Shop hopes to inspire a plastic-free Fair City
A married couple are hoping their new eco-friendly business can be one of the first steps in making a “plastic-free” Perth.
Tyroshan (36) and Ayesha Attidi Panagoda (30), decided to open their very own plastic-free zero-waste shop in the Fair City.
The business owners, both from Sri Lanka, started up Tay Larder on South Methven Street after struggling to find shops that offered plastic-free packaging.
The store opened in April and is now one of the only of its kind in Perth, offering customers the chance to shop package-free products.
They launched their first firm
Ceylon 35 during the first coronavirus lockdown, where they imported native spices from Sri Linka and sold them online. That venture inspired them to open Tay Larder just over a year later.
With their store Tyroshan and Ayesha vow to “help you to protect our planet for our children by reducing single use plastics and packaging”.
“We struggled to find anywhere that did any plastic-free packaging,” Tyroshan said.
“In the first lockdown we started to import spices from Sri Lanka and sell them online.
“Then after speaking to other zero waste shops and seeing how it works, we decided to opened Tay Larder..
“The customer is in charge of how much they want, nothing is pre-packed.
“They have to bring their own jars, containers and bottles to fill up with what they need.
“We have rice, flour, pasta, beans, spices and many other products. There’s also a small range of organic fruits and vegetables.
“We were both brought up in Sri Lanka and we were both taught how not to waste materials.
“Because of that it came easy to us.” Tyroshan said the store has had positive response from the local community.
“It is slowly growing and the feedback has been fantastic,” he said.
“I think the future will see more stores like this. The customers are more aware of the environment and the plastic crisis now.
“Supermarkets are even trying to change their ways now with less plastic.
“There are about 365 shops like ours UK-wide and it is growing all the time.
“We want everyone to know that we are here and are taking this opportunity to make a small change towards a plastic-free Perth.”