A zero-waste retailer fighting the use of plastic packaging is to open her third Fife shop. Grain and Sustain owner Louise Humpington hopes to launch the Kirkcaldy store next month.

Azero-waste retailer fighting the use of plastic packaging is to open its third Fife shop. Grain and Sustain first set up on Burntisland High Street two years ago.

Customers bring their own containers to stock up on items such as pasta, rice, coffee and oats from refill bins. The Burntisland shop now stocks more than 500 ethically sourced items.

The environmentally focused business opened a second location within Bowhouse in St Monans last year.

Grain and Sustain has now signed an agreement to open its third outlet in Kirkcaldy. It will operate from a unit in Tolbooth Street that was previously used by Marks and Spencer for storage.

Owner and founder Louise Humpington has set a target date of October 1 for the new shop to open.

She said: “It’s never been a retail space and is a shell at the moment.

“There is a huge amount to do.

“As with our other shops, it will be an evolution for a period of time as we take feedback and respond to customers’ needs.

“It will have stock refills, eco-friendly products and ethically sourced gifts.

“It will prioritise Scottish produce and small producers.

“We want to shine a spotlight on the incredible quality of food producers in Scotland – and Fife in particular.”

The larger Kirkcaldy space will also be home to a vegan deli, selling plantbased protein cheeses and homemade dips, salads and antipasti.

Grain and Sustain has several “closed loop systems” with local suppliers where it returns containers to be reused.

It will soon launch a membership scheme to raise its sustainability standards even higher.

Louise said: “As a business we are always pushing ourselves to do better.

“Part of that includes reducing our own operational impact and packaging consumption.

“We set up our Fife-wide delivery service during lockdown to support customers self-isolating.

“But we have always been mindful of the (albeit plastic-free) packaging which we use to pack the deliveries in.

“So we are launching our membership scheme to coincide with the expansion of the business.

“As well as discounts and samples, the annual fee will include delivery of products in reusable containers.

“Once your container is empty, just give it a wash and return it to us with your next delivery. This will eliminate a significant amount of packaging across the supply chain.”

Grain and Sustain will also offer the discount to small catering and homebased food businesses.

Louise said she hopes they will use the Grain and Sustain shops “as a store cupboard” as there is no minimum order quantity.

“We want to shine a spotlight on the quality of producers in Scotland

NET-ZERO: The owner of Grain and Sustain in Burntisland and St Monans is also launching a scheme to reduce the amount of packaging used in their deliveries.