How a Popular Ryde Shop Helps Buyers Reduce, Re-use and Recycle

Friday, 8 March 2024 14:33

As people become more and more conscious about the products they buy –and how it might affect the environment, we take a look at a popular Ryde shop, which makes it easy for buyers to reduce, reuse and recycle!

Can you tell us about the products you sell and how they help buyers look after the environment? We sell a wide range of loose pantry staples. Rices and pasta, nuts, grains, seeds, flour, snacks, teas, over 50 herbs & spices, A grade oils, vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup & local honey, to name a few. There are Vegan, Organic & Gluten Free options available too. We also have a wide range of household, laundry and hair & body products for refills that are all made in the UK, cruelty free, vegan certified and biodegradable. We stock biodegradable/ compostable kitchen and bathroom items such as reusable kitchen cloths, dish brushes, toothbrushes and much, much more. By using your own containers and refilling your existing bottles the reduction of single use plastic is huge and makes a significant difference to the environment, not only locally but globally. ‘Huge volumes of plastic waste materials are shipped around the world for recycling, with the United Kingdom being one of the largest exporters. In fact, the UK is so reliant on exporting plastic waste that nearly half of the country’s plastic packaging sent for recycling is currently shipped abroad.’ 30 Nov 2023 www.statista.com/topics/8667/ uk-plastic-waste-trade/

Do you offer any bulk or package-free options to reduce waste? The whole concept of Zero Waste is that it’s package free. We do have paper bags for dry goods and we always have recycled bottles and jars that customers can take for free if they have forgotten theirs. Again, the concept is to be able to buy as much or little as you want so, you can buy the exact amount you need for a recipe or as much as you require. It’s also important to note that our liquid refill suppliers are part of Circular Economy, which means that all the containers they provide are sent back to them, cleaned, refilled and redistributed, so the very fact that people are refilling means they are reducing waste.

Can you recommend any resources or tips for customers looking to live more sustainably? Consumer Magazine is an amazing resource – and its always a good call to follow Greenpeace but here are the 7 principals to a Zero Waste, sustainable lifestyle: 1. Rethink - Become a more conscious consumer. Take a step back to think about your consumption & waste habits and their impacts on the environment. Use your local zero waste store to refill. 2. Refuse - Say “no” to products you don’t need or won’t use. Before purchasing things, consider the benefits and costs. Feel empowered to go against consumer culture and not buy anything at all. 3. Reduce - Lower the amount you buy & how often you buy. Borrow things when you can. Look for items that last longer and have many uses. 4. Reuse - Upcycle items you would typically throw away. Get many uses out of the things you buy. Avoid single-use items, especially those made of plastic. Get creative using what you already own! 5. Repair - Learn how to repair everyday items instead of buying new ones. Try to fix things before throwing them out. Get crafty and join the “Repair Movement” & the “Slow Fashion” movement. 6. Regift - Share in the wealth and pass on a gift you’ve received, but won’t necessarily use, to someone else who could use it. 7. Recycle - Give your products a new purpose by recycling them. Learn to properly sort recycling and garbage. Look for items made of recycled goods when shopping.

Have you seen an increase in people wanting to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle? Yes. People really do want to make more conscious choices especially with regard to single use plastics and food waste. We think consumers are fed up with ‘Greenwashing’ and by using a zero waste store they know they are getting genuinely ethical, sustainable products.

Are there any particular brands or products in your store that have an interesting sustainability story or innovative approach? All of our brands do but ‘Overherd’ is a brand-new oat milk company set in the countryside of North Yorkshire. Having only launched in January 2023 they are getting the word out about their innovative product – Powdered Oat Milk. Learning that traditional oat milk is made up of 90% water, the brains behind Overherd, thought to themselves… “If oat milk is 90% water, then why not add the water at home instead? It would reduce packaging, cut food waste, and lower the carbon footprint” – Overherd Website. And so, the idea grew and developed and a more sustainable oat milk was born – lightweight, recyclable packaging, sustainably sourced ingredients and UK made, tasty and no waste! Shopping at a zero waste store is a different experience. It’s very bespoke and personal. There’s a connection because we all have a common goal and at the heart of that is our planet. It’s bigger than our immediate environment, it’s about the future of our children. It’s important to remember that we can’t do everything but we can do something. Just start with one bottle!

Her Whey, 15 Cross St, Ryde, PO33 2AD. Soon moving to 28 High Street, Ryde, PO33 2HY

How a Popular Ryde Shop Helps Buyers Reduce, Re-use and Recycle

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