In 2020 during the pandemic Lauren Morse started a business in a shed at the bottom of her garden in Cwmbran. The response from customers was so good that she decided to open a shop.
Her idea was a Zero Waste shop. This is a place where customers bring their own containers and bags to refill with food and home essentials. It means you only buy what you need.
The ethos is that the shop or customers do not create any extra waste. She said her range is plastic-free and eco-friendly
Her shop is in the unit next door to The Tower on Redbrook Way in Southville. During my 30-minute visit she had about six customers- some had been before and others were curious about the town’s newest shop. I can’t list everything that is sold but here are a few items: washing up liquid, shampoo, balsamic vinegar, period products (made by Willowlane Designs– another Cwmbran business), nuts, seeds, spice and pasta.
You will also find a range of greetings cards and plastic-free toys.
One of her most popular attractions is a peanut butter-making machine. You twist a dial and a handful of nuts drop into a crusher which then squirts out peanut butter. Not a single other ingredient is added.
Scroll down and take a look at the video I filmed with Lauren. Sorry for the background noise in the first few minutes- fast forward and look around the shop. At the bottom of this story is a clip I filmed with Lauren last year when her business got up and running in her garden shed.
WATCH: Come on a video tour of the Zero Waste shop
