Taunton's First Plastic-Free Shop Has Opened Its Doors

Taunton’s First Plastic-Free Shop Has Opened Its Doors

Taunton’s first plastic-free shop, Lesser Litter has opened its doors. The shop sells food and other products by weight and lets customers bring in their own containers.

The owners say they are allowing people to do their shopping safe in the knowledge that they aren’t creating any waste or litter.  

The shop is one of the first in the South West of England to adopt a complete zero waste approach to their operations. Another store is also set to open in Wellington in Somerset.

The shop sells a range of food products from grains, cereal, honey, and sugar to nuts, fruits, and oils. You can even buy loose coffee beans, tea bags and apple juice. Household products such as washing-up liquid, soaps and sponges are also on sale.

Customers can pour products into their containers from the labelled dispensers and jars. Reusable containers are also available to buy. Customers have to weigh products and print out stickers so that they can be priced accurately once they get to the till.

If you’re hoping to buy meat or bread, you’re out of luck though, and they don’t currently sell vegetables either.

Image courtesy of somersetlive.co.uk

How can you use less plastic when you shop?

- Take a reusable bag with you rather than buying a plastic one from the supermarket. Some supermarkets are phasing out 5p bags altogether.  

- Buy boxes instead of plastic bottles where possible as cardboard is far more easy to recycle than plastic. You know you love red wine in a box really!

- Reuse containers for storing leftovers.

- Buy matches instead of disposable plastic lighters.

- Switch to nappies made from cloth instead of disposables. This will not only help the environment, but it will also help you save money.

- Eat fruit instead of buying juice in plastic bottles. It’s far healthier and better for the environment.

- Use natural cleaning products at home, made from ingredients like lemon juice, baking soda, and vinegar. They aren’t toxic and you won’t need loads of different cleaning products in plastic bottles.

- Buy razors with blades that can be replaced instead of disposables.