A much-loved independent shop in Cardiff is celebrating its fourth anniversary of reducing plastic waste this month.
Siop Sero (Welsh for Shop Zero) is a not-for-profit store which tackles environmental challenges by championing plastic reduction, ethically sourced products, and fostering a green community.
Proud owner Catherine Richards says she had always been concerned about plastic pollution and wanted to promote more sustainable ways of shopping.
“We’ve all seen the David Attenborough documentaries about plastic in the oceans,” Catherine said. “It’s awful, and it’s just getting worse.
“It’s not about getting rid of plastic completely but it’s about reducing what we can.”
She discovered refill shops while studying in Australia back in 2008 and, upon returning to the UK 2013, felt there was a gap to be filled.
“My background is in retail and health food stores, so it was a natural progression,” she explained.
In April 2021, just after COVID, she opened the first shop in Rhiwbina. Two years later the business expanded by taking over Ripple, a zero-waste shop in Roath.
“The community in Roath was so supportive, and it would have been a shame if the shop had closed, so we decided to take it over,” she said.
Aiming towards a zero-waste future, the shop operates on a refill model. Customers bring their own jars and containers, weigh them, fill them with the products they want, and then pay for them (after deducting the weight of the container).
The shop provides paper bags and donated jars and bottles for those who forget their own. Catherine adds: “It’s just about reducing single-use plastic as much as we can.”
“We always suggest that people start small – maybe just one or two items – and then build on that gradually. That way, it doesn’t feel overwhelming.”
Olive oil, dried chives, vegan pick and mix, coffee beans, honeycomb chocolates, oat milk, cinnamon swirls, local Lisvane honey and peanut butter are some of the customers’ top picks.
Catherine says Siop Sero boasts many loyal customers who visit the shop for their daily needs, promoting a circular economy: “Around 90% of our customers are regulars at both shops, so you really get to know people.
“It is all embedded in the community. I’ve even been to people’s weddings!”
Many customers love that the shop is “local”, “affordable”, “ethical” and that it “helps them eliminate packaging material”.
Angel Cooper, a loyal customer, explained: “I love to shop here because lots of healthy whole foods like nuts, seeds, and pulses are available here with vegan options like the choco nuts.”
Natasha, another regular, said: “I love that I can refill all my beautiful jars without having to use plastic. Also, the pricing is great and helps me reduce my food shop by only buying what I need.”
Siop Sero also engages in community initiatives encouraging people to make small changes in their shopping habits.
The shop donates to a food pantry in Whitchurch and to a community fridge in Cathays. It also supports community projects such as the Rhiwbina Repair Café.
In the repair café people bring in broken items for repair, reducing waste and developing a culture of reuse.
“At the end of the year, we collect all donations from the repair café and give them to a chosen charity. Last year, we donated £1,000 to City Hospice,” Catherine says.
Catherine is always open to growth, however, funding remains an important issue.
“We’ve had a little funding in the past, which helped us buy the peanut butter machine, but it would be great to have more support as a not-for-profit,” Catherine added.
“With a lot of zero waste shops closing throughout the country, some support from the government in that way would be really good.”
You can find more about Siop Sero on their website and Instagram.