63_Shop Talk... Penny_muk.qxp_Grid 16/08/2018 09:47 Page 63
SHOPTALK
Below: Some of Hobbs’ suggestions for plastic free ‘swaps’. Below left: Hobbs’ certificate from SAS.
Guest columnist: Penny Legg of Hobbs the Kitchen Shop, Penzance
Turning the tide “I expect you have heard of the Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) campaign to reduce plastic on our coastlines - it is one of the charities Prince Harry and Meghan asked their wedding guests to support. SAS is working with Plastic Free Penzance and in December 2017, Penzance was the first town to be awarded 'Plastic Free Coastlines' status. In March this year, Hobbs the Kitchen Shop was also awarded Plastic Free Coastlines status. It takes a commitment to reduce single use plastics. With the rise in customers going ‘plastic free’, we are doing our best to help them. We stock plenty of cooking and storage solutions that don't involve single use plastics. Metal water flasks, filters for loose-leaf tea, Bees Wrap and bamboo straws are just the beginning. When it comes to cleaning, Euro Scrubby has an almost cult following here. As a shop close to many stunning beaches, we've also started selling the Eco-Grill, an alternative to the disposable barbecue - a recent beach clean in Devon found one hundred disposable bbqs buried in the sand! Moreover, Hobbs has made changes to the way we work in the shop. We attended a plastic free workshop provided by Plastic Free Penzance to help us find out what we could do to improve. Simple changes that many don't even think about, like using a pencil instead of a throwaway biro, can make a real difference if everyone does it. We have a ream of tissue paper on the counter so people can keep their purchases clean without resorting to a plastic bag, as well as offering cardboard boxes. We hardly use any bags now (even though the ones we use are bio-poly) and for Plastic Free Coastlines status we have committed to stopping the use of bags altogether. We also encourage customers to visit shops in the vicinity that support zero waste shoppers. For example, there is a great shop down the street that will weigh your empty pepper mill and refill it for you.
Following up last issue’s Food for thought on ways retailers are helping customers reduce plastic waste, Penny Legg, manager of Hobbs the Kitchen Shop in Penzance explains how it has taken a threefold approach to waste reduction.
All this made me very conscious of the plastic we were receiving in our deliveries. Even some champions of a plastic free life were sending their products in a single use plastic sleeve! That led me to ask suppliers to send less plastic packaging in all our deliveries and in January this year I sent an email to our main suppliers to ask for their commitment to help us. The response was great and some suppliers immediately contacted the shop to discuss what they could do to improve and asked for information on what others were doing so they could do the same. Now all of our orders include a request to reduce plastics in our deliveries (with a request to use recycled paper or cardboard between items for protection instead of single use plastic sleeves). My hope is that everyone puts pressure onto manufacturers to find alternatives. A twist-tie made of PROGRESSIVE
65
HOUSEWARES
paper and wire beats a plastic cable-tie. It might cost a little extra but our customers are willing to pay to make that difference. It is about making small choices that add up. We can all do more than just reusing a coffee cup. Like many towns, Penzance is suffering a reduction in footfall, but this initiative has helped us make the most of those who do shop in town. There is a definite move towards shopping locally and ethically. People want to see that businesses they support have the same priorities as themselves. Our customers are giving us very positive feedback on our plastic free choices. Happy customers become regulars and regulars recommend us to their friends and family. I hope this is the start of real change across all retail. The tide seems to be turning. Fingers crossed eh?”