Research - Ecotopia founder interview

- How long have you been running ecotopia?

We have been running ecoTopia for 6 months now, not including the 5 months prior involving the setting up.

- How did you go about setting it up?

We basically used the internet to source all of our products, visiting second hand and reclaimation stores for our fixtures and fittings

- Why did you want to set it up? 

The “Blue Planet effect” went viral on the internet at the end of 2017, which brought up a lot of posts on social media that we saw about how plastics affect the world around us. This made us want to reduce our single-use plastic usage, but we found it to be quite a challenge given that there were no bulk stores or loose food options in Leeds beside the fruit and veg available at local green grocers.

- What's your customer base? New people, students, regulars?

The customer base has quite a wide variety of people, which is brilliant. People of all ages and professions visit us daily. We do find it is more woman than men but not by a large percentage.

- Have you seen a rise in customers?

We do have a very promising rise in customers every month!

- How is the shop funded?

The shop was initially funded by the government's Start-Up Loans.

- How could the shop get more donations?

To be honest, if we knew, we would already doing it! We did spread word to many media outlets including The Yorkshire Evening Post, BBC Look North and BBC Radio Leeds but to no avail!

- Why do you think ecotopia and other zero waste shops are so important?

Reducing our single-use plastic usage is very important as it causes damage to the planet. Whether it is down in the bottom of the oceans, on the top of the highest mountains or in the air we breathe, there is nowhere it does not cause damage. People on a plastic reduction journey quite often end up becoming more aware of their carbon footprint, changing their lifestyle in many ways, so going plastic free is almost a starting point for greener living

- Other than shopping at zero waste shops, how do you think people could cut down on their plastic consumption?

If you live by the 5 Rs from top to bottom, where the bottom is the last option: Refuse, Reuse, Repair, Rot, Recycle.

Refuse: Simply don't buy it if you can live without it.

Reuse: do you already own something that you could use for your new requirements? Upcycle or alter. Perhaps visit a second hand shop to find a pre-loved one.

Repair: If it's broke, fix it! It usually works out cheaper than re-buying, you can learn a new life-skill and less going to landfill!

Rot: If You can't fix it, can it decompose naturally? If it can, stick it into a composter!

Recycle: If you can't do anything with what's left of your item, recycle it where you can!

After all these Rs have been considered, only then send to landfill.

And also, buying second hand! It can be a mission to find something to your taste, but you feel far more accomplished once you find something you love, and its a fraction of the price, as well as donating money to a charity!

There is also the option of making an ecobrick with any unavoidable plastics. This way the plastic would be contained, and also give it a purpose. (Check out ecobricks.org for more info on ecobricking!