Madrid and its bulk stores
(which is the same as packaging-free stores)
Today, May 17th, is International Recycling Day. Recycling is great, and we know that many of you make an effort not only to recycle, but to recycle well, which isn't always easy.
For five years I lived between Luxembourg and Germany, and the recycling issue is a different story… We're aware that in Spain there's still a lack of support from the state and businesses to make the task easier for citizens and carry out more awareness campaigns, but these campaigns aren't enough if they're not accompanied by practical solutions. For example, in Germany, people pay a few cents more for (most) products packaged in plastic and glass (I say most because it depends on the brand), and supermarkets have machines to return those containers, and they give you the extra cents you paid on a receipt to deduct from your purchase. This encourages people to recycle their containers.
It's these kinds of easy and efficient practices that make the difference. For now, until something is decided, let's each try to do our part to reduce the waste we generate, because the most important thing isn't recycling, but reducing. Therefore, to make things easier for you, we've listed various bulk stores in Madrid and the surrounding area, divided by area, and in some cases, we've shared links if the stores are located elsewhere in Spain.
Obviously, traditional fruit and vegetable stores and neighborhood markets also sell in bulk and without packaging (if you bring your own bags and containers), but we're not including them in this list because otherwise it would be endless!
*We've selected a few areas, but we encourage you to find your local bulk store.
**We've probably missed some stores in these areas. If you leave them in the comments, we'll include them in the article.
Madrid Center ( Food / Home and Cosmetics )
Getafe ( Food / Home and Cosmetics )
Lavapiés ( Food / Home and Cosmetics )
Leganés ( Food / Home and Cosmetics )
Majadahonda (Food / Home and Cosmetics )
Móstoles ( Food / Home and Cosmetics )
Rivas-Vaciamadrid ( Food / Home and Cosmetics )
Vallecas ( Food / Home and Cosmetics )
MADRID CENTER
Food Category
Unpacked shop (Narváez, 28)
This store knows what it's doing. It boils down to Packaging + Refilling + Paying = Zero Waste.
They have everything: food, personal care, bathroom, kitchen, and everything in bulk.
What Condé Nast Traveler says about them: “Madrid's first plastic-free supermarket is born. Every time you make a purchase, you're casting a vote on the kind of world you want to live in.”
Ruiz House (Hermosilla 88 / Santa Maria de la Cabeza Roundabout 5 / Andrés Mellado 46 / Carlos Maurrás 7)
They work, whenever possible, with local products to reduce costly and polluting transportation. All their employees are trained to personally advise you on the most important culinary and nutritional aspects of their products. Their products are mostly unprocessed and have guaranteed traceability. We recommend a visit; it's an experience! And with several stores in Madrid, there's no excuse ☺
Seed & Grain (Eloy Gonzalo 18 / San Bernardo 71 / Melilla 33)
What you can find in this store are: domestic and imported products, top quality at a fair price, natural and organic products, essentials for a healthy and balanced diet.
In addition, they accompany their products with recipes that you can also find on their website: Recipes .
White Jug Dairy (Manuela Malasaña 29)
Yes, you read that right! It's a dairy in the heart of Madrid with super-fresh products: from fresh milk, free-range eggs, cheeses and bread, to cakes (they look delicious). It's like going to the local farm without leaving the center of Madrid!
They organize workshops for making homemade products. We thought it might be a great gift for a family member or friend who's a keen cook (or wants to be!).
Granela.es (Don Ramón de la Cruz 97)
An ideal store, small but with a lot of variety! They have dried fruits (exquisite!), and they also organize workshops. Follow them on Instagram for more information.
Granel Madrid (Ambassadors 12)
They have a wide variety of products and the quality-price ratio is very good.
They also share vegan recipes. Try this one. vegan tortilla and tell us how it turns out!
Black & Pepper (Meléndez Valdés 15)
Spice heaven! And they have some very special recipes at your disposal. Learn more. here .
Category: Home and Cosmetic Products
CleanUp Bio (Barceló 6 – Barceló Market, Local 105 – floor 0)
Cleanup is part of the stores 4eco .
These stores were created with the idea of returning to old-fashioned ways. 4eco was born from the union of two factors and one place: Victoria-Gasteiz. The factors? Its founders are both from Vitoria, and in 2012, the city that unites them was named the "Green Capital" ( European Green Capital ). A year and a half later, 4eco was born, and from that moment on, it began to consolidate and gradually forge itself as a group of stores, each with its own name. It's important to emphasize that 4eco is not a franchise, and that's why each store is unique!
They have obtained the following certifications for their products: Green Deal and Econostrum Project .
You can find bulk detergents, household supplies, handmade soaps, perfumes, home air fresheners, soaps, and bath salts.
In this link You can find all the 4eco stores in Spain. In Madrid they are in Leganés , Mostoles , Pinto , Vallecas, Madrid center (it's called CleanUp Bio), Rivas Vacía-Madrid (it's called The Ecologist), Getafe and El Pilar (it is called The Green Warehouse).
Fill in Good (Valverde 31)
Bulk soaps for home and personal care. Same procedure as the others, the idea is to bring your own containers and refill them there ☺
Ecoeko (Segovia Roundabout 34)
Ecoeko is a group of natural cosmetics stores that use plant-based, domestically produced ingredients free of petroleum derivatives or mineral oils (petrolatum, silicones, petrolatum, paraffin, etc.), parabens, and a long list of other "no-no's." They offer products for the face, body, hair, children, makeup, and treatments.
Attention! Not all of their products are available in bulk. Here's a list of those that are: bulk natural cosmetics .
To see the Ecoeko store network in Spain, you can click on this link. link . You can find their products in Madrid, as well as in Ronda de Segovia 34, in Leganés (store Joy of the Garden ) and Getafe (store BioLibre ).
BOADILLA DEL MONTE
Food Category
The Portuguese (Infante Don Luis Avenue 14)
This is my favorite fruit and vegetable store, and I highly recommend it. They have seasonal fruits and vegetables in bulk, as well as legumes and some nuts. Their motto is "Eating fruit in Boadilla is wonderful!" They also have some exquisite national jams, but they don't come in bulk. I just bought a carrot and ginger jam and a chestnut and apple jam. I'm really looking forward to trying them! The service is extremely friendly, and they serve everything themselves.
THE BROWN
Food Category
EcoPardo (Manuel Alonso No. 1, Local 3)
A super-complete store, they have everything! From artisanal empanadas to superfoods like aloe vera powder. They also have personal hygiene and cosmetic products (although these aren't in bulk). It's a must Go visit this store. I'll go as soon as I can ☺
GETAFE
Food Category
Biolibere (C/ Giralda s/n, -front number 6)
“Biolíbere is the Cooperative Supermarket promoted by the Libere Education and Development Association. It stems from the concerns of a group of people concerned about the current consumer model. Our project began with the desire to create a rational, collaborative, and sustainable consumer alternative for the southern part of Madrid.”
In addition to fruits and vegetables, they also have pasta, rice, nuts, cereals, and teas.
Category: Home and Cosmetic Products
4eco Getafe (Juan de Borbon Avenue, s/n)
Footbath
Food Category
Assault of Mata (Doctor Fourquet 17)
They have everything, even a small bookstore to help you with your garden: how to create your garden, how to make good compost, how to care for plants, and much more…
Category: Home and Cosmetic Products
Bulk Soap (Tribulete 18 – San Fernando Market)
They have everything, both organic and non-organic. They also have products for sensitive skin and for children.
In Madrid they are in Lavapiés , Sales and La Latina . They also have stores in other parts of Spain, link .
Leganés
Food Category
Joy of the Garden (Thought 7)
In addition to bulk fruits and vegetables, they also have nuts, seeds, rice, and legumes. The products are certified organic.
Category: Home and Cosmetic Products
4eco Leganés (Thought 2)
LEGAZPI
Food Category
Cocomero Organic (Ambassadors 197)
“At Cocómero, you can find certified organic products supplied by small, local producers. They offer a wide variety of breads, both gluten-free and gluten-free, made with sourdough and organic flours. The fruits and vegetables are seasonal and always fresh. Seeds, grains, and legumes can be found packaged and in bulk.”
Attention! Not all of their products are sold in bulk; they have a fair amount of packaging, but fruits, vegetables, seeds, grains, etc. are sold without packaging.
MAJADA HONDA
Food Category
Molucas Grocery Store (Santiago Apóstol 8)
Your bulk store can be summed up in two words:
“On the one hand, a grocery store is a retailer of all kinds of non-perishable food products, such as legumes, oils, nuts, salted cod, etc.
On the other hand, the Moluccas, or Maluku Islands, also known as the Spice Islands, are an Indonesian archipelago made up of more than six hundred islands. They became very famous during the 15th and 16th centuries, when the Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Dutch fought battles to control the trade of their prized spices such as nutmeg and cloves.
Category: Home and Cosmetic Products
BioPompas (Carmen Laforet 5)
BioPompas is a franchise of personal care, natural cosmetics, and household cleaning stores, also offering hypoallergenic products. I've personally started shopping there and I'm delighted. The trick is to bring several containers (you can also buy them there; they're reusable containers) to do a month's shopping (or more), and that way you avoid going every week. Some cosmetics they sell, such as body cream, come in glass jars or in the most eco-friendly packaging possible.
They have stores in many places Spain , and in Madrid they are in Majadahonda and in Villalba .
MÓSTOLES
Food Category
Life in Bulk (San Marcial 22)
They have everything! A super-complete bulk store with a lot of variety. They have different types of sugar and chocolates in bulk, which aren't always easy to find. A must-visit in Móstoles ☺
Category: Home and Cosmetic Products
4eco Móstoles (San Marcial 15)
POZUELO DE ALARCÓN
Food Category
A World in Bulk (Almansa 4 Local 12)
The shop is small but they have a varied selection and (almost) everything in bulk: from seaweed, spices, coffees and teas, flours, yeasts, and much more. As I write this article, I'm drinking a rooibos with orange that I bought at this shop with a piece of cinnamon stick to add a little flavor, and it's delicious.
RIVAS VACIA-MADRID
Food Category
Besana Cooperative (Jose Hierro Avenue 92)
It's an organic store and, in addition to bulk fruit and vegetables, they also sell legumes, sugar, teas, nuts, and coffee in 1kg bags.
Category: Home and Cosmetic Products
The Ecologist – 4eco store (Plaza Cataluña 7)
VALLECAS
Food Category
The Vallekas Grocery Store (Puerto Canfranc 14)
They have rice, sugars, cereals and seeds, flakes and bran, spices, dehydrated fruits, nuts, flours, legumes, pasta and soups, teas... In short, a super complete bulk store!
In his blog They share exquisite recipes.
Category: Home and Cosmetic Products
4eco Vallecas (Arroyo del Olivar 180)
