Next time you plan a trip to Devon, UK, be sure to visit the Earth.Food.Love grocery store. The unique supermarket sells up to 200 pesticide-free products which are ethically-sourced. The store is also completely packaging-free, which is great for the environment and people’s peace of mind.
Earth.Food.Love was started by Richard Eckersley, 28, and his wife, Nicola, 27. The couple became infatuated with the idea of receiving one’s groceries packaging-free after visiting Unperfekthaus in German, an anti-waste outlet. “We walked in and immediately thought, why doesn’t this exist in the UK?” Richard told Metro. “We came back to the UK and decided to open our own sustainable store. We wanted to go somewhere that we felt would make a difference to the local community – that’s why we moved to Devon.”
At Earth.Food.Love, one will find grains, pastas and even maple syrup. The supermarket also stocks regionally-grown oats, sanitary products, metal shavers that the blade can be swapped on and bamboo toothbrushes. Because the store seeks to deliver “ethical, wholesome and organic” goods, milk and alcohol are nowhere to be found. Chips are banned, too, as they can have up to seven layers of packaging.
While the lack of packaging might deter some customers, it is incredibly appealing to others. Reportedly, the “grind-your-own” nut butter machines are the most popular. “Filled with both almonds and peanuts, you can re-use your nut butter jar again and again and again, each time filling it with delicious, sticky goodness that’s been ground right in front of you,” said Richard.
Shoppers are required to bring their own containers — which can range in type and shape — to the store. After the containers are weighed, shoppers pay for their purchases by the gram. For first-time customers, the store keeps compostable paper bags.
Related: These amazing zero-waste buildings were grown from mushrooms
Earth.Food.Love exists to educate consumers and increase access to ethically-sourced, healthy goods. The shop’s owners aren’t actually interested in making money. “It’s not about price for us. We don’t want to stock items just for the sake of it, it has to be ethical,” Richard said. “At the same time, we don’t want to compete with local farms – there are many around here that sell fresh produce already.”
He added, “We’re adding products all of time, but the supplier has to be right for us. We want to live in a world where consuming doesn’t have to cost the earth. We believe returning to these simple ways will benefit not only our health, but the planets too.”
The couple says the store has inspired many shoppers, which is why they created their very own guide to “Setting up your Own Zero-Waste Shop.” Richard and Nicola’s ultimate goal is to see similar businesses erected worldwide so the environment may be preserved while humanity is nourished.
Via Metro
Images via Earth.Food.Love, SWNS
