Page 30 - Real-06.indd

Zero-waste shopping comes to town
REAL ROCHDALE - AUTUMN 2019
The zero-waste movement landed in
town when Littleborough business
The Veggie Vixen underwent an
extensive rebrand this summer.
Formerly Littleborough’s first plant-
based café, The Veggie Vixen Store
and Coffee Shop on Victoria Street
has introduced a zero-waste section
of store cupboard and cleaning
essentials to tackle the scourge of
single-use plastic.
The zero-waste movement is fast
gaining traction across the UK,
thanks to a public backlash against single-use
plastics.
A versatile material, the horrors of plastic have
recently been realised after shocking images of
plastic-choked oceans and piles of waste sent
abroad for recycling have surfaced.
The Veggie Vixen is open Thursdays and Fridays (11am to 6pm)
and Saturdays and Sundays (11am to 5pm).
30
Some action is taking place nationally, with the
5p bag levy, the UK ban on microplastic beads in
cosmetics, and paper bags for fruit and veg, or
even in place of standard plastic carrier bags.
Several supermarkets have introduced a ‘bring
your own container’ scheme to cut down on
unnecessary plastic usage, but the rise of
zero-waste shops has largely been fuelled by
independent businesses going one step further.
Whilst the shop isn’t fully zero-waste, Veggie
Vixen founder Naomi Rhys Thomas hopes to
have a sizeable impact closer to home with zero-
waste and refill stations.
All refill products stocked by the Veggie
Vixen are vegetarian, vegan, cruelty-free and
environmentally friendly, with compostable bags,
or glass jars, to go from shop to shelf.
Liquid refills – starting from 20p per 100ml
– include shampoo and conditioner, laundry
detergent and fabric conditioner, disinfectant
and multi-use cleaners, handwash, glass and
mirror cleaner, and toilet cleaner.
The store also serves coffee and cake, plus a wide
range of packaged goodies suitable for all.
31 REAL ROCHDALE - AUTUMN 2019