Plastic free shops are changing the way we shop, both in the real world and online. The drive to reduce plastic waste has gone mainstream, with the popularity of all kinds of plastic free products from plastic free food containers to plastic free toothpaste having gone up hugely in the past few years.
Physical plastic free shops have the benefit of being the easiest way to shop for plastic free food supplies – if you have a car or one nearby. The reality is that, at this point in time, plastic free shops are sparsely distributed even in major cities (to say nothing of smaller towns), which means that getting to one will almost always involve quite a trip.
The great news is that there is now a substantial number of online plastic free shops that offer everything from food to baby products. These are our favourites.
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1. Ecovibe: great for plastic free household products
Ecovibe is a gorgeous plastic free online shop with an easy-to-use interface and a great range of products. We especially like the fact that they have a dedicated 'kids' section that includes plastic free toys and baby bottles, and a special section of plastic free pet products. But our absolute favourite is their cleaning section that stocks plastic free cleaning powder sachets: you simply mix them with water in a bottle or bucket.
2. Plastic Free Pantry: the best online plastic free food shop
Thought there was no way to shop plastic free food online? Hurray for Plastic Free Pantry – they stock everything from pasta to sea salt and will deliver for free on orders over £30. Everything comes in either paper bags or wrapped in compostable cling film.
3. Plastic Freedom: the best one-stop plastic free shop
If you like the ease of shopping for everything in one place, as you would in a supermarket, Plastic Freedom is the online destination for you. They stock everything from beauty and makeup to clothing and homewares, and even have a limited but useful selection of food (non-perishables only). We were particularly delighted to discover that they stock plastic-free sunglasses, among the many other products.
4. Acala: best for personal care products
If your New Year's resolution is to reduce the amount of plastic on your bathroom shelf, head to Acala for a huge range of personal care products made without plastic. From face cleansers to shaving products and plastic free toothpaste, they have it. Free delivery on order over £50 and a handy subscription service for essentials. They also stock plastic free baby products.
