The Filling Station Galway

Galway city has seen its first zero-waste shop open its doors. The Filling Station is Galway’s first Eco Store. An article came out recently on microplastics being found in the ice sheets of Greenland. And I’ve seen a crushing video where a manned dive went to the deepest unexplored parts of the ocean. What did they find? Plastic littering the ocean floor. In fact,

“half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once — and then thrown away”.

Our plastic problem is beyond out of control. The Filling Station is here to change that.

The store was opened to tackle the increasing plastic problem and owner John Tedders is hopeful that it can help reduce unnecessary plastic waste in Galway City. It is over two floors. Downstairs has food items such as cereals, grains, nuts, beans and pulses. You can also pick up organic free-range eggs and bakery goods and pastries, locally sourced. The food is kept in refillable gravity feed containers lining the walls. Bring along your own containers and fill up what you need. It will be weighted at the tills and off you go.

Benefits – Why shop Zero Waste?

Obviously, a huge benefit of shopping in this kind of store is environmental ones. It is an ease on one’s conscience, knowing you’re not contributing as much to the world’s pollution. Not only are you doing your bit for the environment, but you will also save a few euro along the way. The less unnecessary plastic packaging you’re bringing home with your food, the less you will be throwing away. This means less costly bin charges. By shopping in stores like The Filling Station you can easily reduce your plastic waste by half, if not more.

Not only will you save money on rubbish costs, but on your shopping too. Shopping in an Eco store reminds you to only buy what you need and not what you want. You’ll be less inclined to splurge on unnecessary impulse buys. The reusable items sold here will also save you money in the long run, such as reusable nappies. Better value to buy them once off then spend 10 euro every time you shop.

The Store – The Filling Station Galway

Upstairs was my favourite. This is where all the beauty and cleaning products are kept. You’ll find everything from  toilet cleaner, fabric softener and reusable nappies, to face products, shampoo and Mooncups. Side note-  I am determined to try the intimidating Mooncup soon, stay tuned for a detailed review on that!

My friend and I could have spent all evening going through all the products on offer. It is every beauty lover’s dream, from chemical-free deodorants to toothpaste and bee-friendly skincare products.

Brands

The Eco Store stocks numerous natural Eco-friendly brands (a lot of which were Irish). To name a few:

• Bee loved Skincare: A skincare brand 100% free from parabens, lanolin, artificial fragrances, petrochemicals,  sodium laureth sulfate and phthalates (Kinvara, Galway)
• Emma’s So Naturals: All-Natural Eco-Soy Candles and Soaps: Fragranced with only 100% pure essential oils. Made with pure renewable 100% natural soybean oil, biodegradable soya wax and a cotton wick. Paraffin, paraben, syntheticf fragrence, pesticide and artificial dye free. All products are vegan and palm oil free (Ardee, Louth)
• Warrior Botanicals: A skincare brand that are synthetic, chemical and preservative-free. The brand pledges to “protect the earth, its plants and the endangered biodiversity of our landscapes at all costs”. (West Cork)
• Faith in Nature: A natural skincare company (UK)
• Eco Coconut: Plastic-free and biodegradable kitchen products. (UK)

Organisation is Key – for cracking zero-waste shopping

We could all make a difference if we were a bit more organised. I know it’s easier to walk into a supermarket and just pick up whatever you need. It’s easier but is that a good enough excuse? The next time you finish a jar of coffee, hold on to it. Keep old water bottles and jam jars. Build up a collection of glass jars, bottles and canvas bags and take them shopping with you. It will make plastic free shopping so much easier and you’ll be happy to not be filling your bins so quickly.

If you’re interested in reducing your impact on the environment, please check out my “Reducing Waste” series. Hopefully you’ll pick up some tips to help you reduce the amount of rubbish you generate, and may even save yourself a few euro on the way.

Conclusion

The store is on Abbygate street, a quick google search will get you directions. I highly encourage you to visit. To check out the facebook page click here. It sometimes seems like one person can’t make a difference to the plastic crisis. Did you know, each person in Ireland generates 61 Kg of plastic waste a year, and this figure is ever-rising. Now do you think you can make a difference?

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