Apologies for my absence. Life has been a little hectic in all the ways. One of those ways has been starting up a new venture, @RebelReelsStudio (IG), which, in a round about sort of way, brings me to the topic of this week’s newsletter!
Shop Zerø
Although I visit my local zero waste store, Shop Zerø, regularly, I’m aware I don’t make the most of it. I refill my washing-up-liquid, shampoo and conditioner and buy soap here and occasional items like replacement electric toothbrush heads, razor blades and re-useables, but I haven’t ventured into restocking food items.
As I have started a new video business offering videos for social media marketing, crowdfund campaigns and event marketing, and am keen to work with organisations and projects that I care about, it seemed a logical first step to reach out to my local zero waste store, Shop Zerø. By making a video for them I hoped to also find out more to make zero waste shopping a more regular habit. Here is the video!
Zero Waste Shopping For The Win!
So what have I learnt through making the video? Here are my takeaways for zero waste shopping going forward!
I don’t need to do it all at once! While a beautiful well stocked pantry full of jars of lovely ingredients might look nice, it’s not really the point! I can start with an empty jam jar and fill with one product that I need.
That doesn’t mean I can’t have nice jars and a pleasing store cupboard but it doesn’t have to happen in one go. AND in the spirit of zero waste it also doesn’t mean necessarily buying new jars. I bumped into a woman in the store refilling some very cute little bottles that she’d picked up in a charity shop.
Getting out of the supermarket habit takes work, but this can be easy when in the form of small steps. Having a list of things that Shop Zerø sells is my starting point because then I can use that as a reference when making my shopping list and meal planning each week.
The staff in the shop can help me!! I think that’s part of the reason I haven’t done it before, because I don’t know how I’m supposed to! Do I weigh, do they weigh etc. I’m not shy about asking or doing stuff yet with this I’ve felt quite reserved!
Dry foods don’t need to be more work! I’ve succumbed over the years to packet, partially-cooked, rice and beans and pulses in tins or packets. Years ago I would buy dry goods and cook them. Like many people I have been sold the need for speed and convenience. I am trying to change my thinking around this in many ways and not buying into the capitalist/colonialist time is money crap. In that vein I recently did a thermal cooking course (more on that in another newsletter) and am embracing the joy of longer cooking with the convenience of not having to watch the pot!
Trying a new recipe every week moves me out of my comfort zone and trying new flavours and foodstuffs rather than being reliant on the same things all the time makes food more interesting and gives us a more varied diet.
Shop Zerø is a hub. I like to go for more than the shopping. They run various workshops, have a seed swap, and I like to chat to the staff and other customers and pick up ideas!
I can also order online and they do bicycle deliveries to my area as well as national plastic-free deliveries.
Not So Super Markets
And if I needed more reasons to shop more often at Shop Zerø there’s the facts that:
Really, supermarkets sell very little actual food - most of it is designed to get us addicted to the products in it and most of it is so heavily processed there is little nutritional value in it.
Supermarkets are advertisers’ lairs. Places to suck us in and scoop the pounds out of our purses with little care about whether they are providing foods and drinks that are good for our bodies.
Buying from supermarkets stops our money going to local producers and takes us further away from the origins of our food. Buying local means money stays in our local communities, supporting businesses that are often invested in better quality, less air miles, less packaging, better welfare and know their product and how it has been made or reared intimately.
Buying from supermarkets makes it very hard to avoid single use plastic which is literally on almost every item - often multiple pieces.
While it is often attractive to buy whatever you want from a supermarket regardless of how far it has travelled, buying local means you eat more seasonally which research has shown may be better for us. (Not sure I’m ready to give up my banana and avocado habit just yet but many other things I can easily do).
Armchair Activism
Simple Activism
New to zero waste shopping? Check out this beginners guide.
Step It Up A Notch
Check out your local zero waste shop. If you are in the UK check out Shop Zerø! Start visiting and making it part of your regular shopping routine.
Serious Activism
Get inspired to live more sustainably! Shop Zerø offer a range of sustainability related workshops from foraging to crafting with recycled materials, visible mending to making your own fermented foods. Dr Sarah Maloy, Shop Zerø’s founder also offers sustainability workshops for corporate, educational or chartable organisations - you can hire her or someone where you live to help your school, youth group, charity, organisation or business to become more sustainable.
Hire Rebel Reels Studios!
Want a video for your business, organisation, crowdfund campaign or project, you can contact me via Instagram @RebelReelsStudios. I’m offering a special starting-up rebel rate of £75 for up to a 2 minute video. I’d love to create something for you!