South Fork High School student invests college money in her own Stuart store

When I called to speak to the owner of a new eco-friendly, zero waste store in Stuart called JAR, 18-year-old Brandi Kneip answered the phone.

I was slightly embarrassed after I asked what her role was with the shop and she replied, “I’m the owner.” I thought the most interesting thing about this story was going to be the store itself. I was wrong.

Kneip, who will graduate from South Fork High School in May, took her college savings and invested in her own business.

When I asked her how her family took the news, she surprised me again.

“My family is very supportive,” Kneip said. "There are actually four generations of us involved, my great grandmother, my grandmother, my mom and me. My mom and grandma have both owned businesses, so they have given me a lot of guidance. I have been passionate about leading a zero waste life for about a year, and since there are no shops like this that I know of in Florida, I decided to start one.”

What exactly is a zero waste life?

According to the Zero Waste International Alliance, it’s “a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and visionary, to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use.”

Essentially, it’s an earth-friendly lifestyle that aims to reuse and recycle, thereby decreasing or eliminating trash.

To better understand JAR, consider this: There are several places in Martin County where you can BYOB, now there’s one where you can BYOJ, Bring Your Own Jar.

Intrigued? I was.

JAR, 3876 S.E. Dixie Highway in Stuart, is a dry goods store where you can buy only what you need by dispensing pasta, herbs, spices, flour and more into reusable jars. You can bring your own jar from home, or purchase one at the store for $1.50 or less. Cool, right? This definitely takes the idea of reusable grocery bags to another level.

In addition to food, the store also carries eco-friendly household items, including wooden kitchenware and bamboo toothbrushes and straws.

Bamboo is very sustainable, Kneip said.

"It’s so much better for the earth because plastic takes thousands of years to break down.”

If you want to check out the goods for yourself, JAR is hosting a grand opening from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, where you can see how the JAR concept works, sample kombucha (fermented tea drinks said to have multiple health benefits) on tap and enter to win prizes.

Or, stop by just to meet and support this brave young entrepreneur and the three generations of women who inspired her. That alone is worth the trip.

For more information, visit the Facebook page or call 772-485-7459.