We had the good fortune of connecting with Brooke & Madison Loza and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brooke & Madison, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
In the United States alone, the average person produces almost six pounds of trash daily, most of which ends up in burdened, overrun landfills. When we first learned this, our hearts shattered at the devastating environmental impact that our consumption creates. We believe that everyone intrinsically deserves equal access to sustainable and affordable zero-waste products. We wanted our belief to be backed by actionable change, inspiring us to create an environmentally-driven business, thus the One Stop Eco Shop was created. As rising sophomores in college, we want to continue to empower individuals in fostering sustainable change. We are proud to be the One Stop Eco Shop: a zero-waste store on a mission to reduce waste. Now, the overwhelming thought of rising landfills can be addressed by providing sustainable choices and control over consumption. We emphasize accessibility and strive each day to make our sustainable products available for our community so that we can all contribute to a low-waste future!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
As a zero-waste store focusing on sustainability, our vision was to tackle the stigma of zero-waste lifestyles as unaffordable. As college students, we have to constantly consider price in the choices we make, and empathize with this concern about zero waste products. We deeply value educating our community about the benefits and affordability to zero waste and are proud to be the first online zero waste store based in Brick, New Jersey. We love having the opportunity to travel to nearby towns to encourage others toward low-waste living. In the near future, we plan to open the first refill store in our local community. While we are excited for the future, it has been a long journey of growth to get to this point. Learning and educating ourselves was a big part of our learning curve. Before going live with our business we researched for a few months what we needed to have in order to be an official business such as licenses, products, website design, social media, and many other factors. We’ve learned through it all that you need to be patient and always be open to gaining new experiences and stepping out of your comfort zone. For any prospective business owners, you are definitely going to make mistakes along the way, and that is completely okay! We want people around the world to do something that they truly love and believe in. Don’t let anything get in the way between you and what you are passionate for. And of course, Go Green or Go Home!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Brick and the surrounding area is filled with lots of fun and exciting activities for all ages! In Brick, Windward Beach Park is home to the Brick Farmers Market and SummerFest during the summer. And in the off months, there are plenty of delicious restaurants, brunch, and ice cream shops for all your heart’s content. Just to name a few: Deninos, Beacon 70, River Rock, Taylor Sams, Meemoms, and Sundaes. And of course, you cannot forget about the boardwalks and beaches! If you are ever in town and need some recommendations, feel free to reach out!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We would like to thank our family and friends who have supported us through this all – from full-time students to small business owners, we could not have done it without their love and support.

Website: onestopecoshop.co

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestopecoshop.co/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onestopecoshop.co/

Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@onestopecoshop.co

Image Credits
Lora Wagener Co.

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