The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
More shoppers are buying sustainably says store’ s owner
Abusinesswoman who operates a refill shop in Cupar says there are increasing numbers of Fifers looking to shop sustainably.
Fiona Bracegirdle started her refill business back in 2020. Since then, she has gone from hosting stalls to having her own shop at 58 Bonnygate.
Zeco Refills & More specialises in providing shoppers with a range of plastic-free and ecofriendly products.
Customers bring along their empty packaging and fill it up with soaps, foods or drinks, with the aim to help reduce plastic waste generated by supermarket shopping.
Fiona has noticed an increase in the number of people wanting to shop sustainably, and hopes to inspire others to do the same.
Zeco is Fiona’s second business venture. Her first is her own sports massage business.
However, her initial career was put on hold during lockdown.
She explained: “The nature of my job meant close contact with people, which was impossible during that time, so there was four months of just nothing.
“I liked the idea of noplastic and zero-waste shops, but there was never anything that close to Cupar.
“You would have to drive at least 20 minutes.”
Fiona started selling at market stalls then, two years ago, made the move to 58 Bonnygate, a co-working and community hub where small businesses work in a shared space.
Fiona says she may have higher prices than a supermarket, but the nature of the business means shoppers can still save money.
She said: “Some of our products are pricier than supermarkets because we just don’t have the buying power, but shopping sustainably allows people to come in and get exactly how much they need of that product, which means people are reducing food waste.
“It can help people budget better as well, because they can only spend a certain amount on each product if they need to.”
Although Fiona has quite a few refill regulars that have been with her since the beginning, she is noticing a rise in new customers that come in from Cupar.
“I think people want to be more conscious about what they’re putting into the world,” she said.
“A few years ago people were a bit in denial about the damage plastic does to the environment.
“But now, with microplastics being found in waters and other places, I get a lot of people coming into the shop looking to try to limit their consumption and contribution to plastic pollution.
“Shops like this provide an easy way for people to limit their plastic usage, and to actively see the difference that buying sustainably can make.”