Eco-Flamingo is a good idea in theory, but in practice it's for a clientele with a lot of disposable income that wants to feel better about their consumption. It feels like a place to shop if you want to virtue signal. I wanted to look into more sustainable options and decrease the amount of plastic I consume via containers. I had gotten a few things (bar shampoo, toothpaste pellets, etc) online at the Zero Waste store, but prefer to keep it local whenever I can. When I heard about E.F. I decided to check it out, but was surprised at the prices, which are astronomical for what you get. I expected bulk pricing and BYO containers to result in better pricing, but was mistaken. In spite of the cost, I gave a couple products a try thinking perhaps the quality would be superior quality, and walked away with a small lotion stick that was $20 and has a weird smell, and some bulk lotion (orange blossom, I think) that smells good but wasn't very moisturizing and cost $13 for maybe about a cup worth. According to my kitchen scale, about 5 oz. Only a select few people are going to be able to lotion up through a Chicago winter for $2 an ounce when you could double the amount with a store brand. Good on you if you can extract some wealth from the people who have too much, but this is just not a store for everyone. I found some other small businesses and switched to bar soap and lotion to avoid buying more plastic, and there are a couple online options for cleaning products and such. read more

Definitely my go to refill store for dry grocery needs and cleaning items. i love Eco Flamingo

The store is amazing but I often find the things I go there for are out of stock or not in season. They also open at 11AM on weekdays and only 10AM on weekends. As someone who gets up early for groceries, this is not early enough... so unfortunately that means sticking to the Whole Foods self serve section :( Would shop there regularly if they opened at 8 or 9 daily... read more

I absolutely love The Eco Flamingo. This zero waste general store makes it so easy to keep my home eco-friendly. They have a great selection of sustainable, low-waste products for everyday use, from refillable essentials to plastic-free and reusable essentials. Shopping here helps me reduce waste while still getting high-quality products I love. I highly recommend for anyone wanting to create a more eco-friendly home and live a greener lifestyle. read more

What can I say?! This place is just the BEST. Everything is hand selected with care and extensive research. Great and ever growing selection and true commitment to community and sustainability. I only wish I lived closer so I could visit more often. read more

Zero waste groceries, snacks, cleaning items, spices, oils, vinegars, personal care items... This place is fabulous. The staff is so friendly and helpful. Go with your own containers. They do have some paper bags available if needed, but better to take yours. The products are super fresh. The store is immaculately clean. They have several GF items - of course they are honest that due to customer error they cannot 100% guarantee no cross contamination. Many organic options. Buy the sun dried tomatoes. Their tare system for weighing items is so cutting edge it should get its own post. Edit...don't know what others were buying but I found prices to be good or comparable for the items I purchased. read more

The Eco Flamingo - a variety of jars of food - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Small shop with lots of eco friendly products including by the oz coffee, pasta, grains, soap, detergents, and so much more! I'll need to come back better prepared next time with a list and some jars to fill! read more

The Eco Flamingo - Lots of produce by the oz at reasonable prices, including these delicious persimmons - Cosmetics & Beauty Supply Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really wanted to utilize this opportunity to reuse containers and have shopped here several times. However the dish soap is worthless. It's very watered down and does not remove oil (olive oil, not even animal fat) from dishes unless you use at least 3 pumps per dish. Ridiculous waste. And it's not any less expensive than if I'd purchased product with a container. If the dish soap is that watered down I'm not sure the laundry detergent is any better. So no point in buying that again either. Sorry to say but very disappointing. read more

I absolutely love this story, but they need to open EARLIER. I have a really tight schedule and every time I want to go they're still closed so I have to go to other stores. read more

Cutest little store where you bring your own containers and refill products. My sister introduced me to it while visiting Chicago. They have detergents, soaps, facial rose wash and many products to choose from. The concept of course is to reuse the containers, get rid of one time use of plastics and sustainability! The young lady that helped us had such great energy and even looked up a similar store for me in Miami! I can't wait to check it out! My sister is a big fan of their products because she's all about environmental wellness! read more

The concept and mission of a Zero-waste, refill store is a noble one. I agree that we should all do our best to reduce our impact on the planet. However, this store simply falls flat when it comes to providing that opportunity. The prices here for bulk refills on things like soap are basically robbery. 3 liters of dish soap cost over $30. That's double the price on Amazon for a reputable brand like Mrs Meyers and 5-10x the price of going to your local Walmart. It's clear that either the business mode doesn't work without trying to overcharge or this company is simply price gouging for profits. I'm not sure which it is, but I can't recommend anyone go here. read more

I've been here twice and both times I've left feeling very down about Eco & The Flamingo. As someone on a journey to minimize waste, I very much enjoy being able to reuse the containers that I have at home for cleaning supplies and bulk baking ingredients. As previously mentioned, the products can be expensive and there is room to improve with regard to pricing but this is true across the several zero waste stores that I've been to. There also seem to be nonsensical pricing discrepancies. For example, there are eucalyptus shower steamers at the store. One small container with four tablets was ~8 dollars. The tall container with nine tablets was ~26 dollars. When we asked the person working if the pricing was correct given the number of tablets in each container and the math with each price, she just nodded. If three small containers would equal twelve tablets and cost less than one tall container with nine tablets, that does not seem to align with the mission of minimizing waste. What I do not enjoy about Eco & The Flamingo at all is the customer service. On the first visit, patrons who entered the store before and after us were greeted. My partner and I received no such greeting upon entry to the store. On both visits, it has been hard to get the attention of those working in the store for assistance or questions. The employees also seem to only show interest in you or your purchase as you are checking out, which rings hollow. On the most recent visit, my partner and I were waiting in line to purchase our goods. Two people were rung up ahead of us. One of these patrons inquired about and then purchased two bulk food products during their purchase. When we began placing our goods on the counter, I inquired about one bulk snack food product. The employee then stepped away to answer the phone. After answering the phone, she proceeded to help a customer who had been in line behind us at a different register. She then called out to another customer behind us and asked if she was ready to check out as we continued to stand in front of our register confused about what was happening. Luckily, this customer stated that she could be helped after she finished checking us out. When the employee finally came back over to our register, she then inquired if we wanted the bulk food item and we stated we did not. I'm not quite sure why I would want to purchase more goods after the way we were treated... Based on these customer service experiences at Eco & The Flamingo, I would not go back and would not recommend this business to friends or family despite the fact that I very much like the idea of a zero waste general store in Chicago. I will have to go back to the drawing board to look for other businesses who sell packaging-free bulk goods that I can feel good about supporting. read more

My ongoing battle to get our household down to zero waste has been greatly helped by this place. Laundry soap, dish soap, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, hand sanitizer ... even vinegar can be purchased with little or no packaging, in your own bottle. For some of this stuff, cost-wise it's a wash. Packaging-free deodorant bars last forever, for example, but other things not so much. While I'm very committed to the no-plastic lifestyle, and the products themselves are awesome, they're not cheap. read more

Wow. Just went for first time. Super cool gem of a store. We need more of these. Staff is really helpful and friendly. If it's your first time, bring your own mason jars and containers so you can buy food, spices, coffee. They have free extra reusable containers for non-edible products (cleaning products, shampoo, etc). I'm excited about getting in the habit of buying more items here and re-using my glass jars and containers. So much better than creating new waste. It's a bit overwhelming when you first walk in, so let the staff help you find what you need. They have a lot for such a small store. Prices are reasonable, and they have a cool electronic tag system for subtracting the weight of your containers. They also have some cool handmade products from Turkey (blankets, towels..). I'm so psyched to have this in my neighborhood! Not just a store. It's an experience. read more

With this store I think its possible for your household to get closer to zero waste. We love the selection of dry goods, they keep adding more each week. There are rice, granola, baking items, beans, and more! Excellent customer service, plus they are very cautious about sanitizing and social distancing. For cleaning products they have soap, laundry detergent, and isopropyl alcohol. The Meliora tea tree scrub works great! Also shampoo, conditioner, and beauty products. Usually when I buy these products elsewhere they all come in plastic containers that may or may not end up being recycled. Here, you bring your own clean container or they have extras of various sizes available for purchase. For any non food products you can order online and they will have them ready for pickup. read more

They're the reason (along with other refill stores) why a lot of people end up not going zero waste- I know they don't have the means to charge as little as large retailers but $27 for 33oz of conditioner is a bit much (+more items) and not affordable for their target demographic As much as I love shopping zero-waste I can't drop $60+ every time I need the essentials. The only brand I've used for beauty products there is Rustic Strength, and the conditioner and body wash aren't the best- they smell great because they're pumped with essential oils but don't do their job well. Also, unlike some refill stores, they don't measure your container weight at 0 first and then only charge you for product- they include the container weight However, if you have the means definitely go!! read more

I finally made it to Eco & the Flamingo over the weekend. My husband had been twice before to check it out, get samples and see what the store had to offer, and he loved it. It's a zero waste, reusable, re-fillable general store. Finally something like this in Chicago! NYC has had a few of these already and I've been waiting! We found out about them through a neighborhood FB group and they've kept their FB page active with updates. The staff here is super nice and helpful. They've been taking COVID precautions too such as having clean glass containers for purchase. Or if you bring your own container, only the staff will fill it using a clean funnel so no contamination. The staff was all wearing masks. (And they sell masks!) They have a variety of items from laundry detergent to coffee, deodorant to popcorn kernels. Most things are by weight, so if you don't need 4 lbs of white rice, you can come here and just get what you need! Prices are very reasonable too. They do carry clean bags for the dry food items, all which can be composted (and they'll compost their bags for you once it's brought back, if you don't have composting!) We tried using their laundry detergent on a white rug that my dog loves and it worked well! Oh! Also their useable items, ie toothbrushes, cotton ear swabs (q-tips), are all made from sustainable bamboo. And they're a cruelty-free store! Overall, this place is just awesome. read more

I am trying to go plastic free, and am so glad this store exists. It is a plastic free haven and the staff are so friendly and helpful. I've been twice now, once to check it out and learn how things work and the second was with some empties to fill up. It's great how many products they offer, from foods to cleaning products, to shampoos. I highly recommend this store. read more

If humanity doesn't stop drowning this earth in plastic, we are screwed. Fortunately, at this shop, you can use your mason jars, your linen bag - any container you want - and refill rice, coffee, granola, olive oil, vinegar, toothpaste tablets, veggie chips, currants - you name it. I found the prices extremely reasonable. Less important but just as fun is the fact that the store itself is very pretty. It's actually a fun place to shop. When you get home, your items will be in your pretty glass jars instead of in plastic trash, and your toothbrush and hairbrush will be beautiful wood instead of plastic. I sincerely hope this store stays around forever. I'd love to know how much plastic and styrofoam garbage has been kept out of the system because of this place. I would like to make a few suggestions. 1.) I found the storefront to be non-descript and wasn't even sure it was open until I walked up to the store. Perhaps the storefront itself could have some sort of sign which immediately identifies it as a "BRING YOUR OWN CONTAINER: BUY BULK PANTRY/BATH STAPLES - SAVE THE PLANET" operation. Even those words on a sandwich board out front might bring in curious passersby. 2.) Not sure it's feasible but allowing customers to peruse the bulk items instead of choosing through the book would likely boost sales. I might look at the book and think, "Eh, I don't need dried apple slices", but seeing the beautiful slices in person increases the chance of someone like me impulse-buying. Side note: those apple slices are SO GOOD. 3.) Increase social media presence. Post on the major sites at least once a day - show off the items - tons of people have never heard of toothpaste tablets, or bar shampoo, or bulk BYOC laundry soap. A nifty side-by-side of a shopping haul, showing brown sugar in a conventional plastic bag, chips in plastic, laundry soap in a plastic jug vs in mason jars or pretty linen bags is a stark visual reminder of what a difference shopping here can make. 4.) Maybe contact the environmental editor for local publications. The store is so pretty, and the aim so noble, the story writes itself. Anyway, congrats on an incredible operation! I'm a regular now! read more

I love this store! Every time I pop in, I learn more things about the products and also find new ways to incorporate minimal/zero waste products into my life. If it's you're first time, it could seem overwhelming but there's no pressure to buy everything or be zero waste at that instant. I've found it helpful to pop in from time to time and pick up a few products. Overtime you'll realize how much you've changed you're ways! It's amazing. I also love the eucalyptus steamers, I've tried MANY from different brands and they're barely noticeable. But the ones from here smell amazing and last long in the shower, I just make sure not to have them directly under the water the whole time. I just wish they had more scents! (But I already checked the company website and that's the only scent they have lol) it's a great self care buy, and also a great gift for others! read more

Amazing! Just what this neighborhood needs. I hope for more future locations. Would also love if they could find a way to stock bulk plant based protein powder like Orgain...those huge plastic tubs they come in are so wasteful. I bet there would be a large demand for this product! read more

This store is fantastic -- lots to choose from in the bulk goods section, as well as other basics. Bring your own jars -- mason jars, your washed out pickle jars, jam jars, etc., and fill 'em up. You do the filling yourself for liquid soaps & detergents, vinegars, etc., and you have the staff do the filling for you for food items (so that they can sanitize everything and ensure they are using separate scoops/funnels/etc. I've purchased coffee, nuts, popcorn, spices, loose leaf tea, beans, oils and so much more. They've carefully curated their selection so that everything is responsible -- dental floss w/out plastic, bamboo toothbrushes and toilet brushes, reusable bags and containers, as well as a small selection of gift items. Nervous about shopping in a store? You can drop off your own jars curbside and they will fill them for you. You can also participate in a swap program -- you purchase a mason jar filled with body wash, lotion, liquid soap, etc., and then return the jar for a new one when finished. They wash and sanitize the container you returned and fill it for someone else. Fantastic! This is my new favorite local store! read more

I will definitely be back. Everyone working is so kind and quick to help. It helps to look online and work out a game plan ie how many containers you need. Worth the stop 100%! read more

Love this place!! Cannot speak highly enough of this shop and the amazing team they have! They always remember who we are when we walk in, they are super kind and helpful, and it's easy to see that they truly believe in helping people live low waste lifestyles. Love them! Please try them out!! read more

I love this place. Cool products and it's awesome that they have containers for you to use in case you forgot yours. An asset to the community. read more

Bring your own containers or use some of the available ones others have donated for reuse. They have all the basics you might need (sunscreen, shampoo, soap, lotion, etc) plus some beautiful blankets and towels, safety razors, coffee, cleaning supplies, and the whole place smells wonderful when you walk in. Getting your basic necessities without the extra packaging is a huge win! read more

The staff was so friendly and helpful! The prices are great and the product variety was impressive. I wish more stores could lean into zero waste wholesale. Looking forward to coming back! read more

If you're looking to support your environment without sacrificing quality this is the store for you! I've personally tried the laundry soap, body soap, cleaning solution, dishwasher pod, and soap bags with great success! They even have products that are animal free as they use vegetable soap in many products! Love you can try samples and the prices are very reasonable especially if you're not reusing plastic and refilling glass/recyclable containers! Definitely a must try for everyone! read more