The Refillery, the latest in a string of plastic-free shops to open up in the UK, encourages shoppers to ‘think beyond the bin’
The Refillery, one of Scotland’s first dedicated plastic-free grocery shops, has opened its doors.
Witnessing the plastic problem first-hand, and spurred on by the slow pace of change from UK retailers, founder Kelly Wright has left behind a career in the food industry to launch the new business single-handedly.
Customers at The Refillery, based in Newington Road, Edinburgh, can bring their own tubs or containers, fill them up and pay by weight. The shop describes itself as a ‘new concept grocery store’. It sells unpackaged goods, in gravity-fed dispensers, jars or metal drums. It also sells everyday staples such as pasta and rice, as well as carefully sourced seasonal organic fresh produce: farm-fresh eggs, fruit, vegetables and fresh bread and stocks ‘ethical detergents’, beeswax wraps, cruelty-free shampoos and even toothpaste in a jar.
Wright, who pledges to only work with suppliers who share the business’s eco-friendly ethos, told Positive News: “UK retailers generate around 800,000 tonnes of packaging waste per year and it’s believed that only a third actually gets recycled – that’s enormous. Our relationship with single-use plastic simply must change.
The Refillery founder Kelly Wright pledges to only work with ethical suppliers
“I’m excited to be joining the ranks of revolutionary businesses who are offering something radically different to combat our global waste issue. By offering a streamlined, ethical shopping experience, we do the hard work for you when it comes to looking after our planet.”
The Refillery is the latest in a series of plastic-free shops setting up in the Scottish capital: it joins The Eco Larder and Weigh to Go.
The Refillery is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am-7pm and 11-4pm on Sundays and also sells online at therefillery.co.uk
Photography: Stewart Attwood/LUX
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