A store in a Nottingham high street is helping to save the planet - while giving customers a unique shopping experience. Waste Nott, based on Haydn Road, Sherwood, allows customers to buy specific amounts of the things they need.
Customers are urged to bring their own reusable containers to help themselves to the range of products on offer in the shop. These include pasta, oats, herbs, spices, shampoo and peanut butter.
Run by the Community Interest Company Waste Nott, the store encourages customers to reduce plastic and food waste - and offers an alternative way of doing the weekly shop. Any profits it makes after operating costs are donated to local charities.
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Andrea Snelling, shop manager at Waste Nott, explained how the idea came to fruition. She said: “Waste Nott was set up in August 2018 by a group of directors.
“They wanted to bring something to the community to reduce single-use plastic waste in shopping. I came into this shop because I believe in what it stands for.
“I first started here as a volunteer and now I’m one of the directors and I’m invested in the shop because I really think it’s the way forward for shopping. It is positive for the community - we provide an ability for people to give back by volunteering, and we are also providing people the ability to shop alternatively.
“The point is you just need to buy the amount you need and so you’re not buying huge amounts of excess materials that you don’t need. If you want a teaspoon of something, you can buy a teaspoon of something and that’s OK. I think the future is here.
“As well as reducing plastic, it’s also reducing food waste because you buy what you need. Affordability-wise, yes we are competitive. On an average shop, I think you can shop here competitively compared to the supermarkets.”
A mix of wholesalers and local companies supply the shop. Andrea, 49, added: “Definitely I think people are a lot savvier about plastic and food waste and people are becoming more aware of environmental issues.
“We do often get people coming in saying ‘I want to shop more like this’ to reduce their use of plastics. Some people do say that is the reason why they’ve come in.
“We are still getting new people coming to find us and that’s really positive and we have a really good loyal base of customers as well. I think they spread the word and let people know.”
Libby Grimshaw, 78, a customer who came from the other side of Nottingham, said: “It’s a very niche thing, but it’s a very useful thing to have and I’m glad it’s here. You can go wild and buy all sorts of things you didn’t know you needed. And enjoy them.”
Another customer, Angie Piesold, 66, said: “I really agree with the idea of reducing waste, and it’s round the corner from where I live. I try and buy everything here that is available as well as trying different things.
“I think people should come and have a look to see what’s available. There’s much more available than you might think, and it seems to be growing in stock every time.”
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