About us
Boston's First Zero Waste Store
Meet Maria Vasco!
“I want it to be more of a norm for people to care about the environment in their consumption”
Born in Cali, Colombia, Maria’s family moved to East Boston when she was four, and has lived there ever since. In 2016 Maria started her journey at UMass Boston, where her interest for environmental advocacy began.
Originally a political science major, she switched to Environmental Studies after being enthralled by the material in her environmental science courses. She dove headfirst into learning about how to reduce her own plastic waste and wanted to share the amazing products she found with others. The Honors College Dean encouraged her to apply for the UMass Boston’s Entrepreneurship Scholarship her junior year and in her junior year she became the first-ever recipient for her dedication to zero waste efforts.
Receiving the award enabled her the resources to pursue her dream of starting a zero waste business based in Boston and eventually landed on the name Uvida Shop. In 2020 she graduated from University of Massachusetts Boston School for the Environment with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies and Sustainability and a minor in Political Science. The young entrepreneur is always eager to learn more about Zero Waste products and advocate for environmental change!
Our Name: UVIDA
Vida translates to "life" in Spanish, making the brand mean, "U life," as an effort to get consumers to live life in a more eco conscious manner. You give life by shopping plastic free and zero-waste!
Our Mission
Uvida Shop is Boston's first Zero Waste & eco-friendly store. We provide plastic-free products for improving home health with the purpose of protecting the environment from plastic waste, allowing those who want to escape mass single-use plastic products and packaging, which result in environmental degradation, an alternative through our wide variety and ever-expanding selection of affordable and sustainable household goods.
Through our plant shop, people with any array of experience, from plant rookies to gardening masters, can explore our newest plants and succulents.
Uvida Shop is approachable, conversational, emotive, smart, celebratory and informative, which all combine to create a declarative and eye-catching brand that embodies the ability to live with affordable and sustainable household goods. Whether visiting Uvida Shop in person or online, we are always happy to see our fellow Uvida family members.