Eco Larder aiming to stock funds for Capital's new zero-waste store

Matthew and Stephanie Faulds with 10 week old Jasmina. They are crowd funding a zero waste shop.

The new shop, named Eco Larder, will be dedicated to eliminating unnecessary packaging.

The outlet will sell everyday goods, from dry foods such as pulses, grains, coffee and loose leaf teas to household products, pet food and toiletries.

Earth-friendly alternatives to products usually made from plastic will also be available.

The brainchild of husband and wife team Matthew and Stephanie Foulds, Eco Larder is being run as a social enterprise with profits going to environmental organisations and local clean-up missions. The shop will be situated on Clifton Terrace in the Haymarket area.

The couple hope to open the doors before the end of this year.

The couple behind the store met while studying in Edinburgh a decade ago and loved it so much they stayed.

They set up their first business, Sunshine Yoga studio, in Gorgie nearly two years ago.

They have also recently welcomed the arrival of their first child Jasmina, who is ten weeks old.

Now they are looking for backers to help them open the new store. More than £1270 towards the £20,000 target has already been pledged.

Mrs Foulds said: “A zero-waste shop aims to change consumer behaviour around packaging and plastic waste.

“The customer brings along their own recycled or multiple-use containers to get weighed, filled up and purchased.

“The shop will also stock items that assist with living a zero-waste lifestyle, from bamboo coffee cups and toothbrushes to cloth bags and nappies.

“The Eco Larder will be dedicated to being totally package-free, making it unique in the beautiful city of Edinburgh.”

Profits will be ploughed into local and global environmental projects, with donations going to the international charity The Ocean Cleanup and the UK’s Marine Conservation Society.

The pair will also be running workshops at the store, teaching people how to reduce waste and live a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

The world is facing a growing problem from plastic litter, which remains in the environment for hundreds – or even thousands – of years.

Estimates suggest up to 12 million tonnes of plastic is entering oceans around the world each year, posing a major danger to wildlife.

It is thought at least one million seabirds and 100,000 marine creatures such as turtles, dolphins and whales die each year from entanglement or eating plastic. Mr Foulds said: “Our aim is to reduce plastic waste filling up our oceans and to create a greener planet.

“If we don’t change our plastic consumption, our ecosystems, health and economies will have a lasting catastrophic impact on future generations.

“Running as a social enterprise, the Eco Larder will donate profits to organisations concentrating significant efforts on helping our wildlife and people currently directly affected by waste levels.”