Zero Waste Shops in Greater Manchester
Johnny James, Managing EditorZero waste shops specialise in environmentally friendly products that leave behind no packaging waste. Just a few of years ago, they were few and far between, and the whole movement was very much in the ‘fringe’ category. In 2023, though, it’s edging ever closer to the mainstream.
Even supermarkets are getting in on the act, with everyone from Asda to Waitrose providing refill stations. It’s not that we’re applauding these retail giants’ baby steps towards solving a problem they helped create. We’re just making the point that, well, if they’re doing it then things must be changing.
At the centre of this change, of course, are the independent zero waste shops – hundreds of them, up and down the country – who are, in a much more authentic way, making it easier for consumers to make small, personal steps towards tackling environmental issues, particularly plastic pollution.
Eliminating packaging and encouraging the use of re-usable containers to be filled with wholefoods, natural beauty and cleaning products, these shops hark back to a time before pointless plastic and the accompanying guilt you feel as you unpack those shrink-wrapped bananas (nature has literally wrapped them for us, guys).
Post pandemic especially, there’s been a noticeable boom in zero waste shops around the country, but Greater Manchester seems to be a particular hotspot. From Manchester city centre to Urmston to Withington, we cover a lot of ground as we round up our favourites below.
Now, not all the shops in this list are 100% zero waste – some offer the consumer choice. But even with these, you can easily take home a full bag (re-usable, of course) of guilt-free goodies. Other shops you’ll read about are entirely plastic-free, making sustainable shopping easier than ever.
