A new stationery shop has opened in Cardiff's flagship shopping centre.
Cardiff is no stranger to the news of sewage overspills and landfill waste, and it was only a week ago that Wales' First Minister announced amongst other things, that single use plastic will be legally abolished.
So when Aoife's new store, Floris, opened up at St David's Centre on Saturday, October 23, it was perfect timing.
Floris aims to sell sustainable luxe modern stationery and paper goods that "don't cost the earth". All designs on products are created in house and manufactured in the UK in line with the brand's sustainability values.
Read more: Nine ways climate change is going to drastically alter life in Wales
Aoife Doherty, 22, started the stationery brand in August last year.
She said: "I've always liked the idea of being my own boss.
"I graduated from university in Reading last year and with Covid going on, the job market just wasn't great.
"I thought if I'm going to try start my own business, the best time ever to try it would be now. I didn't really have much of an option when it came to getting other jobs.
"I created a website and started selling my products at markets. It just started from there. Then recently, it just seemed like a good time to start looking for a shop."
After five days of renovating the store herself, Aoife opened up the first ever Floris store in St David's Centre where former watch store David Wellington used to be.
It has received a huge positive response from the public and the company has even been mentioned in Glamour and Vogue UK as an idea for Christmas gifts.
She said: "It hasn't quite sunk in. I didn't have much business experience other than A Levels and GCSEs in high school but that was about all I have.
"I think a lot of opportunities that have come to me have been because of Covid. The unit I'm in now wouldn't normally be available. There's very well-known brands around me that have been around for decades in the mix.
"I think a lot of small and independent businesses in Cardiff can probably relate to that. There are loads popping up in town now and I don't think that would have happened without COVID and bigger businesses leaving the high street.
"It's really nice being here and I love being able to meet customers and talk to them about my products. We had a great response on our opening day on Saturday.
"I'm hoping that with the Christmas shopping period coming up, it will become even more busy and my business will continue to grow."
Aoife's passion for sustainability and looking after the environment has been the key influence in everything she has done in life.
She said: "Even in my house at university and when doing design projects for my course, I was always considering the environment.
"When I decided to start Floris, that was the most important thing to me - to make sure everything was sustainable and had minimal impact on the environment."
All Floris stationery is printed on recycled paper and vegetable oil-based inks are used instead of more common inks which are harmful to the environment.
When recycled paper isn't a option, Aoife only uses paper approved by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Aoife said: "I think its becoming more and more important to consider sustainability, especially for any business.
"I think as consumers it is important that we are conscious buyers and we think about what we are buying. It may be a really nice product, but if you're going to throw it away - where does it go?
"So that's a big drive to me. If I can create a business where all the products can be recycled, they bio-degrade very quickly or can be used to become something else with the materials, that's very important.
"The products we create do not have a bad impact on the environment and I'm not contributing to landfill and plastic pollution, which obviously has caught so many people's attention recently.
"There are so many documentaries coming out about plastic and the effects it has. It is a massive problem in the ocean.
"People have seen my wrapping paper and ask me 'Is it safe, is it recyclable though?' And it feels so good not to just say yes but also to see people asking about those things now.
"People definitely are changing the way they think when they buy, especially around Christmas. That's probably the most wasteful time of year."
Aoife is particularly excited to show customers her collection of products for the festive season ahead.
She said: "I have diaries for next year, a massive wrapping paper collection, greeting cards, gift tags - so definitely something to keep an eye out for."
The store is open 9:30am-8pm Monday to Friday, 9:30am-7pm on Saturday and 11am-5pm on Sunday.
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