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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Sian Traynor

Edinburgh woman to swap design career for new eco shop in bid to make area greener

An Edinburgh woman has shared her dream of launching a new zero waste store to try and make an area of the city significantly greener.

Sarah Vance, 30, is hoping to leave her graphic design career behind in order to run 'The Ferry Weigh', set to be the first of its kind in South Queensferry.

After previously staying in Leith, Sarah told Edinburgh Live that living more sustainably had been easier there, with zero waste shops and greener options.

However, upon moving to South Queensferry, she explained that it was "really hard" to continue to do so, with a lack of eco shops and plastic free ranges.

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Now set on making a change, Sarah said: "When I lived in Leith, there was a zero waste shop around the corner from me which I used regularly. After I moved to Queensferry last year, it became really hard to avoid single use plastic as there isn't a local zero waste shop and local supermarkets offer very limited plastic free options.

"I struggled to find the time to go in to Edinburgh to get my refills and it didn't feel very environmentally friendly to drive so far to a zero waste shop. And so came the idea for The Ferry Weigh.

"I then shared my idea with a local Facebook group and asked people to complete a survey which received an overwhelmingly positive response."

Desperate to make her dream become a reality, Sarah has now launched a crowd funder to start up the shop, following a positive backing from the community.

With a £20,000 target, the fundraiser has already seen £3,000 raised, with the total raised going towards the costs of starting up the business.

Sarah added: "The Ferry Weigh will offer a range of plastic free products, including dried foods, cleaning products and toiletries, to help the local community reduce plastic pollution.

"Yesterday, I launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds needed to set up and open the shop. I've had incredible support so far and have already reached 12 per cent of the goal amount.

"I want to bring plastic free shopping to Queensferry so the local community can reduce the single use plastic in their lives and help look after the environment."

You can find the fundraiser here.

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