BULK BOTANICALS

Green living is more than a fad for Plant Based Goods owners Anna Beck (right) and Laura Lawler (left)—it’s their zero-waste business model. Their eco-conscious Atwood Avenue boutique is stocked with a variety of biodegradable, nontoxic goods like shampoo, sunscreen, balms, herbal tinctures, soap berries and carpet cleaner. “We’re highlighting the different things plants can do and providing a much healthier alternative to what’s available in the mainstream market,” Lawler says.

Their graduate studies in geography at UW-Madison gives the duo a keen perspective on the global environmental impact of hyper-consumerism.

“Our products are a part of our mission to reduce our carbon footprints, plastic footprints—that far outlive us—and waste footprints. Almost every item we carry is sold in bulk and people are shocked at how much money they can save with refilling,” Beck explains. “That also happens with reusable products. A good example is purchasing a reusable coffee filter; single-use filters may equate to 1.5 million trees per year we simply throw out every day.”

Lawler says being able to help customers shift to not tossing packaging is rewarding. She says, beaming, “You can eat all organic and run every day, but still not know where your lotion—or its bottle—comes from.”

2717 Atwood Ave., Madison | plantbasedgoods.com/our-story