Good Buy Supply

NEIGHBORHOOD: EAST PASSYUNK

GOOD FOR: SUSTAINABLE GOODS AND GIFTS - KITCHEN, HOME, APOTHECARY

Hey friends! Now that spring is in full swing, I hope everyone is enjoying the season and getting out in the warmer weather! I am coming off of a very lovely vacation with exciting personal news to share with you - Tommy and I are engaged! While I do event planning as my full time job, I feel a new level of nervousness and excitement planning our own event this time around! We are over the moon to celebrate our relationship and embark upon this next chapter together. I always knew he’d be the one!

Anyway, we were vacationing in Florida and I think that our travel experience resonates with our next feature. Being by the beach, sustainability and reduction of plastic waste were very top of mind. Almost all of the local stores or restaurants we went to used paper straws or paper bags. I am not a sustainability guru by any means, but it’s something that I do align with and genuinely want to learn more about. Therefore, I was so excited to discover the opening of Good Buy Supply in East Passyunk, which specializes in this very topic! Good Buy Supply is dubbed as Philadelphia’s first sustainable retail shop dedicated to low waste and plastic-free alternatives to everyday life. The ‘everyday life’ aspect of this shop really piqued my interest. I wanted to know what simple habits I could adopt to begin making a difference; start small, and build from there is my mentality. Well upon visiting Good Buy Supply, I learned very quickly that they had plenty of amazing products to choose from to help get me started in this new and improved way of life!

To give a little more context on the shop itself, it is a beautiful little neighborhood spot run by a sweet couple, Emily and Jason. When I stopped in, Emily was kind enough to greet me and give me a quick tour of the space, which I loved! There are a few categories of products to peruse. They have a kitchen section with reusable coffee filters, reusable silicone bags, recycled glassware and more. In addition, there are cosmetic and apothecary goods, like natural bar soap and natural deodorant. One of the most unique aspects of Good Buy, however, is their refillery station. You can either bring in your own vessel (an old jar or container), or purchase one from Good Buy and fill it up with an assortment of eco-friendly soaps, detergents and such. When you are all out, you can simply bring your vessel back for a refill and you’re good as new! Emily also showed me their back patio, where they accept and collect their community’s recyclable glassware in partnership with local maker, Remark Glass. Good Buy’s interconnectivity with the Philadelphia area was one of my favorite things to learn about the shop. Many of their products are derived from partnerships with other local businesses who share the same sustainable values. I followed up with Emily after my visit to get a deeper understanding of her and the shop’s story, where she tells us more about the wonderful things that her and Jason are working on below!

Please continue reading for the full story of Good Buy Supply!

Q: Tell us about yourself and why you decided to open Good Buy Supply?
A: Both Jason and myself originally grew up in New Jersey and moved to Philadelphia in 2007 to attend The University of the Arts (where we met!). I studied Fine Art Painting and Jason studied Photography. Over the years we had planned on opening our own business and begun to map out what our ideal shop would be. Jason and myself started living a low-waste lifestyle a few years ago and found it difficult to find everyday plastic-free supplies locally. With our artistic backgrounds and sustainable lifestyle goals in mind, we dreamt up Good Buy Supply. Good Buy Supply was founded with the mission to help Philadelphians live a little bit more eco-friendly. We started with small changes and we want to be the bridge to help the neighborhood reduce their waste one step at a time. 

Q: What has it been like operating during the pandemic? Are there any valuable learning lessons you've experienced, despite the hardship?
A: We initially were looking to open our shop in early March of 2020, but the pandemic derailed our dream for a while. After being cooped up in quarantine we decided it was time to open. It was (and still is!) a super scary time to be opening a small business, but we have gotten a lot of support from the community so things are looking up! We have learned that it is so important to be a part of the community. We live right here in the neighborhood, so having the immediate connection helped us build the brand and establish relationships. 

Q: What are some easy ways to start practicing sustainability in everyday life? What are some basic habits we can change to be more eco-conscious? 
A: For us, we started with one item we brought home every single day: plastic bags. After that it began to snowball. Every so often we take a look at our trash and assess what we are getting rid of and how we can do better. Our number one recommendation is to start small! Sometimes it can seem daunting and overwhelming, but focus on one item and see how it can be eliminated. For me, just saving one item from the landfill is a win. Some items we like to start people out with are: a bamboo toothbrush, reusable swab or wool dryer balls. All of these will significantly reduce your plastic waste and aren't a scary transition. 

Q: Tell us more about some of your partnerships with other local sustainable businesses. I love how you are working together towards this common goal. 
A: We work with a few other partners here in the community that are also on a mission to reduce waste. Bottle Underground is a local non-profit by the founders of Remark Glass right here in South Philly. We are a drop off point for any glass (bottles, jars, etc.) that you would normally put to the curb for city recycling. Just make sure they are rinsed and clean and we will take them whenever our shop is open. They will take these bottles and transform them into items like plates, bowls, cups and more that we then sell in the shop (in-store only). They also work with other makers and producers who are looking for glass. If you were a brewery or winemaker that needed bottles, you could go to them for the empties at a fraction of the cost for new. We also carry Vellum Street Soap Company candles that are made using glass from this program. The candles from Vellum use locally sourced beef tallow from Primal Supply Meats and other waste from the restaurant industry here in Philly. 

Q: What are you looking forward to this spring and summer? Personal and/or professional topics welcome! :) 
A: This spring and summer we have a few exciting events and partnerships happening. Keep an eye out for local delivery launching soon and botanical pop-ups from our friends over at Timberline Farms (our soap maker!) Earth day will also bring some exciting tips and tricks for living a little bit more sustainably. We're looking forward to nice weather where we can host some socially distant classes in our outdoor patio as well.

It’s me again! Having lived in Philly for the past few years, I feel there isn’t really an equivalent shop that is so dedicated to supporting low waste living. I’m very grateful to have a boutique like this in our city and I love their approach of starting with small, realistic changes that will add up to make a difference. I also have to say that in addition to the fact that Good Buy Supply carries a wealth of great eco-friendly products, I love their sleek aesthetic. You can tell that Emily and Jason come from artistic backgrounds in the way that everything is merchandised. The space is carefully curated and is dotted with beautiful greenery in recycled Topo Chico and old fashioned soda bottles. It is just so charming and with its inspiring mission, there really isn’t anything not to love here. I really don’t know if I can wait until I run out of my lemongrass soaps to come back! So, if you find yourself in the Passyunk neighborhood, I highly recommend paying this spot a visit. After all, April is Earth Month so it is the perfect time to start doing your part in making the world a better place for all! Thank you to Emily and Jason again for having me stop in and for partnering with me on another great feature. 

And thanks to you for your time. Until the next post!

-Laura