Proud to make eco dream possible
The first carbon-negative shop in Maidenhead is celebrating three years on the High Street.
Community zero-waste shop, Filling Good encourages customers to reuse containers and avoid single-use plastic and marks its milestone anniversary on March 16.
Championing refill products and promoting an eco-friendly, plastic-free way to shop,
Filling Good has helped save 159,297 pieces of plastic packaging since 2020.
Filling Good founder Nelly Semaille said: “Celebrating our third birthday on the High Street feels amazing.
“I am so proud of all of our members, shareholders, volunteers and customers for making this possible and for continuing to take positive climate action by shopping zero-waste with us.”
The volunteer-run, not-forprofit started as a ‘humble’ corner in Craft Coop in 2019, open two days a week with a limited range of products.
The business quickly graduated to a bigger pop-up space in the Nicholsons Centre for a few months before opening a fully-fledged shopfront in
2021.
Nelly said the shop is owned and run by a community of 159 members and supported by a cohort of volunteers comprising zero-waste enthusiasts, Duke of Edinburgh Award participants and work experience students, which means the shop has not suffered an unplanned closure due to a lack of volunteers or dwindling sales.
Filling Good co-founder Sophie Ibison added: “We are looking forward to having a little party in the shop (all sustainable and zero-waste, of course) to mark this wonderful occasion. We will also be offering our customers a 10 per cent discount across the shop throughout the day as well as bubbles and things to try.
“I hope we will stay on the high street for a long time to continue to provide the people of Maidenhead, and beyond, with affordable, ethical and accessible refills and plastic-free products.”
Filling Good stocks 1,822 refillable food, cleaning, beauty and home products and gifts from 100 suppliers, of which 17 are local and 10 operate with fully circular models.
The organisation has been involved in numerous community and charitable initiatives throughout the past three years.
In the summer of 2021, Filling Good launched its
‘Lunch and Learn’ mini-talks at the outdoor amphitheatre near Maidenhead Library and in schools, churches and community groups on how zero-waste can positively impact the planet.
Since 2021, Filling Good has donated £13,924 to several charities, including The Dash Charity, Tree Sisters UK, two carbon compensating projects from Golden Standard and EcoAction Hub’s Share a LoT (Library of Things).
At the end of 2022, Filling
Good set the bar of became the first carbon-negative shop in Maidenhead after working with Dave Hampton from TheCarbonCoach and calculating its carbon footprint as 4.5T per year.
Nelly said this is due to the shop’s continued effort to lower its renewable electricity, water, waste and fuel consumption and as it enters its fourth year on Maidenhead High Street, Filling Good hopes to inspire other local businesses to follow suit.