Earth A Zero Waste Company
It may take as many as 450 years for a plastic water bottle to decompose in a landfill, according to estimates. That staggering reality motivated Ade Villatoro to take an environmental stand in her hometown of Rockford. Ade is the owner of Earth Zero Waste, where she has created a novel retail concept that reinforces the premise that is it possible to shop responsibly without compromising on quality or style.

“Earth Zero Waste is on a mission to reduce and eliminate the single use plastic that we use every day that’s wrapped around our daily essential items such as your laundry, kitchen, home, and rewrapping it in eco-friendly products, or repackaging it and selling it in bulk,” said Ade who operates as a retail pop-up in an eco-conscious T-shirt store on State Street, Rockford Art Deli.

At Earth, you won’t find traditional household products packaged in plastic bottles and wrappers. Instead, her store offers a wide range of plant-based products — from bathroom essentials like shampoo and lotions, to kitchen and laundry items — all available in bulk or packaged in eco-friendly materials. Ade says she wants to change the mindset about how people shop and how their purchases can have a positive impact the environment.

“Retail has really allowed me to bring my passion to life,” Ade explained. “It is a big mission,” Ade confessed. “The idea is to get everyone in the city on board. To get everyone in the same mindset of being mindful of what we use and being really sensitive about the environment that we have left.”

Ade’s idea of Earth is to have customers purchase only what they need, regardless of the amount. Customers are asked to bring their own containers to the store for their refills. She sells customers only the amount of product they are requesting, whether that be an ounce or a gallon. The store carries roughly 100 different products.

Roots of sustainability

Ade’s journey to launching Earth Zero Waste is deeply personal, rooted in her upbringing and life experiences. Born in Guatemala City, Ade moved to Rockford at the age of two where she spent most of her life with the exception of time spent in San Francisco for college. “When I came back (from college), I saw that we were a city that was up and coming, and we were becoming the new place to go,” said Ade.

The seeds of sustainability were planted early in her life as Ade recalled, “I remember having a teacher who was just always active and was being more sustainable-minded in terms of recycling and just being mindful about the resources that we have.” These early lessons stayed with her, influencing her educational path. “So, with that, I took those ideas to college and got my undergrad (degree) in architecture as a sustainable design,” said Ade. “San Francisco is just like the green city of the entire United States,” Ade explained. “So, I think moving there, living there, I was living the life that I knew that we all needed to live.”

The birth of Earth Zero Waste Company

Ade says her return to Rockford turned into a catalytic epiphany. “I thought to myself, ‘Somebody needs to open the zero-waste store, right?’” Ade recalled. “Somebody (else) needs to open something like this (in Rockford), because this is what we need. But then as soon as I thought that, I immediately had something in my heart just kind of switch and say, ‘No, you do it.’”

Rockford, which is the most populated city in the state of Illinois outside of the Chicago Metro, has a deep history as a manufacturing center for tools and heavy machinery and in the early 1900s was the nation’s second leading center of furniture manufacturing. But the city fell on hard times in the second half of the 20th century and during the 1980s saw itself as having one of America’s highest unemployment rates. In recent years, the downtown of Rockford has witnessed an economic renaissance that Ade said she wanted to join.

“I decided to launch Zero Waste in Rockford,” explained Ade. “Even though it’s not so progressive, I just have a passion for the downtown area, and I have a passion for the Rockford area. I see the mission that they are on with trying to evolve and bring businesses that are, you know, a little bit ahead of the curve. I believe in what we as a city, as a community are for,” Ade continued. “I wanted to be a part of that mission. I wanted to be a part of that storytelling, you know, for our history, for the building of our future.”

Ade’s role as a trailblazer in Rockford’s sustainability movement is not lost on her. “Yeah, I have thought of the fact that I am a pioneer in Rockford,” said Ade with a smile. “It’s very humbling because it’s a big footstep or a footprint to fill. With zero waste stores in general, there aren’t that many of us out there in the nation. As you walk down State Street, you’ll start seeing other stores here and there that are coming together. We’re collectively becoming a downtown destination space for Rockford.”

Earth: Pioneering zero waste in Rockford

Earth opened its doors, first as a brick-and-mortar location in February 2021, as the nation started to emerge from the crush of the pandemic. “I started right after Covid. We were still trying to figure all of the things out,” said Ade. “It was a little hard because everyone was struggling. Everyone was trying to make their ends meet by creating their own projects and selling them.”

Earth has quickly become a cornerstone of sustainable living in Rockford, slightly surprising even Ade. “Rockford has done a really good job at accepting zero waste into the community,” said Ade. “I wasn’t sure what it would look like because we’re not too progressive, but at the same time, there’s little niches that, once you get to them, you get to them.”

What sets Earth apart is not just its product range, but the quality and spirit behind what she sells.

“A lot of the products are plant-based,” explained Ade with pride “It’s plant-based and vegan, which comes to be the cleanest of ingredients that you can make a lot of the essential daily items that we use.”

Ade’s commitment to quality is also very personal. “I actually do use a lot of these products at home,” Ade said a satisfying grin. “I like to try everything out before I sell it, just to make sure that I like what I’m selling.” This hands-on approach ensures that each product meets her high standards. One of her favorites? “The mint body wash is fantastic,” Ade added with an enthusiastic smile. “It’s bold. It’s plant-based. It’s super clear ingredients.”

While some may balk at the slightly higher price point of eco-friendly products, Ade sees it as an investment in health and well-being. “Fragrances and lab-made products have all to do with the way that your skin reacts and your body reacts to your daily life,” explained Ade. “You’re going to want to spend that extra few dollars on cleaner products that are going to help you live a better life.”

Although Earth has now evolved into a pop-up experience, Ade is now exploring new ways to reach her customers. “I think even though it looks like I’m scaling back, I’m actually doing a lot of research in the back end, and it’s giving me a lot more leeway to figure out my next move,” Ade explained. “The goal is to make this more accessible to Rockford, to the little niches of clienteles that I have all over the city and even the suburbs. So, I’m trying to make it (this concept) more accessible to them as opposed to just being stuck in one single spot.”

It’s about people and the planet

Ade views her passion to be environmentally friendly as a potent portal for her professional pursuits. “I love retail because I get to make an environmental statement to my city,” said Ade with conviction.

“We can make a change, we can make a difference, and we can, you know, come to the store and refill instead of going to the store again and buying another container and throwing that away. Retail is the vehicle that’s enabled me to pursue my passion to make this earth a cleaner place.”