Back in 2019 when we saw an opprtunity to help our local clients in Loughborough discover affordable ways to become more sustainable. We discovered that there was a niche in the market to fill and we took it. We trialed a market stall where we sold cleaning refills, it was quickly called the Zero Waste store (we did know what to call it back then). Our set up allows customers to bring their empty plastic containers, reuse it by refilling thier cleaning solutioninto it. Eventially we moved into a brick and mortar shop and sold a wider selection of grocery items including dry food, kitchen ware and locally roasted coffees selections.
Plastic has become an environmental hazard due to the amount of single-use plastic products polluting oceans and landfill sites. Reusing these plastics is one of the more effective methods individuals can make a apositive impact. Reusing plastic products does not only reduce the amount of virgin plastic product manufactured but also it prevents plastic from taking up landfill space or being dumped into the river and oceans.
Our aim was to provide cleaning products that do not cost or harm the earth. It was so important to us that being Eco-friendly, and having a Green Heart is one of our core values which we strongly adhere to.
We had the slogan “Refill, Reuse, Recycle”, it helped to effectively communicate our initiative to our target audience.
The fact that we sell the same commercial cleaning products we use in our own commercial cleaning business at our refill stations serves as a stamp of approval—a definite plus for the project. Our aim with the refill system is to provide people with the opportunity to live more sustainably and join the less waste movement.
Once the original contents of the container are used up, customers simply keep the container and refill it until it is no longer usable. Just keep your empty bottle ready to be refilled on one of our designated refill days. The service is both eco-friendly and pocket-friendly.
The Refill Service
The refill service stopped running following the cost of living crisis, due to various reasons.
Good cleaning products, like any other quality items, are not cheap. This was a sticking point that affected many of our customers.
We had a store located in a part of town with significant parking restrictions, which meant that many of our elderly customers struggled to visit us when they needed to.
The business model was also hard to scale up, partly due to its experimental nature.
However, we worked out that we saved over 20,000 plastic bottles from landfill in just three years. While this may not seem like a huge number, it is a great achievement for a small experiment.
The store helped many people in the town understand how to make sustainable choices in their everyday lives—a result that is difficult to put a value on. This is why we are so happy to have taken the step to trial the Loughborough Zero Waste Store Project.
What Next?
We have a new service in development, but for now, we are focusing on providing excellent eco-friendly cleaning services in Loughborough and the surrounding East Midlands area.
We have also launched a consulting service to help cleaning business startups grow and become established. Our cleaning consultancy also supports in-house cleaning management teams to improve service quality.
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