Sustainable Saturday Shopping

Written by Robyn Thompson (Key Account Co-ordinator at Enva) and Sonja Peacock (Environmental Management Assistant at Loughborough University)

This weekend we endeavoured to shop as sustainably as possible around Nottingham city centre and were impressed with the many opportunities the city has!

First stop: Charity shops for second-hand clothing

We visited numerous charity shops to search through what clothing was on offer at places including ‘White Rose’, ‘Cow’ and ‘Oxfam’ and couldn’t believe how much great stuff there was to choose from! Buying and donating clothing as well as other items including furniture, toys and books to charity shops means that the items are reused and the energy that would be used to dispose of the item and then create new ones is saved. We also would have paid between 6 – 10 times as much if we were buying the clothes brand new from each shop!

Sonja: “I try to buy second-hand for numerous reasons. Firstly, it’s nice to go shopping without the guilt of buying brand new items and the excitement of finding something I like feels well-deserved. Secondly, it’s a lot cheaper; I found 3 second hand tops from Topshop and H&M for under £10. I also feel good knowing that my money is going to charity and it’s a fun way to support different causes. Finally, if I decide I don’t like the item of clothing, I can return it back to the charity and into the circular loop for someone else to find and buy – without the negative environmental footprint.”

White Rose:

• Jack Wills tartan skirt for work - £8.50 (saved an average of £60)
• H&M top for work – £3.50 (saved an average of £20)
• Topshop top – £2.50 (saved an average of £20)

Oxfam:

• Topshop top – £2.90 (saved an average of £25)

Second stop: Zero waste stores

We visited both the Shop Zero and Dash Vegan zero waste stores in Nottingham City Centre armed with our own refillable plastic and glass containers to help prevent excess food packaging waste.

Talking with the owner of Shop Zero we discussed the difficulties she has sourcing her products with the least and most sustainable packaging possible. Not only does she educate the general public who enter the store on how and why she selects her products but she challenges suppliers to provide more sustainable options.

Robyn: “I don’t mind paying a little bit extra for food from a zero waste store because it reduces my carbon footprint and I think it’s important to support local businesses, especially those that are championing sustainability and making wide-ranging positive changes. Hopefully over time as zero waste shopping becomes more popular, the prices will match or even be lower than their packaged counterparts!”

Shop Zero: Rolled oats, wholewheat pasta, brown rice, paprika, cinnamon – £13.64

Third stop: Lush

Did you know 60% of Lush products are now ‘naked’? The company is focussed on providing a wide range of package free and vegan options for products including shampoo, conditioner, makeup and moisturiser etc. Furthermore, Lush provide a package return scheme where you can return their black pots to be recycled and reused, and receive a free face mask in return! This is perfect for those of us looking to prevent packaging waste in many staple bathroom products. 

Lush: Body Soap cut from a large block – £4.18