Invernesian’s have a new way to shop as a new zero-waste refill store opened in Inverness.
Ness Refill on Queensgate aims to provide an eco-friendly shopping experience and reduce household waste.
Masterminded by owner Evelyn Elder, the store – located just a stone’s throw away from the city’s Post Office – encourages customers to bring their own containers and fill them up with basic essentials.
The store offers an array of products including, fresh fruit and vegetables, cleaning products and dry goods.
On Saturday, the store opened to the public for the first time.
Curious customers perused the shop’s offerings before stocking up on a number of household items.
Ness refill proves a hit with customers
Proud store owner Ms Elder said the official opening went “really well” with customers showing genuine interest and enthusiasm for the concept.
The 48-year-old said: “People seemed to want to come in and have a look, see what it was all about, get the general idea and see what we had to offer.
“A lot of people said they were happy that there was something like this in the city centre.”
Free-range eggs and their variety of loose tea seemed to be among the line items proving most popular with shoppers.
Refill stores are designed to reduce waste and encourage people to buy only what they need.
A wide variety of dry produce and pantry items are stored in large gravity dispensers mounted on the wall, allowing customers to go ahead and help themselves.
Ness Refill also promotes a range of local produce including honey from Loch Ness Honey and soap from M.Soap.
Putting conservation to the top of shoppers’ lists
Ms Elder hopes her store will encourage people to think more environmentally friendly and “do their bit” to address issues surrounding climate change and pollution.
She added: “I think it is really important that everyone tries to do as much as they can, especially around packaging. Even if you buy something that is in a cardboard box there is always usually a wrapped and another bit of plastic inside it that’s not recyclable.
“I personally try and recycle as much as I can but to enable other people to do that as well, even just a small thing by taking their containers along themselves and by making that facility available to them, it is helping them to do their bit as well.
“It is difficult because sometimes these things come with a higher price tag and that stops people doing as much as they can so by making it more available to people, they can choose to do their bit.”
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