Zero Waste Week: Zero Waste Shops in London For Greener Shopping

As the zero waste movement continues to soar, we’re seeing more and more plastic-free shops pop up across the country. The premise is simple: bring your own reusable container along and fill it with goods, cutting out all the unnecessary plastics involved in the shopping chain. Buying from independent stores is a great way to support small businesses too. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up the best zero waste shops in London.

Zero Waste Shops in London

Carnaby Street: Earthly Matters

A zero waste refill store recently opened up in London’s Carnaby, with an extensive range of organic, allergen-free and eco-friendly products. Encouraging customers to bring their own containers, the store stocks food such as nuts, grains and breakfast cereals and sustainable products including immune boosting vitamins, vegan proteins and nutritional powders.

5 Newburgh Street London W1F 7RG, carnaby.co.uk

Hackney: Re:Store

This zero waste store is located in Hackney Downs Studio, a community of independent artists and small businesses in East London. There’s no single-use plastic rule on site, and you can buy everything from coffee to herbs and spices to cleaning products. Food is sourced locally, from suppliers like Mission and Ombra pasta, with a number of sustainable lifestyle products also for sale such as Elephant Box food containers and Chilly’s water bottles.

Hackney Downs Studios, 17 Amhurst Terrace, Lower Clapton, London E8 2BT, restorerefill.co.uk

Battersea & Chiswick: The Source Bulk Foods

There are two branches of The Source Bulk Foods across the city, one in Battersea and another in Chiswick. Owned by Australians Patrick and Makayla, the shops sell – as the name suggests – bulk foods, everything from pastas to household cleaning products. Its website is also a great source for zero waste tips and tricks.

99 St John’s Rd, London SW11 1QY (Battersea) and 24 Turnham Green Terrace, Chiswick, London W4 1QP (Chiswick), thesourcebulkfoods.co.uk

Herne Hill: Naked Larder

Herne Hill spot Naked Larder takes a slightly different approach, offering a click and collect service where you shop online, then take your containers into the store and fill them up with your order.

78 Herne Hill, London SE24 9QP, nakedlarder.co.uk

Leigh Farmer

Tooting: BYO

Based inside Tooting Market, BYO encourages customers to fill up their own containers with foods like pasta, seeds, spices and cereals. You’ll also find a good selection of plastic-free accessories here, like KeepCups and tote bags.

Tooting Market, 21-23 Tooting High St, London SW17 0SN, byo.london

Crouch End: Harmless

If you need an extra incentive to go greener, Harmless shop on Tottenham Lane offers beers to visitors while shopping. They used to operate from a teeny tiny store, but recently moved somewhere bigger to offer more space for vegan food, plant-based dry goods and household cleaning supplies – all plastic-free, of course.

79 Tottenham Ln, London N8 9BE, harmlessstore.co.uk

Main image: Getty Images