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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Abbie Meehan

Inside Edinburgh's plastic-free supermarket with food, drink and beauty supplies

As the tornado of single-use plastic rages on in supermarkets and businesses across the city, there is one store in Edinburgh battling the tide.

The Refillery already has one shop on Newington Road. But as many locals look to up their green credentials, the owners have opened another outlet inside the Waverley Mall.

The new plastic free supermarket, right next to the train station, is quaint with beautiful fruit and vegetables on display at the front entrance.

There are lots of large containers with various different pulses, including lentils, split peas and even coffee beans.

READ MORE - More Edinburgh Covid-19 deaths as Nicola Sturgeon ponders new restrictions

The pulses are available to refill in a container of your choosing. (Supplied)

There are freshly prepared vegan sandwiches and pastas available in the two fridges, alongside vegan milk and other milk alternatives inside returnable glass bottles.

I ordered my usual latte with oat milk and chatted to the server - I didn't quite catch your name but I loved the ginger beard, very patriotic - about how busy they have been since opening.

I opted to get a Christmas marmalade, made by Perthshire Preserves, a Left Field Kombucha tea that promises to be zesty, and a Friendly cruelty-free shea butter facial bar, that is packaged in cardboard.

My haul from The Refillery definitely had a colour story behind it. (Supplied)

Sipping my coffee in my new Huski home travel mug, I took in the different people who were roaming the store looking at all it has to offer.

There was everything a normal store could offer, and more, with reusable menstrual products, bamboo toothbrushes, plastic free shampoo and conditioner, and even freshly baked bread!

There are also massive dish soap containers, that hold over 200 litres of the stuff, for people to fill their own containers with.

These containers are full of dish soap! (Supplied)

While certain products may be slightly pricier, a lot of the drinks, and food items are definitely affordable compared to Aldi and Lidl bargain pricing.

The store is available to visit within the Waverley Mall. (Supplied)

Overall, I understand the hype behind the spark within The Refillery, and I hope the residents of Edinburgh get behind the climate change cause that Kelly and her colleagues are stating in their work.

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