Mystic — For the many people whose lifestyles involve buying 15-ounce cans of beans, plastic containers of spices and bottles of shampoo, the idea of cutting back on waste may initially sound daunting.

But Mystic resident Jason Hine says it's easy: People can come into his small store and receive one-on-one assistance from him or manager Deniz Kayhan, who said the store is "about making it easier or more accessible, less overwhelming."

The Ditty Bag, a zero-waste market selling dry foods in bulk in addition to liquid refills and toiletries, opened June 11 on Route 1, near the train station.

"It was kind of born out of my worry for the planet. I worry about our clean water and our clean air, and I worry about our carbon footprint," Hine said. He knew he'd feel better if he could do something full time about these issues.

Hine, 51, is no stranger to activism and environmental advocacy: He founded the grassroots progressive group Rise Up Mystic, is a member of the Citizens' Climate Lobby, and served as a member of Stonington's Plastic Bags and Straws Ad Hoc Committee. Hine also noted he taught about racial and social injustice while working as an educator for Discovering Amistad, the nonprofit that operates a replica of the 19th-century ship that carried enslaved people.

He launched a GoFundMe, which ended up raising $8,500, to open The Ditty Bag.

Hines explained that the store name comes from the bags sailors made from old sails and ropes. He said it's fitting in Mystic "to have a symbol of maritime tradition and a symbol of a maritime recycling program."

Along one wall of the store are dry bulk goods; you could get beans for around $2.90 a pound or basmati rice for $3.29, for example. Other options include couscous, quinoa, lentils, and a variety of nuts, and on the opposite wall are bins of spices and teas from Frontier Co-op.

The store sells jars but encourages people to bring their own containers. Liquid products one can dispense include laundry detergent, dish soap and shampoo. Various toiletries are made with bamboo, such as bandages, toothbrushes and toilet paper.

The Ditty Bag also sells dairy products from Terra Firma Farm in North Stonington, and customers can buy a cup of fair-trade coffee — meaning producers are paid fair wages — from the Plainville-based Sun Coffee Roasters.

Hine said he "would give a huge shout-out to Fiddleheads," saying the New London food co-op is a great model, though much bigger.

Building community

Along with being manager at the store, Kayhan, 20, is a Ledyard High School graduate who has one semester left at the University of New Hampshire, where she is majoring in political science and international affairs, with minors in Russian and economics.

"I've been really interested in alternative ways of affecting these social and environmental issues rather than the legislative process," Kayhan said, but added legislation is also important.

At UNH, she became involved with Net Impact, which aims toward getting people to think about social and environmental factors of consumption, and she worked at The Freedom Café, which supports efforts to end human trafficking.

Hine said in addition to being a place for people to shop, The Ditty Bag will hold Zoom and in-store meetings to talk about environmental issues, and they plan to work with state and local legislators.

Kayhan said the community aspect might involve sending letters for a climate change resolution they want to see passed, or talking about native species in Connecticut. She said The Ditty Bag is planning a meeting for hopefully the end of July, as an introduction to who they are.

While big companies are responsible for much of the world's environmental problems, Kayhan said corporations are made up of people and change "does start locally, it does start individually."

e.moser@theday.com

Business Snapshot

Business: The Ditty Bag

Where: 7 Roosevelt Ave., Mystic

Owner: Jason Hine

Current hours: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday