This page will guide you through how to setup an online zero waste / plastic free shop and also give tips on setting up a physical brick and mortar Zero Waste shop too.

Before we start, I would like to encourage you to take a deeper look at the questions below. If it is 100% yes to these questions without any hesitation, then please read on.

Questions to ask yourself

1. Starting and running a business properly requires 60-100 hours a week. This type of workload will last couple of years or so. Do you have that time? Are you willing to put in the work?

2. Starting a business requires reinvesting all the money you make. Could you go on without a proper salary for 2 years or more?

If the answer for those questions is HECK YEEE! Then let’s proceed.

First, we will look at making an Online Plastic-free / Zero Waste website.

Setting up the website

As a society, we live in a world where we expect everything to be instant and accessible- including our food. It has become the norm for apples to be available all year round, and to be able to buy strawberries in December. If you fancy a banana, you just go to the closest supermarket- it’s that easy! We have become so disconnected from the food we eat that we don’t question why we’re eating a banana from Ecuador or enjoying raspberries when there’s snow on the ground. The damage this disassociation is doing to our environment is widespread, and changes need to be made urgently.

Currently, 95% of our fruit comes from abroad, along with over half of our vegetables. The carbon emissions produced by this transportation is greatly damaging the environment. In fact, studies have shown that if air freight is used for a product, the carbon emissions of that product go up by a factor of 10. Buying British produce obviously reduces these carbon emissions, however, it doesn’t completely solve the problem if you’re still buying from across the country. Ideally, we need to be looking at buying locally. If you buy from a shop selling local produce, it’s likely that the food has been grown 10-30 miles away, and is coming straight from the farm that grew it. It is also likely that this food has been harvested within the last 24 hours (rather than over a week ago), meaning it will be much fresher.

Buying in season is also vital. You can buy British tomatoes throughout the year, however, this does not mean they are in season all of the time. When not in season, they will have been grown under heated glass for much of the year. For tomatoes grown out of season under heated glass in the UK, CO2 emissions are about 2.5kg per kg of fruit. When you compare this to the CO2 impact of trucking them in from Spain, where they grow naturally, the emissions of carbon is 10 times greater. This shows that although it is important to buy locally, it is even more important to buy in season.

If we want to save our planet it is vital that we start being more conscious about where our food is coming from. Making some small changes isn’t hard but can make a big difference, and you might even discover something new you like along the way.

The benefits of buying locally and in season include:

•A lower carbon impact

•Supporting your local area

•Fresher food

•Produce is likely to be organic

•Higher appreciation for what you are eating (not having access to strawberries all year round means when you do eat one, it will taste all the better)

Local and Seasonal Shopping Tips:

When you think about a zero waste lifestyle, what comes in your mind? I’ll be honest, when I first heard the phrase, I had zero ideas (see what I did there?) about what it meant. But, I found out. Essentially, a zero waste lifestyle is a lifestyle where an individual lives in a way that produces little to no waste. Wikipedia agrees, defining zero waste as “a set of principles focused on waste prevention that encourages the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. The goal is for no trash to be sent to landfills, incinerators, or the ocean.” While I don’t believe in one particular standard for all and that a definition can or should shape your life without exceptions, there is undeniable truth and benefit in living your life according to zero waste, even though it can and does mean different things for different people.

What does zero waste look like in practice?

In a perfect world, it would be fridges loaded with loose produce, cupboards beautifully stacked with glass jars full of grains, pasta and spices, and closets full of homemade cleaning products. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every household looked like this? It’s not impossible, it’s just a very hard job. Why? Because we are very habitual creatures and we don’t like changing our routines and giving up on the ease of grab and go (a very wasteful principle). Adopting zero waste principles in your daily life is indeed difficult, but only at first. You can look at zero waste as a skill, and like any skill, it can be learned and improved.

In my opinion, the very first ingredient to going zero waste is awareness. In order to reduce your waste, you have to become aware of how much you produce in the first place. When you are aware, you can see things clearly and make better decisions accordingly. Otherwise, you are just sleepwalking and choosing by default, which lends itself to a grab and go mindset.

After you have done some assessment about how much waste you leave behind, think of what options you have to instantly avoid the single-use plastics you use on a daily basis. For example, if you get coffee to-go everyday, you can replace the single-use coffee cup you would normally get with a reusable bamboo cup you bring yourself, or if you find yourself using plastic straws frequently, switch to using no-straw or a reusable stainless steel straw. Take small steps and go from there. Learn, try, and evolve your habits.

 The definition of zero waste may be as clear as a statement, but in real life and in practice, it is different for everyone- and that’s OK. We all have different needs, lives, opinions, and priorities. I can’t tell what your priority be when you go zero waste. However, what I can tell you is that zero waste as a whole should be one of your priorities, because we have to urgently take action, no matter how small, to help save our planet.

My heart breaks when I think about my own, and other, children, and every plant and creature we share this Earth with, because of the struggles that they’re being left with due to our collective ignorance. Nature is suffering, and we have to help. It’s absolutely necessary and possible to make things better again through sustainable behaviour. Do not be afraid to be different, to talk about it, and to change things around you. Do it on your own terms and do it in your own way, but do it!

How do you understand zero waste as a definition? What is your zero waste journey like?

Monta Musinska

As rain clouds are drying up and the summer weather arrives, it's a perfect time to prepare ourselves for zero waste picnics. Or, low waste picnics, because let's be honest, it's very difficult to live your life with zero waste- especially if you’re just starting out. Don’t let your hands down if you’re not “perfect” at zero waste- the environment will be impacted tremendously by a lot of people doing zero waste imperfectly, rather than a handful of people doing it perfectly.

Get Your Kids Involved:

You’ve probably heard about the monster called “plastic pollution” that is taking shape on our beautiful earth, created by our lack of education on the impacts of plastic. Making small swaps can be major in reducing plastic pollution in the long run, so let’s change our habits now, and educate our children on why these swaps are important for the sake of our earth.

Having a low waste picnic is cheaper, healthier, and more environmentally friendly than a traditional picnic, and it’s a great opportunity to educate our children on plastic pollution. When you’re shopping you can talk to kids about why glass or aluminum is better than plastic packaging, you can prepare snacks at home with your kids for eating out rather than going to shop to get unhealthy, plastic-wrapped food, you can explain to them why you pack their lunch in a bamboo lunchbox instead of plastic one, and you can tell them why it’s better to drink water from a stainless steel bottle instead of the ever popular single-use plastic bottle. In order to make better choices later in life, our children have to be involved in these conversations now.

Low Waste Shopping:

Shopping sustainably is one of the biggest ways you can reduce your waste. Here are some ideas on how you can shop sustainably:

●      Choose loose fruit or veggies wherever possible instead of produce pre-packed in plastic. Use paper bags if they are provided to carry the produce, or ideally, use reusable cotton bags (or if you take just three carrots, believe me, you don’t really need any bag to carry them).

●      When you’re checking out your loose veggies and fruits, tell the cashier to skip the plastic bags. I have been in shops many times with a trolly full of loose produce, and cashiers have tried to put them in their little plastic monsters on hand. But, every time, I kindly (but urgently) refuse. This was uncomfortable at first, because it felt like I was being rude, but I always try to just smile and be polite. I don’t want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I do want them to know that I am against plastic bags, hopefully sending a message to the store that they should consider banning plastic bags.

●      If you’re getting bread, buy it from a bakery- it’s fresh, delicious, and can be plastic free if you bring a reusable bag to put it in.

●      Buy glass jars or bottles instead of plastic when buying oil, tomato sauce, mayo,  etc..

●      Buy loose leaf tea instead of tea bags (which are laced with plastic).

●      If you have to have crisps, candy, or snacks like that, buy a big pack instead of individual servings to cut down on plastic packaging. Same for little bottles or packs of juice- take a big pack and share between kids (I personally never include them in our picnic basket).

●      Buying snacks in bulk is always a great idea- you can get seeds, nuts, raisins, etc.. in big bags and make a mix of those to include in your picnic snacks, or ideally, you can buy them loose from bulk bins and put the snacks in your own reusable bags.

These are a great couple of ideas if you’re just starting out and looking for little swaps in the supermarket. Remember- small changes go a long way. Thumbs up. You’re doing great!

Low Waste Eating:

Since we know that eating plant-based greatly reduces your impact on the environment, packing plant-based foods ensures that you’re not only shopping and packing sustainably, but you’re eating sustainably, too. Some plant-based food ideas include:

●      Sandwiches. Any filling, shape, size- you can’t go wrong

●      Homemade hummus and fresh veggie sticks

●      Fresh, sliced fruit and berries

●      Guacamole

●      Home-popped popcorn (you can make it salty or sweet)

●      Nut butter snack-balls

●      Banana bread. If you have a spare hour for baking, it’s a fantastic and easy treat

●      Home-made ice-lollies (pack with ice blocks for the perfect treat for kids)

●      Baked potatoes (we are potato people)

●      Nut, seed ,and dried fruit snack mix

Low Waste Packing:

Reusable lunch bags, water bottles, and cups made out of materials like bamboo, glass, or stainless steel are ideal for packing. Some great items for packing include:

●      Bamboo or stainless steel lunch boxes

●      Soy wax wraps (perfect for sandwiches)

●      Glass jars

●      Glass or stainless steel water bottles

●      Reusable cups for coffee, tea, juice, etc.

●      Bamboo forks, spoons, or forks

●      Reusable towels to use as napkins

If you don’t want to buy anything new, you can reuse plastic containers that you already have, such as takeaway boxes. It’s more ecofriendly to use things you already have, because you won’t be demanding any energy or resources to make new items. If you don’t have any containers readily available to use, I don’t suggest buying anything that is made of plastic, as it is clear that all plastic is bad for the environment (and even our health). It is always best to use reusable, non-plastic containers.

The possibilities are endless to have a great and easy low waste picnic this summer. Keep trying, failing, and succeeding with different ways of packing and with what food you pack, and in no time, you’ll know exactly what works for you and your family.

My family and I started low-waste picnic journey around 2 years ago and I have to say- it’s a never-ending process to figure out what works perfectly. Sometimes we’re on point, sometimes we’re not. But, just reminding myself how far we have come, how much less plastic and waste we are creating, and how much we’ve learned is a great reminder and motivator to spread this message as far and wide as I can. Every single one of us can change a thing or two- it’s a responsibility of a collective. If we don’t act now, the consequences will be unimaginable.

As the climate crisis looms and marine environments become plagued with plastic pollutants, transitioning our economy to one that values sustainability and a circular model is more vital than ever. As governments remain hesitant to overhaul their economy to one that rids of single-use products, values sustainable development, and promotes a zero-waste mindset, businesses are taking it upon themselves to transition their business models to ones that push forward this idea of a zero-waste, circular economy. Here are six companies who are inspiring us to think circular.