How the zero-waste industry is booming in Colchester

At the shops, customers take their own containers and buy just as much as they need from the dispenser so there are savings in terms of both packaging and no food waste.

The containers are then weighed which calculates the price of your shopping.

Three shops have sprung up in the Colchester area in recent months with advocates for the system saying the town is on trend - becoming “a bit more eco”.

Anna Appleyard at An Ethical Life in the Hythe

An Ethical Life opened in the Hythe last year while this year Life in Eco has opened in Mersea and ColcEco has opened in Layer Road, Colchester.

More shops are also planned for Rowhedge and Colchester town centre.

Now a volunteer has launched a new app to help people find the nearest zero-waste shop to also save on the carbon footprint.

Anna Appleyard, 45, from Rowhedge, originally brought the Refill Colchester app to the town in 2018 to help users locate places such as shops and cafés where you could refill your own water bottle for free.

Anna Appleyard at An Ethical Life in the Hythe

But now the app has been updated to include the locations of zero-waste shops, cafés who will refill customers’ own coffee cups and restaurants who will refill customers’ own take away food containers.

The app was first launched in Bristol before Anna brought it to Colchester.

It also shows drinking fountains, including those recently installed in Colchester by Colchester Borough Council.

Rachel Smith in her store ColchEco on Layer Road

A teacher by trade, Anna said: “I am really pleased there is so much support out there for these new zero-waste shops.

“Colchester is lucky to have such forward-thinking, ethical entrepreneurs helping people to do their bit for the planet.

“The beauty of the Refill app is that business owners can add their businesses to the app for free with just a few clicks, allowing people in Colchester to find them more easily.

“The Refill app now has 300,000 users nationwide and is growing all the time and I’m hoping with these new stores in Colchester, it will become second nature for people to take their food containers with them when they leave the house, just like we’ve all got used to taking our reusable bags out shopping with us.

“This is a great chance for people to reduce their plastic footprint and I hope that Colchester’s shoppers will support this new kind of shopping experience.”