Green2You

Green2You is a bulk grocery in Coimbra, on Rua dos Combatentes da Grande Guerra, in the Calhabé area. Marta, an industrial designer by training, opened it in 2019 with one simple idea: to cut the plastic packaging that came home from the supermarket every month and to reuse the same containers for years.

The shop started in the Celas neighbourhood with a range of more than 20 ecological, biodegradable detergents sold loose. It moved to a larger space in 2020, adding cosmetics and zero-waste accessories, opened a wellness area on the lower floor in 2021 for consultations, therapies, yoga and workshops, and brought in food in 2022. Today the shelves hold pulses, nuts, flours, teas, coffee, spices, pasta and rice, next to natural shampoos, solid soaps, cleaning products and reusable items for the home.

Reuse is the rule of the house. Customers are asked to bring their own jars, bottles and bags for food, cosmetics and detergents, and the shop counts the containers that are refilled so that it can measure the effect. The shelving was built from fruit crates bought second-hand in Viseu, which had come from an orchard, and the bulk furniture from reused pallets. Online orders are packed only in recycled, reused or recyclable materials, often boxes left by suppliers and customers. The grocery gives priority to local, Portuguese or organic products.

The shop is open from Monday to Friday, closing for lunch, and on Saturday mornings; it is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Green2You also runs a second shop, called Sustento, at the Exploratório – Centro Ciência Viva science centre in the Parque Verde do Mondego.