A zero waste shop is encouraging people to make small changes and keep gift-giving ethical and sustainable this festive period.
Kirsty Burnet was inspired to open Unwrapped in Crookes after seeing another zero waste shop thriving during a time of concern about the environment and plastic waste.
Ms Burnet shares these values with her customers now, and said that starting conversations is one of the biggest ways people learn about sustainability.
She said: “I think it’s important to be a place where people can get ideas, where someone might see something that inspires them.”
One thing which has inspired her customers is the homemade Christmas decorations that adorn the shop, including star ornaments made from old magazines.
It’s just one recommendation the shop has for making this holiday period more ethical and less wasteful, with Ms Burnet keen to start conversations about second-hand shopping and small businesses as valid alternatives to big brands.
She said: “If someone says ‘Oh I like your Christmas jumper,’ I tell them it is from St. Luke’s, the charity shop up the road, as they have a big rail out at this time of year.”
Unwrapped sells Christmas baking ingredients which customers can buy in the exact amounts needed for recipes, meaning that there won’t be “a lonely bag of currants sitting at the back of the cupboard” going to waste.
Ms Burnet also said that making changes with gift-wrapping can make a big difference to the amount of landfill generated at Christmas.
She said: “Little changes, like using newspaper or recycled wrapping paper, and using twine or ribbon that can be reused, can be sustainable.”
Ms Burnet also recommended reusable gifts, such as metal water bottles and sporks for office packed lunches.
The shop also sells items from other ethical small businesses in the area, such as handmade soaps.
Ms Burnet is keen that people know they do not have to be perfect, or make huge changes to access zero waste shopping.
She said: “We try to be welcoming and non-judgmental, you might just buy your spices here, but together we are making a big difference.”
