Earthy smells, books, sustainable swaps, cheap food and more is what you'll find in one "rare" city centre shop. Described as having an "amazing emporium of delights", the shop is aiming to educate and help people live more sustainably.
Owned by Sarah Maloy, Shop Zero has been on Friar Lane for 15 months. Purchasing things from local suppliers to help independent businesses, a range of age groups shop there.
Sarah, from Sherwood, is an ex-primary school teacher. With a background in biology, she has studied in Cardiff, Coventry and gained a PHD in Hull.
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Sarah said: "I've always had a passion for the environment. I grew up in Edwinstone and spent a lot of time outdoors - I used to have a pop-up store every month at Malt Cross and I just wanted to help. This [Shop Zero] is what a community of people wanted.
"We have mums, children and students coming in asking how they can make a change and do things differently. It can be so hard thrilling the internet but we offer quick, easy steps on how people can reduce their environmental impact."
Refills on washing up liquid are among the most popular item and people "love" buying oats. Oats are just 30p for 100g in-store.
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Sarah added: "Shops like this are rare. There are similar shops in Sherwood and Lady Bay but we have things in here that you can't get anywhere else in the city. People love to come in and have a browse - we sell a lot of soap, bamboo toothbrushes and chopsticks."
Sarah also holds workshops or talks in the evenings. In March, the shop will also be doing a plant swap for customers.
Sarah added: "This is a rebellious business in a capitalist way. This is one of the top countries for losing the most amount of species and with all the climate crises we've had recently, we need to think about how we can be more carbon-friendly.
"People are starting to come here to do their weekly shops and they can't get all of what they need but it makes a big impact." Bianca Dohotar, 24, started off volunteering for Sarah at Shop Zero. She spoke about what it's like to work in the shop.
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Bianca said: "I've been working here since 2019 with Sarah. I've always wanted to live a zero-waste lifestyle and I've always been into living sustainably. This is the perfect fit for me and I learn so much all the time."
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