'I need the prices to be affordable' - Eco-shop hopes to offer solutions
Lucy Storey of Lucy's Unwrapped and Refill zero waste shop on Woodbridge Road, Ipswich, hopes the shop can offer solutions for shoppers. - Credit: Sarah Lucy Brown
An Ipswich business owner has shared how she is trying to help customers to feel more eco-friendly while trying to save money on their essential shop.
Lucy’s Unwrapped & Refill, in Woodbridge Road, offers a wide selection of products for customers to buy as much or as little as they want by filling up their own tubs and bottles.
Lucy Storey in her zero waste refill shop on Woodbridge Road, Ipswich - Credit: Sarah Lucy Brown
Its owner Lucy Storey has shared on the shop's Instagram page the cost of buying everyday food and household items against products in Sainsbury's.
At breakfast time filling a tub with 500g of muesli fruit&nut will cost £1.90 in her shop compared to £2.50 in the supermarket.
Some products can be more expensive, like white basmati rice. In Lucy's shop it prices at £2.40 per 1kg, when in Sainsbury's it will cost you £1.75 - but for those not looking for large portions it could work out cheaper.
Lucy said: “I’m a single parent and I want to be able to shop here, so I need the prices to be affordable. I manage to get things to my shop cheaper by buying bulk.
"Most of the liquids come to the shop in barrels. When they’re empty, they are taken back to be washed and refilled. It helps eliminate buying more plastic packages as well as supports other small businesses.”
Products for sale in Lucy's Unwrapped and Refill zero waste shop on Woodbridge Road, Ipswich - Credit: Sarah Lucy Brown
She said one way the shop could help is when recipes ask for specific items which shoppers will not use again.
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The refill model sees customers bring in their own tubs and bottles to fill with what they need.
This can include old bottles for body wash, shampoo, washing liquid or cleaning products.
This priced out can see a refilled bottle weighing 350g of handwash bottle costing £1.40, in comparison to Sainsburys where a new bottle would see a spend of £2.50 or more.
Products for sale in Lucy's Unwrapped and Refill zero waste shop on Woodbridge Road, Ipswich - Credit: Sarah Lucy Brown
The owner estimated refilling on all-purpose cleaner was eight time cheaper than a new bottle in a big store.
The idea of Lucy’s Unwrapped & Refill shop is that customers can refill any amount of products they want, at the same time saving money and the planet against unnecessary use of plastic.
Lucy’s regular customers tell her that they actually save money shopping at her place.
She said: “People are often surprised how much their shopping is.”
Have a money saving tip? Why not share through our Your Money Matters campaign? Email Suffolk.Editors@archant.co.uk
For more about our Your Money Matters campaign, read our manifesto here.
