With consumers becoming more aware of the impact of plastic waste, they are changing their shopping habits and hunting out zero waste shops in London.

As concern over the scale of unnecessary plastic waste grows shouldn’t we be asking ourselves whether we as consumers, could shop more consciously? It is estimated that the annual UK household plastic waste is over 1m tonnes and only a third of plastic packaging used in consumer products is recycled each year, meaning the rest is going to landfill. In response to the growing public backlash against supermarkets huge volumes of plastic rubbish, some of the UK’s largest supermarkets have signed up to support the UK Plastics Pact - an initiative which aims to reduce avoidable plastic waste.

But, where we can, shouldn’t we try and ditch the packaging altogether? Plastic-free shopping seems to be a strong area of growth, evident by the number of zero waste shops opening in London like Bulk Market in East London and vegan zero waste shop Hetu in South London. Now, residents of South East London will also have a sustainable store right on their doorstep.

Bring Your Own,  the new plastic-free food store that has recently opened in Nunhead will help consumers to shop a little smarter by choosing to go plastic-free. The founder Laura Hipkiss decided to start a plastic-free store after being disgusted about the extent of plastic-pollution and unnecessary waste. She also took inspiration from other eco warriors like zero waste blogger Bea Johnson and Richard Eckersley, a former Manchester United player who now runs a vegan zero waste food shop in Devon.

Bring Your Own sells quality, organic grains, pulses, nuts, dried fruits, pickles and spices. Conscious shoppers can also buy household goods, including cleaning products and body care essentials all without the plastic wrapping.

The concept behind this South London plastic-free shop is simple, customers will use reusable containers and weighing scales to buy just the amount they need - helping them to reduce their environmental footprint and at the same time cut down on food waste. Bring Your Own aims to make everything as sustainable and circular as possible by giving shoppers the option to change their shopping habits and choose non-plastic packaging instead.

We as consumers have the buying power. We can make small, conscious changes by incorporating the zero-waste mentality into the way we shop. So, residents of South East London, lets start by supporting Bring Your Own and welcoming waste-free living!

To find out more about Bring Your Own visit their website and give them a follow on Instagram.

147, Evelina Road, Nunhead, London, SE15 3HB