London’s refill stores and zero waste shops are on a mission to help us lead a greener, more sustainable lifestyle. By stocking bulk products in large dispensers, they encourage the consumer to cut out unnecessary, wasteful packaging, and they often sell a range of sustainable brands too. With #PlasticFreeJuly underway, here’s our guide to the best one-stop, planet-friendly zero waste shops in the capital.
Buying locally has never been more important, both as a way of providing vital support to independent businesses but also as a means of living more sustainably and reducing our carbon footprints. London’s zero waste shops are packed full of organic produce and sustainable, eco-friendly products that help make going green a no-brainer.
More often than not, these eco businesses offer bulk shopping: you bring along a container, weigh it to determine the ‘tare’ (the weight of your empty container) and then fill it with whatever you desire. You then pay by weight, not unit. Such stores also make a point of stocking products from local suppliers in a bid to reduce their carbon footprint. And at a time when supporting local business seems more critical than ever, making planet-friendly choices as we shop is a win for everyone. Here are the zero waste shops in London to have on your radar.
Refill Therapy
Hackney Wick & Stratford
With zero waste shops in Hackney Wick and Stratford East Village, Refill Therapy prides itself on providing a wide range of high-quality, plant-based, biodegradable products that are made in the UK and available in refillable solutions. Here you can find everything from the usual grains, beans and pulses to eco-friendly cleaning products, body wash, shampoo and conditioner refills from clean beauty brands like Faith in Nature and Miniml, and organic vegan sweets and treats. If you forget to bring your own container, don’t panic – they also stock a selection of reusable jars and bottles.
Unit 1, 61-63, Wallis Road, Hackney Wick, London E9 5LH
6 Victory Parade, Stratford, London E20 1FS
refilltherapy.co.uk
Earthly Matters
Carnaby
When Earthly Matters opened its doors at the beginning of 2021, it was the first zero waste shop in the neighbourhood. The bright, airy refill store – with its white walls and wooden floor – is lined with dispensers containing products such as nuts, grains and breakfast cereals – shoppers who don’t bring their own containers can purchase a reusable glass jar or opt for the paper bags. In addition to the refillable products, the shelves are lined with eco-friendly brands (Who Gives A Crap, Ecoleaf, Just Natural, Friendly Soap…) and vegan, organic and gluten-free lines, as well as wellbeing products, such as vitamins, supplements and nutritional powders, and toiletries.
5 Newburgh Street, Carnaby, London W1F 7RG
Naked Larder
Herne Hill
This refill store operates slightly differently from many others in the market. Here, instead of popping into the shop whenever you feel like it, customers place their orders online before visiting the store to collect at a pre-arranged time, bringing their own reusable containers. Collections take place monthly and customers are encouraged to order in larger amounts wherever possible, to cut down on the number of unnecessary trips to the store. The shop stocks a range of grains, beans and pulses, nuts, dried fruit, flours, pasta and cereals, as well as eco-friendly cleaning and body care product refills.
78 Herne Hill, Herne Hill, London SE24 9QP
nakedlarder.co.uk
Harmless
Crouch End
This vegan refill store in Crouch End is on a mission to help its shoppers lead a more ethical lifestyle, whether that’s supporting them in switching to a plant-based diet or helping them to eliminate single-use plastic in their homes. All of the products stocked here meet founder Tami Jarvis’s strict ethical guidelines, with vegan, plastic-free, home-grown, independent, palm oil-free, anti-monoculture and organic items lining the shelves. Customers love the extra touches here, which include a machine that dispenses cold oat milk and a peanut butter machine where you can freshly grind your own peanuts.
79 Tottenham Lane, Crouch End, London N8 9BE
harmlessstore.co.uk
Jarr Market
Herne Hill & Stoke Newington
Covering both south and north London with their refill offerings, these zero waste shops are on a mission to reduce single-use packaging “one jarr at a time”. Founder Jess Rimoch makes sure to only work with suppliers that have closed-loop systems, thereby following her own strict minimal waste ethos. For any leftover packaging she does incur, she pays extra to have it properly recycled by zero-to-landfill company First Mile. There’s a range of locally sourced food products to choose from, as well as eco-friendly toiletries and cleaning products.
19 Half Moon Lane, Herne Hill, London SE24 9JU
67 Stoke Newington High Street, Stoke Newington, London N16 8EL
jarrmarket.co.uk
BYO
Tooting
Promoting a zero waste, sustainable and low-impact lifestyle, BYO operates from a store within Tooting Market. Subscribing to author Bea Johnson’s five principles of zero waste living – refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot – every effort is made to create a more sustainable, circular economy. You’ll also find a great selection of plastic-free accessories here, from vegan leather lunch bags and natural deodorant sticks to environmental toothbrushes.
Tooting Market, 21-23 Tooting High Street, Tooting, London, SW17
byo.london
Fin and Earth
Hackney
This sustainable and plastic-free lifestyle store is on a mission to help you reduce your consumption of single-use plastics in style. You’ll find all the pulses, grains, dried fruits and organic nuts you’ve come to expect from a store like this, but they also stock wonderful little hidden gems such as organic and refillable Curly Vision Hair Repair Oil to repair split ends and Self Care Co vegan soy wax aromatherapy candles designed to combat anxiety. Plus, Fin and Earth support the brilliant environmental work being done by 1% for the Planet and Coral Guardian.
30 Shacklewell Lane, Hackney, London, E8
finandearth.com
Gather
Peckham
The aim of this gorgeous low-waste refill store in Peckham is to make living sustainably as fun and easy as possible. Founders Tash Gorst and Laura Swidzinska gather together products that are as good for you as they are for the planet – everything from food to cleaning products and toiletries – and they’re on a mission to motivate us to make, reduce and reuse. The duo also proactively encourage sustainable recommendations from the local community by way of a suggestions jar.
121 Bellenden Road, Peckham, London, SE15
wearegather.uk
Greener Habits Co
Walthamstow
If proof were needed of the growing popularity of the zero waste movement, Greener Habits Co is it. Following the success of her online shop, founder Hannah Colbert celebrated the opening of her bricks and mortar store in 2019 following a successful crowdfunding campaign. All that people power has been put to good use, creating a beautiful shopping space that makes a vegan, zero waste lifestyle accessible to all. Current bestsellers include their charcoal detox soap bars and Earth Conscious natural deodorant sticks.
35 St James Street, Walthamstow, London, E17
greenerhabits.com
Re:Store
Hackney
Dedicated to reducing plastic waste not only in its refillable, pay-by-the-weight concept, but also in its supply chain, Re:Store is committed to sourcing the most ethical products around. Most of its food items are organic and vegan, and its eco-friendly home and beauty brands are names you need to know (be sure to check out London-based Upcircle). Happily, if you live within 6km of the shop, the essentials will now come to you courtesy of Re:Store’s swish electric cargo bicycle.
17 Amhurst Terrace, Hackney, E8
restorerefill.co.uk
Various
With six stores across London, from Battersea and Richmond to Crouch End and West Hampstead, Source Bulk Foods has become one of the capital’s go-to destinations for shoppers looking to reduce their waste and buy more mindfully. With over 450 bulk foods on offer, including organic wholefoods, cooking oils and sustainable household products, going plastic-free has never been easier. What’s more, if you can’t make it to a store, you can shop online and have your waste-free groceries delivered straight to your door.
99 St John’s Road, Battersea, London, SW11
24 Turnham Green Terrace, Chiswick, London, W4
3 The Broadway, Crouch End, London, N8
135 Putney High Street, Putney, London, SW15
16 The Quadrant, Richmond, London, TW9
276 West End Land, West Hampstead, NW6
thesourcebulkfoods.co.uk
