More people are becoming environmentally aware and changing their habits to reduce single use plastics. Clare Read of Pollinate Waste Store in Risca spoke to Elizabeth Birt about how she is helping locals become more green - and what she’s doing to stay afloat during the coronavirus outbreak.

STARTING any new business is a challenging task - so imagine having to shut up shop just a week after opening.

That's what happened to Clare Read, who, seeing a gap in the market for zero-waste and plastic-free products in the area, opened the Pollinate Zero Waste Store in Risca on Saturday, March 14 - but just a week later had to close the doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But Mrs Read has taken this in stride, and has continued trading online, allowing customers to get hold of zero-waste and plastic-free products either by delivery, or during dedicated collection hours - during which guidance on social distance is followed to the letter, of course.

Since opening, Mrs Read’s hampers have been an essential staple in her service, providing a range of essential products to those already self-isolating.

MORE NEWS:

South Wales Argus:

Claire Read, owner of Pollinate Zero Waste Store in Risca, with daughter Freya. Picture: www.christinsleyphotography.co.uk

And, perhaps unsurprisingly, demand has been particularly high for the hampers in recent days.

“We’ve had to make up quite a few of the hampers with essentials including toilet roll, pasta and rice for people who have been self-isolating," she said. "It’s nice we can provide this to help them.”

The online shop is available 24 hours a day, with orders placed before 3pm available the same day. Mrs Read has also set aside four hours a day - between 11am and 3pm - where customers can come and collect their orders - following the government’s social distancing policies.

South Wales Argus:

Sara Stoke from Bassaleg's Unique Touch Aromatic Products are stocked. Picture: www.christinsleyphotography.co.uk

Mrs Read said she is sure her business will be able to survive the pandemic due to the warm response she had received from the community since opening.

After considering becoming her own boss for some time, she reached out to the community to see what type of store the people of Risca would like.

And it was clear from the responses – 330 in just one day - that a zero-waste store was what was wanted, and so she began the journey of finding a suitable place.

“When this shop came up, I thought it was perfect," said Mrs Read. "Its right next to a car park.”

The location, 1 Tredegar Street, was previously a furniture shop and then became a salon, so she had her work cut out for her converting it into a store.

South Wales Argus:

Claire Read in Pollinate Zero Waste Store. Picture: www.christinsleyphotography.co.uk

“We started work in January and opened on March 14,” Mrs Read said.

Thankfully she had her colleague Sarah to help out.

“If it wasn’t for Sarah, I don’t think we would have been open so quick,” she said. “Sarah has been an absolute godsend.”

MORE NEWS:

Pollinate Zero Waste Store aims to help people to reduce their plastic usage and to show how to work out and buy just what you need.

“People will buy things like a kilogram of flour to bake a cake and then it just sits in the back of a cupboard for years," said Mrs Read. "Here, you can just buy the amount you need. So, if you need 400g of flour to make that cake, you can buy that 400g and then you aren’t wasting or forgetting about the rest of it.”

South Wales Argus:

Pasta, rice, popcorn and other foods ready for purchase. Picture: www.christinsleyphotography.co.uk

Customers are advised to bring their own jars or containers - although there are some available at the store. They provide notepads and scales so that everything can be weighed accurately and noted down to aid with working out the prices as you shop.

Individual products are priced, and food or ingredients are priced per 100g, with many being £1 and under.

They stock various types of products including gluten free pasta and flour, pasta, flour, rice, condiments, herbs, toilet paper, cutlery, beeswax food wraps, cleaning products and much more.

There are a range of produce from local small businesses being stocked too, including Unique Touch Aromatic Products, made by Sara Stokes in Bassaleg and even some of Clare’s own artwork on display.

South Wales Argus:

Plenty of different products at Pollinate Zero Waste Store. Picture: www.christinsleyphotography.co.uk

Despite only opening on Saturday, March 14, there has been a lot of support for the business, backing up the online comments wishing for a store like Pollinate.

“We had a great turnout on opening day, there were groups of people coming in throughout and it hasn’t changed since," said Mrs Read.

Part of the idea behind opening a shop was to be able to spend more time with her children and spending that time with her children also made Mrs Read realise just how much plastic came with products and how much of a product could be wasted by buying in stores.

She said: “I became interested in zero-waste when I had my children and realised the amount of packaging there was for everything and how much food is actually used.”

Find out more by visiting https://www.facebook.com/pollinaterisca/?epa=SEARCH_BOX