Gloucestershire refill shops fighting to keep sustainability accessible

Kirsty Scott opened Forest Friendly just weeks before the first lockdown came into force

A refill shop owner has said her local community has kept her afloat in "challenging" times.

Kirsty Scott opened Forest Friendly in Lydney in February 2020, just weeks before the first lockdown.

The mum, who still does not take home a wage four years on, says it is thanks to the "love" Forest of Dean residents have for the environment.

Other shops have sadly succumbed to the pressures, although Roots Refills in Gloucester is set to stay open.

In addition to battling the pandemic as a business owner, Mrs Scott faced further challenges in 2022 when the street where her shop is based was closed for four months.

On one day during the road closure, just £4 went through her till.

"We've had a few challenges, we've had Covid and then they closed the road for four months, that was hard," Mrs Scott said.

"I'm here because people have actively made an effort to come and support me."

Mrs Scott said that Forest Friendly "definitely" feels like a real community shop

'Not taking a wage'

Mrs Scott is currently based in her third premises at 28 Newerne Street, and has seen her customers and their families grow over the years.

"Since I've moved into this premises, it has changed my business," the mum-of-two said.

"I still struggle, I'm still not taking a wage. I put everything back into the shop and growing it."

Mrs Scott travelled to customers' doorsteps in lockdown to refill their empty bottles

Although Mrs Scott has a great community behind her, she understands why some refill shops are closing their doors.

"It's getting this mindset of shopping a very different way, which is hard," she said.

"A lot of people are having to find second jobs to support the other side of it and it ends up being too much mentally. Something's got to give so a lot of them have closed, unfortunately."

Back from the brink

One of the refill shops affected by the pressures of rising costs is Roots Refills in Kingsholm, Gloucester.

The Alvin Street shop was originally due to close on 29 February after the café attached to it closed on 10 February.

But the local community rallied together to raise enough money to keep it open for now.

Roots Rescue has said there was always "hope" the shop would stay open

The goal of Roots Refills is to make sustainable choices "affordable and accessible" to the residents of the deprived area surrounding it.

Ally Hardy, a member of the Roots Rescue campaign group, said: "It's amazing how important it is.

"The whole point of the refill shop was to be able to price match to supermarkets as much as possible.

"The eco industry is a bit gimmicky and it can be quite high priced and that can put people off.

"Having a refill shop that is good quality and good prices is really important, we're hoping that it will just encourage people to shop plastic free and more cheaply."

Roots Refills price matches 97 per cent of its stock to Asda to ensure sustainable choices are as accessible as possible to the local community

Ms Hardy said there was "always a hope in our hearts" that Roots would not close.

She added that even if Roots Rescue had not been able to take over the refill shop, it would have been sold to someone else so it could continue.

The campaign paid for the initial assets transfer of the shop and café, now a crowd funder is due to be launched to raise money to pay back a loan, and eventually the premises' rent and staff members.