EP #72 - Beyond the Bottle with Unpacked Living: Reimagining Our Relationship with Everyday Products

Sabrina Auclair founded Unpacked Living in 2019 to combat the overwhelming waste generated by American consumer culture. Her zero-waste store challenges misconceptions about sustainable living, proving that eco-friendly products can be affordable and accessible. Specializing in “naked products” and refillable options, Unpacked Living serves Massachusetts’ North Shore through a physical location and reaches customers nationwide via an online shop. Auclair’s approach eliminates wasteful packaging and makes conscious shopping effortless, emphasizing small changes that lead to a significant environmental impact.

Beyond selling sustainable products, Unpacked Living stands out by meticulously vetting each item, ensuring ethical sourcing and genuine eco-friendliness in an era of rampant greenwashing. Auclair’s journey hasn’t been without obstacles—closing a second location helped her refocus on purpose over profit. Her commitment to meaningful change extends beyond business, fostering a community dedicated to sustainability. Ready to embrace low-waste living? Connect with Unpacked Living on Instagram and Facebook @UnpackLiving or visit unpackliving.com to explore products that align with your values.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, YvonneGodfrey.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Joining us today we haveSabrina Auclair.
She is the owner of UnpackedLiving.
Sabrina, how are you today?

Speaker 3 (00:25):
I'm good.
How are you?
I'm so happy to be part of thispodcast.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Oh, we're so excited to have you here and to share
with our listeners informationabout Unpacked Living.
So can you tell our listenersabout your company?

Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yes, Unpacked Living was created back in 2019, and we
specialize in plastic-free,zero-waste, ethically sourced.
So we are what it's called nowa zero-waste store.
We serve the North Shore ofMassachusetts, but we also have
an online store so everybodyfrom all the United States can
order from us.

(01:02):
And, yeah, we are basically anenvironmentally conscious store
and we provide the productseveryday products to anybody
that wants to switch theirplastic products for
environmentally conscious ones.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
Okay, and how did you get started in this business?

Speaker 3 (01:21):
I am from a different country.
I'm from Colombia, from LatinAmerica, and our culture is just
so different from theconsumerism in America.
So when I came to live in theUnited States, I was shocked,
basically, at the amount oftrash and the lack of resources
to manage all the trash and therecycling, and I decided that

(01:45):
there has to be a better waythan relying on Only recycling
our items, and there should beitems that are not even meant to
be recycled.
They're just meant to not bepackaged in Materials that need
some kind of process, so let'scall them naked products or
refill products.
I should be able to just go toa store and refill my bottle of

(02:08):
shampoo instead of having to buyanother bottle or just find
shampoo that doesn't come in abottle to begin with.
So that's what drove me to itto find these products, to get
into this industry that at thetime I didn't know existed.
So now we are a network of afew stores in a community of
zero wasters that want to dobetter for the planet.

(02:31):
That's what drove me to it.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Thank you, you're welcome.
So, sabrina, what are somemyths or misconceptions in your
industry?

Speaker 3 (02:47):
myths or misconception in your industry.
I think the main myth is thateco-friendly products are
expensive, and that might be thecase a few years ago, but it's
not anymore because there's moredemand for them.
So now eco-friendly productsand refills are completely
affordable for everyone.
We are trying, as an industry,to make them more and more
accessible to everyone, and nowthat's a myth.

(03:09):
That's a myth they're notexpensive anymore.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
Beautiful, beautiful.
So, sabrina, outside of work,what do you do for fun?

Speaker 3 (03:19):
I actually work all the time, but I like to watch
movies and just spend time withmy dogs and community.
I do a lot of communityprograms where my store is and I
belong to many committees and Ilike to help in the town and
making events.
So let's say, my free time it'salso working event.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
So let's say my free time, it's also working Okay and
at the same time, you'regetting the message out.

Speaker 3 (03:50):
Yes, yes, I just like to collaborate with friends and
other business owners.
It's nice to have thatcommunity.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Absolutely, absolutely.
So let's change gears.
Sabrina, can you describe onehardship or one of life's
challenge that you rose aboveand can now say that because of
it, you're better, you'restronger?
What comes to your mind?

Speaker 3 (04:11):
Well, there's a few, but I think the main one is that
I had another store, so we onlyhave one brick and mortar.
But two years ago I opened asecond location and that failed
immediately.
It was really fast and Ithought that an environmentally
friendly store that was so wellreceived by one community was

(04:33):
going to be well receivedeverywhere, and there was
nothing further from the truth.
It was a failure from thebeginning and we were in this
other community for two yearsbut then I had to close it.
I actually closed it this yearand as a business owner and as
an entrepreneur basicallysomebody that does not know a
lot about business that was ahuge failure.

(04:55):
Obviously, that was a hugehardship and it taught me a lot.
Now I know better what to do,what to look for, and it also
allowed me to slow down a bitand, like rethink what my
business is about and it's notabout scaling and growing and
just the business side issecondary to the actual mission

(05:18):
of our business.
So, yeah, that was somethingthat was hard and obviously not
a great thing to happen to havea failing business.
So, yeah, that was somethingthat was hard and obviously not
a great thing to happen to havea failing business.
But now it's done and it didteach me a lot and it made me
more resilient and more let'ssay wiser.
So, yeah, I think that that'sthe one.

Speaker 2 (05:40):
Wow, interesting.
So, sabrina, please tell ourlisteners one thing they should
remember about Unpacked LivingUnpacked Living.

Speaker 3 (05:51):
It's there for you.
That's what everybody shouldremember that there are products
out there that are actuallymade in a conscious, ethical way
, which is so hard to find now.
Right Nowadays, you don'treally know what you're getting.
You don't really know whatyou're buying.
There's a lot of greenwashingand lies out there and I think
we're all trying to do better.

(06:12):
So stores like mine specializein doing we do the homework for
you.
We find these products, we findthese vendors, the right
ingredients, the right materials, the right packaging, so you
don't have to go looking for it.
So I want people to rememberUnpacked Living as that hub of
products that you can feel finepurchasing, you can feel fine

(06:37):
buying because you know they'recoming from great companies,
small businesses, family-ownedbusinesses that are doing better
for the planet.
And, yeah, that's the mainreason to shop with us to feel
better about yourself and tofeel good about our future.
As you know, environmentallyconscious people.

Speaker 2 (06:59):
And the beauty is that your service is available
and, yeah, we are so happy toserve the community and, just
overall, the entire country.
So, sabrina, how can ourlisteners learn more about

(07:21):
Unpacked Living?
Do you have a website?
Do you have an email?
How can we learn?

Speaker 3 (07:26):
Yes, we do Absolutely .
We do have social media.
We have an Instagram page atUnpack Living.
We have a Facebook page, alsoat Unpack Living and we have a
website, unpacklivingcom.
That's where you can shop andlearn more about everything we
do.
And, yeah, you can find uspretty much everywhere.

Speaker 2 (07:46):
Beautiful.
So, sabrina, I reallyappreciate you taking the time
to be with us today, and we wishyou and your business all the
very best moving forward.

Speaker 3 (07:57):
Thank you so much for inviting me.
This was great.
Thank you, thanks for theopportunity.

Speaker 1 (08:05):
Thank you.
Thank you for listening to theGood Neighbor podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to GNPNorthshorecom.
That's GNPNorthshorecom, orcall 857-703-9406.