March 28, 2023

An update on the use of reusable containers from home in Town & Country Market’s bulk food department

To follow health department guidelines, reusable containers brought from home are unfortunately no longer accepted for refills of bulk food at Town & Country Markets on Bainbridge Island. Their other markets, including Poulsbo, continue to allow bulk refills. 

Health department guidelines require ready-to-eat food (granola, fruit, nuts, candy, and many spices) be dispensed in a gravity-fed container for refills. Due to space constraints at the Bainbridge market, the bulk bins do not meet these requirements and reusable containers from home cannot be allowed at this time. They are exploring options to provide a zero-waste solution while keeping the community’s health and safety a top priority.

While this applies to bulk food, guests of the Bainbridge market are still encouraged to bring their clean reusable coffee cups at the espresso bar, clean growlers for the beer refill station, and containers for bulk soap and shampoo.

Those who shop at the Poulsbo market are also encouraged to bring their own containers for bulk food.

Please follow the health department guidelines below for bulk food refills at T&C’s Poulsbo market:

  1. Bring your clean container to a staff member to weigh and inspect. Containers must be designed for reuse and washing. 

  • Examples of reusables include: glass jars, durable dishwasher-safe plastic containers (such as Tupperware®), metal containers, silicon containers (such as Stasher ® bag or Zip-Top containers), or cloth bags designed for food storage.

  • Not accepted: plastic bags or other items that are not designed for repeated washing.

  1. Fill your container with bulk food.*

    *Due to health department regulations, spice refills are not permitted at this time.

  2. Check out with a cashier. Self-checkout does not support custom tare weights.

  3. Wash your container and bring it back to refill again!