Plastic (over)use seems to have moved to the fore of our consciousness in recent months, which is an important step forward. It is heartening to have lively conversations about the topic with so many of you.
As many of us are having a long hard look at the ways we use plastics every day, our shop offers many options to help you reduce your (single) plastic use. Did you know:
REFILLS
We offer refills on washing up liquid and laundry liquid - just bring your own container!
With enough demand we could extend the refill range to include all purpose cleaner and fabric conditioner.
Have you considered cutting down on the range of products you are using reducing the need of separate plastic bottles for every specialist item? (Do you really need a separate surface cleaner for kitchen, bathroom and everywhere else? Could you perhaps use a single multi-purpose cleaner instead?)
Natural cleaning options to try: Cheap spirit vinegar and bulk bicarb of soda (available as refills) are great for most for cleaning purposes. Add your own essential oils and your all set (lemon and tea tree are great options for a deodorising and antibacterial effect, and cheap too)
BULK SIZES
We are also always happy to order larger sizes for you, usually in 5L containers, this ranges from apple juice to olive oil, from Castile soap to toilet cleaner, and quite a few in between! Just ask.
It’s cheaper, saves on individual plastic bottles every time and the containers can be reused around the house in many ways (we cut them in half and use as cloches for our vegetable patch)
LOOSE UNPACKAGED PRODUCTS
We have a huge range loose herbs & spices (including herbal teas)
Bring your own container to fill, or we can measure out what you need into bio-degradable cellophane bags (or a paper bag if your prefer)
Our weekly organic veg boxes come in returnable boxes (loose veg mostly; delicate salads and similar come in fully biodegradable bags)
We also have a good range of loose soaps, and a locally made shampoo bar in a paper sleeve.
PLASTIC-FREE PACKAGING
Cosyn Cymru local sheep’s yoghurt comes in returnable glass jars; their raw milk cheeses are wrapped in paper.
Snact fruit snacks are wrapped home compostable film (they also use supermarket reject fruit to make their snacks, no sugar or nasties added!)
We stock the following brands of fully compostable, staple and plastic free tea bags: Essential, Hampstead Tea, Pukka
We also stock a range of loose leaf teas (black, green, rooibos, and some speciality teas too)
Toilet rolls from EcoLeaf & Essential packaged in compostable film.
Last but not least, we stock bamboo toothbrushes!
They can be home composted or burned - but do break off the head or pull out the bristles first. (Yes, the bristles are made from nylon as the only plastic-free option available would be pig-hair, which is a whole other issue.) Still, the bamboo handle saves a huge load of plastic!
COMING SOON!
Weekly selection of loose organic veg delivered on Wednesdays
Organic milk in returnable glass bottles (like in the old days!)
Loose leaf black and green tea blends sold in bulk (bring your own container)
And… we are looking to get a range of bulk dispensers installed in the near future. Space is very limited so we are looking to fit 10-15 containers. Your input on the best choice of products to make available in bulk is very welcome!
GOOD TO KNOW
Our 'own-brand' oats & muesli are packed in compostable cellophane bags, the same we use to measure out loose spices.
Some of our 'own-brand' dried fruit and nuts are currently packed in heat-seal polypropylene bags. We have been looking into alternatives and will switch to a fully biodegradable PLA option as soon as possible!
Our main suppliers Suma and Essential are switching their product packaging to new versions that contain up to 40% less plastic, the new look packets are already appearing in the shop.
Both Ecover and Bio-D (cleaning products) are changing their bottles to 100% recycled plastic - you should see the new bottles in store very soon.