The concerns of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow that ends today apprently also concern most Londoners.
According to the National Lottery Community Fund 59% of us are worried about the way climate change might affect our community.
Which may be why Refill Therapy in Hackney opened a new satellite store only eleven weeks after the grand opening of its Amhurst Terrace HQ.
This zero-waste Hackney enterprise is co-owned by Alpesh Patel and Dax Patel. The concept of the store is simple, and the produce is much more affordable than young people might think. Basically you bring your own containers, and if you don’t have any you can buy one in the store.
First you weigh the empty container, then fill it with their wide variety of foods and household items. Then you weigh the container again and out comes your final weight which is used to calculate your final costs.
So the idea is not new, but what appears to be changing is the prices in these eco-friendly stores, and even as a student I could afford to shop here.
One of the owners, Alpesh Patel, explained the importance of making his business accessible to everyone: “If you can make the option to be more eco-friendly both convenient and affordable…then more people will participate”.
I sat down with Patel to learn more about what inspired them to start an eco-business and the impact that it has had on the community and climate change. Click on the link below to listen.