Sustainability Spotlight: Bring Your Own Long Beach

Bring Your Own Long Beach (BYOLB) is a local Long Beach business that aims to inspire local residents to reduce their trash consumption and focus on reusable alternatives. BYOLB started in 2017 as a pop-up shop to provide the Long Beach community with bulk refills for personal care and cleaning products. Today, BYOLB has two brick and mortar locations, one at the marina located inside Algalita Marine Research and Education and one downtown in the East Village. Both locations became Certified Long Beach Green Businesses in 2019. BYOLB also attends pop-ups and market events across Long Beach in an effort to expand the accessibility of their products.

BYOLB became Long Beach’s first Green Business Innovator in July 2020. As an Innovator, BYOLB is recognized as a community leader and is committed to sustainable business practices that go beyond Green Business Certification. BYOLB has implemented practices that promote social equity and sustainability such as incorporating paid volunteer days into employees duties, hosting workshops that benefit the community and has achieved at least 90% diversion of waste from landfills.

Since 2017, BYOLB has filled over 27,000 bulk product refills, helping to divert thousands of single-use plastic containers from landfills. Last year, BYOLB hosted workshops on cloth diapering, do-it-yourself bees wax wraps, and invited Bea Johnson, author of ‘Zero Waste Home,’ to Long Beach to give an inspirational talk on going zero-waste in partnership with Long Beach Environmental Services Bureau. “Our partnership with Algalita Marine Research and Education allows us to work together to promote beach cleanups, volunteer opportunities, DIY workshops, and community events,” said Julie Darrell, owner of BYOLB. “Connecting with other small businesses, political leaders, and activists has enriched my personal relationship with the community.”

Darrell hopes to open more locations in Long Beach to make plastic alternatives accessible for everyone in Long Beach and the surrounding areas. She also hopes to source BYOLB’s products from more local and small-batch makers, and work with local businesses owned by people of color.

In an effort to continue to provide their services amid the COVID-19 pandemic and promote the safety of their customers, BYOLB currently offers a variety of socially distanced ways to shop. Customers can make an appointment to pick up online orders and can refill their own cleaned containers at a walk-up station at both locations. Employees and customers are required to wear a facial covering and plexiglass barriers will soon be implemented at both locations. Delivery is also available for a flat fee to all of Long Beach, as well as Los Alamitos, Lakewood and Seal Beach.

To learn more about Bring Your Own Long Beach, visit www.byolongbeach.com and follow them on Instagram and Facebook @BringYourOwnLongBeach.