending up in the bin and less money spent on products you never actually use. Bulk shops across Spain offer everything from grains and pulses to spices, pasta, cleaning products and personal care items.

And if you are vegan, there is plenty to discover.

1. Usar y Reusar — Barcelona

Barcelona's Usar y Reusar is a dedicated zero-waste shop offering products designed to make everyday life more sustainable. From reusable alternatives to household essentials, it is a useful stop for anyone trying to reduce their reliance on single-use products.

2. Gra de Gràcia — Barcelona

Based in Barcelona's Gràcia neighbourhood, Gra de Gràcia is a bulk shop with hundreds of ecological and locally sourced products. Customers can buy ingredients such as rice, pasta, cereals, flour, seeds, nuts and pulses by weight, helping to avoid unnecessary packaging and buy only what they actually need.

3. L' Aixeta Verda — Santa Coloma de Gramenet

Located in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, just outside Barcelona, L'Aixeta Verda specialises in ecological cleaning, hygiene and personal-care products sold in bulk. Its refill approach means you can reuse containers and purchase only the quantity required. The shop also identifies itself as vegan-friendly.

4. La Esquina del Granel — Madrid

In Madrid's Tetuán neighbourhood, La Esquina del Granel offers bulk food and natural products while encouraging customers to move away from unnecessary packaging. It is a particularly useful option if you want to make refill shopping part of your normal weekly routine.

5. Granel Madrid — Madrid

Close to Madrid's Embajadores neighbourhood, Granel Madrid makes bulk shopping its entire philosophy. Its range includes nuts, seeds, spices, rice, seaweed, dried mushrooms and plant-based ingredients, making it particularly interesting for vegan cooks looking to experiment without buying enormous packets.

6. Quart de Kilo: Productos a granel para la vida — Valencia

Valencia's Quart de Kilo is a specialist bulk shop offering a broad selection of foods including nuts, spices and other pantry staples. Buying by weight allows shoppers to purchase smaller quantities, making it easier to try new ingredients without ending up with half-used packets in the cupboard.

7. La Comanda a Granel — Valencia

In Valencia's Benimaclet neighbourhood, La Comanda a Granel has been selling food, household cleaning products and personal-care products by weight since 2015. The shop focuses on proximity, ecological products and fair trade where possible, while encouraging customers to avoid single-use packaging.

8. Terra Market — Granada

In Granada, Terra Market takes the zero-waste concept beyond food. Customers can bring their own containers and buy everything from pulses, rice and nuts to ecological laundry products and other household essentials. Much of the range is locally sourced, making it an appealing option for shoppers wanting to reduce both packaging and their environmental footprint.

A cheaper way to shop?

Zero-waste shopping will not automatically make every product cheaper. Organic and speciality products can still carry a premium. But buying by weight gives you something conventional supermarkets often don't: control.

You can buy 200g instead of 1kg, refill a bottle instead of buying another one, and test an unfamiliar ingredient without wasting the rest of the packet.

For anyone eating more plant-based food, that flexibility can be particularly useful. Buy a little nutritional yeast, try a new grain, pick up some spices for a curry or stock up on pulses, without filling your cupboards with half-used packets.

Perhaps the biggest lesson from Spain's zero-waste shops is that sustainable shopping does not have to mean buying more. Sometimes, it simply means buying less, but buying it better.