Zero-waste shop Ripple Living is urging people to reduce their single-use packaging this winter after its recent refurbishments
Refill shop Ripple Living is encouraging people to make sustainable purchases this Christmas following its recent relaunch.
The zero-waste shop opened in 2018 and offers its customers refillable food and toiletry products, including shampoos and conditioners, spices, and frozen vegetables. The shop expanded next door in 2019 where it sells other sustainable products. It reopened in early November after refurbishments.
Sophie Rae, the founder of Ripple Living on Albany Road, Roath, explained it is a “community shop.” She reinvested into the business to provide a better space for the local community.
Sophie, 33, said, “It doesn’t surprise me that something new brings new people in.
“Since October I’ve really felt like there’s been a breath of fresh air in the community and offering them something beautiful and accessible has really engaged them.”
Carina Harrigan, 38, is a Ripple Living shopper who will personally shop sustainably this Christmas.
“I’m all for using as little plastic as possible and it’s just cheaper to buy from here,” she said.
Discouraging single-use packaging is what Sophie aimed to do when she set up her business. The Cardiff born-and-bred entrepreneur wanted to “shake things up” in the city she believed didn’t do enough for sustainability.
The Welsh Government estimated that 33 million units of single-use food containers are sold each year in Wales. They have proposed to ban them as a result.
Sophie will continue to encourage her local community to reduce their use of single-use packaging and support small businesses this Christmas.
The shop owner and her team will show the community what refill is about in the hope they’ll join in.
Sophie recognised shopping sustainably isn’t always as easy as clicking online and getting a delivery, but urged, “We’re at the point now where I don’t know if we cannot shop like this.”
