A few months ago my Twitter feed lit up with exclamations of excitement and congratulations, as Cardiff-born freelance journalist Sophie Rae announced that she planned to open Cardiff’s first zero waste shop, aptly named ‘Ripple’.
This was awesome news for Cardiff – a city where in the last year or so, I’ve noticed a huge surge in people starting to worry about – and make more efforts to protect – the environment around us. However, in order to make it happen, Sophie needed to raise £30,000 via a Kickstarter campaign – and thanks to you lovely lot (over 1,000 pledgers, in fact) she only went and did it!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a zero waste shop?
Zero-waste shops allow customers to bring in their own reusable containers and fill them up themselves, saving on the need for single use packaging that is either thrown away, or has to be recycled (costing energy and resources that could be used for something more important than convenience). It’s a concept that has already been trialled with much success in cities like London and Bristol, and there’s already one in Wales – Crickhowell’s Natural Weigh.
2. Where is Cardiff’s first zero waste shop, Ripple?
Details of the location were revealed in late October; it is now open, and based at 102 Albany Road in Roath. You can follow all of the shop’s further announcements and updates on Twitter, over at @ripple_living.
3. Who is the founder, Sophie Rae?
Sophie’s background is in journalism, and she has written for publications including Olive Magazine and Cardiff Life. She also worked as deputy editor of Veggie Magazine for a year and a half before moving back to Wales earlier this year. You can follow Sophie on Twitter at @Rae_Soph.
Sophie explained why she thought now was the right time to open a zero waste shop in Cardiff: “When I returned home to Cardiff after living in London, I couldn’t find the places I needed to help me live a zero waste life style and consume more consciously. Since I couldn’t find it, I decided to create it!”
“Plastic pollution, coral bleaching, animal testing; it blows my mind what we’re doing to the planet. I would love for people to support the new shop and help me create a ‘ripple effect’ of change for the better.”
You can start becoming part of #therippleeffect by ditching single use plastics today! Click here for some helpful tips on how to get started, and give this blog post a read to find out why you should be investing in a reusable coffee cup.
Wow – I love zero waste stores! Wish there was one near me :/
-Jenna <3
Follow me back? The Chic Cupcake
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no prob x
I hadn’t thought about finding out who the owner was, so chuffed it’s a woman! The Kickstarter story is very heart warming too, glad to know there’s so many good eggs in my home city. Plus, I live right around the corner and have already fallen hard for Ripple, long may it Thrive!
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Yeah Sophie’s great! She’s done a stellar job of it! 😀 x