Beverley family open East Yorkshire’s first zero-waste shop

A Beverley couple have opened East Yorkshire’s very first zero-waste shop after being inspired by their five children.

Claire Louise Rayner and Jamie Newson-Smith along with their children Ethan, eight, Poppy, seven, twins Isaac and Caleb, two and Alice, eight months, opened the doors of The Refill Jar for the first time on November 27.

The business invites its customers to bring their own containers and fill them up with food and other essential household items.

According to Mrs Rayner, who also owns a colonoscopy business, The Refill Jar is very much a family venture.

“Ethan and Poppy come and put their pinny on and they know all about plastic waste,” Rayner explained.

“They come and help people around the shop and tell them what to do and guide them through the process.”

After watching David Attenborough’s Our Blue Planet which showed the huge amounts of plastic in the oceans, Mrs Rayner was worried about the state of the planet their children would inherit.

Rayner said: “We have five children, so we have to leave a planet for them that’s not full of plastic.

“I just think we have messed up the planet so much, we just need to rewind time to 1950 when it was about family, grow your own and the scoop shop.”

Coincidentally, the site of The Refill Jar used to be a scoop shop and Mr Newson-Smith, who also runs a photography business, thinks his new venture is carrying on in this tradition.

“It’s a modern take on it. Back then everything was scooped into a plastic bag, everything was in plastic. It’s a slightly different way — slightly up market,” Newson-Smith explained.

David Hooper, external affairs manager of Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce, feels that The Refill Jar reflects how businesses in the area have become more environmentally conscious.

He said: “The environmental agenda is coming up rapidly with more and more shops looking to reduce their waste.

“It’s nice to have people take the initiative and be proactive. Hopefully they won’t be the last ones.”

The Refill Jar can be found in Beaver House on Wilbert Lane, Beverley and is open 9:30–17:00 Monday to Friday and 10:00–16:00 on Sundays.