The first refill, bulk goods shop has officially been launched at Forest and Folk in Great Linford.
This zero-waste food shopping project, funded by OurMK through MK:Smart, HEFCE and the OU, is the brainchild of Alissa Pemberton, founder and owner of Forest and Folk Botanicals. Her shop has long been focused on reducing waste , allowing customers to bring their own jars and containers to fill up on shampoo, conditioner, soap, various washing liquids as well as loose herbs and spices. The shop also stocks bamboo toothbrushes, natural deodorants, natural candles, plastic free cotton buds and many other re-usable and plastic-free alternatives.
With the help from OurMK, Forest and Folk now offers loose bulk organic wholefoods by weight too! Customers are able to bring their own jars to refill or grab one at the shop. New unbleached cotton drawstring bags are now also available to use for refill products. Weigh just as much as you need and save money!
Alissa has said of the project:
“I was inspired to do something to tackle the huge amount of non-recyclable plastic packaging from food that I found myself having to put in my bin every week. Just by making a few simple switches to buying dry foods in reusable containers, I’ve managed to ‘slim my bin’ significantly and save a bit of money too.
I wanted to give other people the same opportunity to reduce their waste so I set up Forest and Folk with funding from MK:Smart, HEFCE and the OU – I’m the only shop of it’s kind in the city, there’s nothing like it apart from SESI in Oxford and Unpackaged in London, that I know of”.
Items for refill are all organic and include:
- Chickpeas
- Lentils
- Various varieties of rice
- Pasta
- Seeds
- Dried fruit
- Various beans
As part of the OurMK project, customers buying refill products will also be asked to take part in a short questionnaire which helps gather data on the impact of refills on waste reduction in households.
Forest and Folk’s opening hours are Thursday 10:00-17:00 and Friday & Saturday 10:00-18:00. Pop by the shop or follow Forest and Folk on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to find out more!
Well done to Forest and Folk and here’s to more citizen innovation in Milton Keynes!