As part of SIGBI’s Day of Action, which focused on the reduction of single use plastic, we invited Tony, Founder and Director of Eco Be Ltd, a zero waste shop in Dorking, to speak to the Club. He spoke about his approach to reducing single use plastic and the products he sells in his shop. Tony also spoke about the amount of plastic which is thrown away and described a plastic island in the Pacific ocean, the size of France, which was detrimental to all the surrounding wildlife. In the clip below, he referred to the ‘Loop System’ which entails all the 20 litre plastic bottles containing liquids to be sold in his shop, being sent back to the wholesalers in order to refill his stock.
The use of paper bags instead of plastic bags in the shop for produce and how all paper was recycled was mentioned. Customers can bring in their own containers to fill with products or use those available in the shop.
Tony went on to talk about a variety of products on sale in the Eco Be shop which included the sale of local products such as milk, bread and coffee. All the produce is from sustainable companies including sugar and chocolate. He has a loyalty scheme available for customers with offers of 10% and 15% discount. He is currently working with Surrey County Council to make Dorking a sustainable hub. More information about Eco Be Ltd can be found on the website: https://www.ecobeshop.co.uk/
The Club have been having ongoing discussions for quite some time about reducing the plastic in their daily lives as part of the Climate Change agenda. Each month, members are asked what new adjustments they have made towards recycling and other actions taken towards the prevention of Climate Change. Four Club members took part in the Big Plastic Count. Visit this page to find out more about the Club’s activities to prevent Climate Change: https://sigbi.org/epsom-and-district/climate-change/