A Sudbury health shop is spearheading the fight against plastic packaging by launching the town’s first zero=waste food range.

Ipswich Star: Customers can bring their own pots, bags or containers or use the bio-degradeable bags supplied by the shop. Picture: MARK LANGFORDCustomers can bring their own pots, bags or containers or use the bio-degradeable bags supplied by the shop. Picture: MARK LANGFORD (Image: Archant)

Business is booming for Health Foods For You in North Street after it began selling loose organic produce such as nuts, grains and pulses without packaging.

Customers simply bring their own containers and fill up from the storage dispensers - and if they don’t have their own they can use bio-degradable bags supplied by the shop.

They can also do the same by bringing their own containers for products such as soaps, detergents and shampoos.

Owner Jane Pearson said her system eliminates environmentally harmful and wasteful plastic packaging.

Ipswich Star: Jane said shoppers were increasingly unhappy about plastics and excessive food packaging Picture: MARK LANGFORDJane said shoppers were increasingly unhappy about plastics and excessive food packaging Picture: MARK LANGFORD (Image: Archant)

She said customers were increasingly aware of the harmful effects of plastic in everyday life and wanted something different.

“People are increasingly seeking places where they can buy and do this sort of thing,” she said.

“We get lots of calls asking ‘do you stock this’ or ‘do you stock that’, and if we don’t stock it then we can source it.”

Jane said all of the zero waste range is grown or sourced locally, which also cuts down on food miles.

Ipswich Star: Jane Pearson, owner of Health Foods For You in Sudbury Picture: MARK LANGFORDJane Pearson, owner of Health Foods For You in Sudbury Picture: MARK LANGFORD (Image: Archant)

She opened her first nutrition shop in Sudbury six years ago having previously worked in the health and beauty business and decided to diversify into zero-waste to offer something that the supermarkets couldn’t.

“The supermarkets now stock all sorts of things that were once specialist to shops like mine, and I can’t compete with shops like that,” she said,

“While it’s great they feel there’s a need to stock them, I’ve been able to branch out into something I believe in and which offers something different.”

Jane said custmers ranged from schoolchildren to families and the elderly, and that awareness of the effect of plastics on the environment is growing all the time.

Ipswich Star: Jane Pearson with assistant Katie Stone at Health Foods For You Picture: MARK LANGFORDJane Pearson with assistant Katie Stone at Health Foods For You Picture: MARK LANGFORD (Image: Archant)

“Everybody can do their bit just by making a small change in how they do things, “ she said.

then it helps overall. So what we’re trying to do here is what is realistic to do what we can.

“It’s all about knowledge - the more knowledge people have the better the choice they can make, and the more I can educate then the more they can make better choices.

“The wake-up has been there all the time, it’s just that now we seem to be facing up to it as a nation.

Ipswich Star: Health Foods For You in North Street, Sudbury Picture: MARK LANGFORDHealth Foods For You in North Street, Sudbury Picture: MARK LANGFORD (Image: Archant)

“Some would say it’s late enough coming, but it is definitely now trickling through.”

For more information go to the Health Foods For You website.