DO you end up having waste bins cluttered up with plastic that cannot be recycled?

Or are you endlessly recycling and getting fed up of it?

Or have you become concerned by the constant news about single use plastic being broadcast across your phones, televisions and other electronic devices?

We check all three of those boxes and with a climate emergency being declared by many local councils and the government and the distressing pictures of marine life being caught in plastic waste and fishing nets?

More and more people are turning to being as plastic free as possible. This led to us delving into the world of plastic-free living to find what stores are currently in Gwent which are helping people to live a plastic-free life.

These are just some of the places that we have discovered and there should be more popping up in the future as more people turn plastic-free.

Plant 2 Plate Catering in Caerphilly

South Wales Argus:

(Plant 2 Plate in Caerphilly is the county borough's first zero-waste store. Picture: Facebook)

The shop became Caerphilly County Borough’s first zero waste store in 2018.

Its products range of from glass milk bottles, package-free spices, collapsible and reusable coffee cups, bamboo towels and toothbrushes, beeswax wraps, ecoegg cleaning products and natural deodorants and baby balms in non-plastic containers.

Customers are advised to bring their own containers and can refill them with multiple products, including cleaning products, food and more.

Aberbargoed’s Valley Craft (also now one in Blackwood)

Valley Craft stocks a brand called FILL that is available only in store with the idea of either bringing your own bottle or purchasing one a glass containers. Then you can fill it up with one of the many products on offer.

Products sold as part of the range include hand soap, all-purpose cleaners, dishwasher powder and multiple other cleaning products.

It also stocks several zero waste products that can be bought online or in store. These include bamboo toothbrush cases, wooden scoops, bamboo straws, metal straws and soap and shampoo bars that come in environmentally friendly packaging.

Little Green Refills

South Wales Argus:

(A selection of bottled produce from Little Green Refills. Picture: Facebook)

Little Green Refills is Monmouthshire’s hub for zero waste and getting rid of single-use plastic. There are two locations in the county – Abergavenny and Monmouth – where you can get household products in reusable containers, which are then refillable on return. It also provides a delivery service throughout Monmouthshire but also covers Newport, Torfaen and Caerleon.

While this seems like it can have an adverse effect on the environment with the transport, the company groups the deliveries based on location, allowing them to minimise the carbon footprint.

It also offers an extra service to the deliveries to make their delivery route more environmentally friendly – having communal pick-up locations throughout the county.

The collection points are at a range of places – Bean & Bread, Abergavenny, The Towpath Inn, Gilwern, The Little Blue Elephant Cafe, Ewyas Harold, The Bee Shop, Monmouth and Abbey Equine Clinic, Llanellen, Le Pub, Newport, Cwmbran Stadium, Pontypool Leisure Centre, Talybont on Usk Stores and Abergavenny Market on a Tuesday.

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Monmouthshire Upcycle

South Wales Argus:

(Plastic free products at Monmouthshire Upcycle)

Based in Chepstow, Monmouthshire Upcycle sells refills for cleaning products, and helps to reduce landfill waste by taking old furniture and ‘upcycling’ it, giving it a fresh new look for resale.

Comments on its social media gives an insight into the quality of the refills, with commenters saying how they smell good and work as good as the store-bought products. They also comment on how many plastic bottles they have individually saved from buying by using the refill service.

Plums & Roses

South Wales Argus:

(Plums & Roses is located in Pontypool Market. Picture: Facebook)

In Pontypool Market, Plums & Roses is a plastic-free fruit and veg stall. All products are displayed loose in the market and can be delivered to your door.

The family-run business opened in December last year and uses 100 per cent biodegradable paper bags to carry the produce and any plastic punnets are reused to weigh items.

Willowlane Designs

Based in Cwmbran, Willowlane Designs sells reusable hygiene products including cloth menstrual pads, bees wax wraps, cotton shower puffs and much more.

All the products are made by owner Lane in her home studio and delivered by Royal Mail, minimising the carbon footprint of the company.

Chepstow

Chepstow gets its own mention as a whole town. The town was named as a plastic free area last year by green charity Surfers Against Sewage.

The town has its own ‘Plastic Free Chepstow’ group who have worked hard to encourage businesses, schools and the public to reduce the amount of single-use plastics in Chepstow.

Newport

The only option for Newport at the moment is milk deliveries, which will deliver glass bottles of milk to your door and collect the empty ones. There are multiple companies who will do this, including IPS David Newport Milkman and B Mitchem & Son.

Little Green Refills also delivers to the area, so this is an option too but there are no shops in Newport that we could find.

Naked Sister

In Abertillery, Naked Sister produces moisturising bars containing beeswax. It sells its products in a range of stores across South Wales and all are packaged in reusable bags or tins.

They are also good for your skin, with no parabens or preservatives.