Zero Waste Shops UK

We all try to recycle as much as possible these days but what’s even better for the environment is to create as little waste as possible, whether that’s waste destined for landfill or to recycling plants. Luckily for us the zero waste movement is growing and there are more and more shops popping up that allow us to buy products with little to no packaging. In the UK there are now refill or zero waste shops on most high streets and quite a few online retailers we can choose from as well.

If you’re just starting out on your eco-friendly ‘journey’ (ugh, I hate that word) make sure you read 25 Ways To Reduce Plastic Waste and 50 Simple Ways To Go Green.

Online Zero Waste Shops in the UK

One thing that puts me off ordering stuff online is just how much packaging it arrives in. I’ve ordered so-called eco-friendly items from Amazon only for them to be delivered in a ridiculous amount of non-recyclable plastic packaging. Frustrating is not the word for it! Fortunately we actually have a lot of choice in the UK for zero waste online shopping for a variety of products. Please note that being 100% zero waste is almost impossible. The shops below have been chosen for their overall sustainability, ethical values and for selling products with as little packaging as possible.

Some of the images and links below are affiliate links, meaning I might make a small amount of money, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase something after clicking the image or company name.

In America? Check out Life Without Plastic. They sell a whole range of household items for those looking to live plastic free.

&Keep

Probably one of the online zero waste shops with the biggest range of eco-friendly items available, selling everything from health and beauty, kitchen and bathroom items to clothing and books.

Acala

Acala is an online store offering an extensive range of natural, organic and vegan health and beauty products from leading brands. All responsibly packaged; refills, plastic free and zero waste packaging.

Anything But Plastic

This online zero waste shop sells mainly health and beauty products with a few random items thrown in like Bird Seed and Paper Tape.

Appletree & Avalon

Everything Appletree & Avalon sell is UK made and they pride themselves on supporting small businesses. Everything is packaged by hand with plastic free packaging that is biodegradable. They sell pretty much everything you need for around the home including stationary.

Bamboo Clothing

Eco-friendly clothing can be quite difficult to find, but Bamboo Clothing sells both women’s and men’s clothes. You’ll find tops, bottoms, underwear, socks and activewear all for sale on this website as well as a few accessories.

Big Green Smile

Big Green Smile UK is one of the largest eco-friendly online shops that I’ve found. They sell all sorts of things and for the vegans amongst us they have a menu item specifically for vegan friendly products.

Boobalou

A great website for reusable replacements to disposable household products. For every order placed they plant a tree in partnership with the Eden Reforestation Project.

Boody

Bamboo clothing for women, men and babies. Mainly focussed on underwear but the range includes comfortable activewear as well.

Born Eco

This online shop is a bit different to most mentioned as it’s not just one seller, it’s many individual sellers from all over the country, selling eco-friendly household and garden stuff, gifts and more. They also include a map of refill and zero waste shops around the UK.

EarthBits

Yorkshire based EarthBits try to source most of their products from local suppliers and they check out the sustainability of every product they sell. All packaging is plastic free and fully recyclable.

Eco Beau

Now this shop doesn’t claim to be zero waste but they do describe themselves as low waste, which I quite like because of the honesty; because almost everything eco or otherwise, comes with some packaging, even if it’s just a label. They sell a range of eco friendly, ethical and sustainable products for your home, health and beauty products and things for when you’re on the go.

Eco Bravo

With many plastic free items for sale, Eco Bravo is well worth a visit. They also sell some clothes, books, toys, gifts and even some foodstuffs as well. They have some great eco-friendly hampers for all members of the family.

Eco Green Revolution

A good range of household, laundry and health and beauty items available in this plastic free shop where the majority of products are vegan. To reduce their carbon footprint many products are sourced from the UK and from small businesses. All packaging is 100% plastic free.

Eco Living

Eco Living is a distributor for sustainable products who also sell some items under their own brand name. All products are manufactured responsibly and are plastic-free and vegan. The company is carbon neutral, and they plant trees through Eden Reforestation Projects.

Eco-Sal

Eco-Sal sells a whole range of eco-friendly items including health and beauty, household items, things for pets, children and babies and gifts. They even have a specific menu item for made in the UK which is great for those of us wanting to reduce the carbon footprint of the things we buy.

Enviroli

A newcomer to the online world Enviroli is a brand new online shop selling environmentally friendly alternatives to everyday items.

Ethical Superstore

The Ethical Superstore is probably the website with the widest range of goods available. It sells the usual household items as well as food and toys for pets, stuff for babies and children and even some groceries. Not everything they sell is plastic free, but there are lots of plastic free options available.

Everyday Green

They describe their website as ‘a one-stop shop for everything you need to help you live a more sustainable life, without having to compromise your sense of style.’ They sell household and health and beauty products.

GoBambu

Most of the products available on this website are made from bamboo; including bamboo coffee cups, toothbrushes, cotton buds, straws etc. They also sell zero waste shampoos, vegan candles, beeswax wraps, paper rucksacks and, oddly, rope dog leads!

Green Eco Friend

If you visit the ‘shop’ on this website you’ll find links to some of the best products I’ve found for the kitchen and bathroom and a variety of other items including clothes.

Greener Habits Co.

Greener Habits Co. is a vegan, plastic free & sustainable home essentials online shop that gives back. Every item purchased helps to support the Friend Farm Animal Sanctuary in Kent.

Green Tulip

If you’re looking for sustainable and ethical gifts, Green Tulip is well worth checking out. They sell items for all around the home, and all of them really are lovely things to buy for yourself or for someone you love.

In Greens

A huge variety of plastic free items for sale from this Bristol based company.

Jemima’s Garden

Although you can only purchase seeds (with no plastic packaging) through the website, I’ve included Jemima’s Garden because if you’re lucky enough to live in the Norfolk area you can buy plants that use peat-free compost, no chemical pesticides, wooden labels and cardboard pots at local farmers markets.

Jungle Culture

Jungle Culture are the number 1 seller on Amazon for bamboo straws and they also sell bamboo cutlery, coconut bowls and bamboo safety razors, with completely plastic free packaging. The items they sell would make great gifts for friends and family who are environmentally conscious. They’re also part of 1% for the planet, giving 1% of their profits to charities that help the earth.

Kempii

Kempii describe themselves as an online eco shop created for people who want to reduce their waste, but aren’t sure where to start. The website is nice and easy to use and sells a good variety of products for around the home. The name sounds odd but its origin is lovely. “Kempii was named after Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys Kempii), the smallest and rarest species of Atlantic sea turtle and one of thousands of ocean species threatened by plastic waste.” They also donate 10% of their revenue to WasteAid UK, which is fantastic.

Kind Clothing

Plastic free packaging and zero waste. Their clothing is organic and contains no nasty chemicals. Even the ink they use is vegan. They also plant a tree with every purchase. A good website for t-shirts, sweatshirts and vests.

Life Before Plastik

They source the majority of their products in the UK. You’ll find household products that are zero waste, eco-friendly and plastic free. They even have a section devoted to pets.

Little Leaf Organic

If you’re looking for luxury eco-friendly bedding, baby clothes, pyjama’s or handkerchiefs then check out Little Leaf Organics. All products are GOTS and Soil Association certified organic. All packaging is 100% recycled and recyclable. Their bedding comes in a lovely cotton bag too.

Love The Planet

Do you love the planet? Do you love makeup? Love The Planet have some plastic free mineral makeup for sale. Choose mineral foundations, concealers, setting powders, blushers and eyeshadows all completely zero waste, cruelty free and vegan.

Made Eco

They currently sell bamboo toothbrushes (with plant based bristles) and a reusable cleansing pad set which includes 20 washable make-up pads, a bamboo face cloth and 100 bamboo cotton buds as well as a 100% cotton mesh laundry bag. All items are free of plastic and come in completely biodegradable packaging.

NestorWood Clothing

Nestorwood’s products are made from organic cotton and printed in the UK in a renewable energy powered factory. They use paper packaging and paper tape. They’re also working on new stickers and packaging that is made from the recycled organic cotton offcuts from t-shirt manufacturing.

No Plastic Shop

A Dartmoor based company, selling products which she has sourced from the local Dartmoor area. Buy locally sourced bathroom, kitchen and beauty products.

Organic Basics

If you’re looking for eco-friendly underwear try Organic Basics. They do mens and womens underwear, active wear, jumpers, dresses and more.

Peace With The Wild

Peace with the Wild have one of the largest ranges available with over 100 brands for sale. All packaging is plastic free, including the tape which is a 100% biodegradable, compostable packaging tape.

Planet Detox

A website focussing mainly on environmentally safe cleaning products as well as having some personal and oral care items. None of the products contain palm oil, SLS, or parabens. Everything is vegan, cruelty free and biodegradable.

Plastic Freedom

Another company that plants a tree with every order placed. As well as the usual household and beauty items for sale, Plastic Freedom also sells clothes and food!

Plastics Free

Why buy from Plastics Free? As they say themselves “We do all the hard work finding zero waste products that are also ethical, sustainable and genuinely better for the environment, no #greenwash here. We consider sustainability, carbon footprint, recyclability, biodegradability and ethicalness.”

Reco

Reco is an online store stocked full of multi-use and sustainable alternatives to single-use products.

Simply Bee Eco

A Bedfordshire based company selling mainly personal care items but with a good range of household and ‘on the go’ items. They offset their business carbon footprint by planting trees with the Eden Reforestation Project and are a carbon positive company.

Social Stories Club

If you’re looking for a nice gift to give someone for Christmas or their birthday, check out Social Stories Club who have a variety of hampers for sale. Every product included in each of the hampers has been carefully chosen and recipient can read about how the gift is doing good somewhere in the world. Plastic free packaging for all hampers.

The Beeswax Wrap Co.

Dom’t be fooled by the company name, The Beeswax Wrap Co. not only sell beeswax wraps but vegan friendly ones as well. What I really like are the kits they sell so people can make their own wraps. The kits would make lovely eco-friendly gifts.

The Green Turtle

The Green Turtle sells a good range of eco-friendly alternatives to every day items as well as some nice gift items. They are honest that plastic is found in their packaging from some suppliers, but that they believe overall the item is a better one for the environment. Any plastic packaging they use has been donated for reuse.

The Thoughtful Pup

This is the place to head to for eco-friendly dog toys, leads, treats and more. Lots of toys and accessories to make sure your puppy looks good and is doing his / her bit for the environment! Read more tips for an eco-friendly dog.

TOTM

If you’re looking for plastic free period products this is the website to head to. They sell menstrual cups as well as GOTS certified organic cotton tampons (with and without applicators), panty liners and pads. Try out their Organic Cotton Switch Kit to try out some of their products.

Tropic Skincare

If you’re looking for multi-award winning beauty products check out Tropic Skincare. All the packaging is either fully recyclable or refillable, even the ink used to make the bright tropical pattern is made from plants! Return 5 empty bottles and get a free product! All deliveries are all sent via C02 neutral delivery.

Una Mattress

If you want to make your bedroom eco-friendly, check out Una Mattress who sell eco-friendly mattresses, mattress toppers and pillows. All are 100% organic.

Vegan Outfitters

‘Clothing for the plant based generation’. They only sell t-shirts but they are awesome! All their t-shirts are “ethically made in a WRAP certified facility. Printed with eco-friendly ink, with virtually zero waste. And then shipped in plastic-free packaging.”

Who Gives A Crap

Who Gives a Crap was started when the founders realised that over 2 billion people didn’t have access to a toilet. 50% of their profits are donated to ensure everyone has access to clean water and a toilet. They sell recycled toilet paper and bamboo toilet paper and everything is plastic free.

Zero Waste Shops on the High Street

When we talk about zero waste shops that sell unpackaged, loose groceries, there are far too many for me to name them all in this particular article. The easiest way for you to find them is to find a wholefood shop in your town. Most wholefood shops will sell loose pasta, rice, nuts, dried fruit and other dried foods. You can normally find household products like georganics toothpastes and bamboo cotton buds as well. Many of them now also offer refills for shampoo’s, dishwashing liquids and other cleaning materials.

Some major retailers like M&S and Waitrose have successfully trialled packaging free / refill points in a few of their stores and we should see more of these becoming available around the country.

This is a fantastic website to find a refill / zero waste shop in your county – thezerowaster. Just be aware that there might be even more available than what’s on this list as new shops are opening every week!

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