Acquisition International - Global Green Business Awards 2021 19 Jan22069 Plastic-Free Company of the Year - Yorkshire Led by a husband and wife team, the main objective at Refill & Go is to provide plastic-free options for everyday household items and food, to give everyone the opportunity to reduce the amount of single-use plastic they use and throw away. In light of the company’s Global Green Business Awards 2021 success, we spoke to founder, Scott Cooper to learn more about what it is doing to help the planet. hether a company is just starting out on their zero-waste journey, or they have been actively involved in the zerowaste movement for years, Refill & Go has a solution. Company founder, Scott Cooper said, “We are not here to preach, to tell customers they must do better. We want them to be able to shop with us and leave knowing they have done their bit for the environment, no matter how small!” He continued, “Everyone needs to make some change in their every day life to help the earth heal, but we are also realistic and know it takes time to change and adapt. So, no matter what their journey looks like, we can support them.” Refill & Go’s mission is to change people’s habits, even if it is only one thing they change – that one thing, if everyone did something, would make a huge impact. All of Refill & Go’s products are sourced in bulk from sustainable and eco-friendly suppliers, and they are all packaged in previously used or recycled packaging which contains zero plastic and it is fully compostable at home. The company tries to minimise its carbon footprint by using local suppliers, wherever possible. This year, it is focusing on changing to suppliers that offer a loop supply chain, such as taking it’s empties back and reusing them – and if the supplier doesn’t yet have a loop system in place, Refill & Go will actively give items to the public to reuse, too. Scott tells us, “We chose to open our shop to make a difference to our children’s lives. We feel that if people do not make a change, then the world our children grow up in will only go downhill and they will have to live with the impact.” The company is currently working with local schools, where it closes the shop and invites groups of schoolchildren to visit and have a look around, and Scott and his wife provide a talk about their products and the environment and how they help improve the situation. These talks began pre-COVID and they have now been able to start running again. Scott commented, “The children really get something out of the sessions as we make them informative but also interactive and fun.” Not only did the school visits come to a halt during the pandemic, but the shop had to close too, however the company was fortunately able to survive due to moving its business online. On top of the school talks, Refill & Go also delivers talks to local groups W such as Brownies. Additionally, it fundraises for different local schools and provides free food hampers to anyone who requests one instore or online. This was taken up significantly during the school holidays last year, and although interest has slowed now, they are still available to those in need. Currently, the Refill & Go team only consists of Scott and his wife, and they are dedicated to making sustainable options available to all, while also making people’s lives easier so they don’t have to think about whether something is sustainable or not. Refill & Go provide support on making more sustainable choices and take the worry out of shopping by doing all the research for the customer. This research ensures full traceability of the supply chain to ensure the company is fully ethical, including making sure workers are paid fairly. With regards to online orders, local ones are delivered via an electric vehicle. And through ShopPay, one tree is planted by WeForest for every delivery, which helps to offset the impact against nationwide deliveries. Over the next 12 months, the company will be committing to updating its suppliers list to include only those who have a fully circular supply chain. Customer-wise, it will continue trying to bring people into the shop – especially after it has lost people who reverted to going to supermarkets while the shop was closed during the pandemic. A company that is clearly very passionate about having a positive impact on the environment, it’s easy to see how Refill & Go has earned the title of Plastic-Free Company of the Year – Yorkshire. We are rooting for the company as it continues influencing individuals locally and nationally to just make one change that can do a world of good. Company: Refill & Go Contact: Scott Cooper Email: [email protected] Website: www.refillandgo.co.uk
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