New zero–waste food shop to promote sustainability in Ullapool opens in village
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A new zero-waste shop has opened in Ullapool, which hopes give sustainable alternatives for people across the Highlands. Ullapool Unpacked is a zero–waste food shop, which promotes sustainable living by selling food without any single–use packaging.
The new shop In Ullapool Village Hall on Market Street is an upgrade from Ullapool Unpacked's original Mobile shop. The new shop in the Village Hall is a warmer alternative to the outdoor shop, and they can stay open during any type of weather.
Evie Strange, project manager for Ullapool Unpacked said: "Our shop sells everything loose with no packaging, so the idea is you bring a container, we weigh it when it's empty, then fill it with your desired product and amount, then weigh it again and you pay for just the weight of the product you have bought.
"You are able to buy as little or as much as you like, directly into your own containers. Reducing plastic waste, food waste and saving some pennies as well.
"We have opened the shop unit inside the village hall to help get us through the winter after previously trading from the trailer. The aim of the shop is to help people produce less waste and buy only the amount that they need.
"We hope that through being at the village hall the shop will be more accessible and that more people will visit it and reduce their waste. Reaching more people will also help show the need for a large Community Refill Shop and Climate Hub in Ullapool in the future. Providing an accessible space for affordable plastic free whole foods, local produce and learning opportunities, helping Ullapool and it’s surrounding area become more sustainable."
The shop sells a vast range of products such as pasta, lentils, rice, nuts, fruit, herbs and spices, tea and coffee, as well as tins and sustainable living items such as biodegradable scrubbing brushes and plastic–free menstrual products.
The new shop is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 10am–2pm.
