Last year, we brought you information on some of South Wales’ brightest zero-waste shops that looked to do away with single-use items and needless packaging.

12 months on, with a pandemic to boot, we revisit each shop to see how they are doing and if there have been any changes in the year that changed everything!

1. Ripple Living (Cardiff)

The first of its kind in South Wales, Cardiff’s Ripple Living opened in 2018 following a crowdfunding campaign by founder Sophie Rae. Since last year, Ripple has expanded into its second store and launched its click & collect service from its base on Albany Road in the Roath area of the city. Ripple has expanded from just home goods and food items as well, with the business stocking ethical clothing and towels in the last year, too.

2. Sero Zero Waste (Newport)

Newport’s answer to zero waste, Sero Zero Waste went from appearing at many pop-ups around Wales’ youngest city to taking permanent residence in one of the most iconic settings in southeast Wales. Tredegar House is now home to Sero, with the idyllic settings a great companion for visits to its gorgeous barn. From coffee beans to vegan sweets to dog treats, Sero has it all in probably the nicest setting you’ll get. Friends and co-founders Liz and Laura have been working hard on making the experience one to savour and with parking, transport and cycle paths a non-issue for visitors, you can stock up with ease. The entire surroundings are dog-friendly too, so do bring your pooch along for the ride.

3. Awesome Wales (Barry)

Another expansion story, Awesome Wales is not only Barry’s answer to the zero-waste revolution but now Cowbridge’s. Bookending either side of the Vale, Awesome Wales has a slick online ordering function as well as information on how you can best recycle at home. Awesome Wales also has a subscription service in the form of a weekly box of veg, fruit, bread, milk and eggs.

4. Truffles (Pontyclun)

Our friends north of the M4, Truffles based in Pontyclun have spent time developing their online offering, too. With a broad range of food items and household products, Truffles caters for most with an excellent range of goods. The business works closely with local producers of everything from face masks to candles. The online function allows you to spend away on anything from Welsh honey to veg boxes that can be collected or delivered.

And that’s it! If you know of one we have missed, please let us know (tweet us at @easystore_uk) and we’ll see if we can add them to this list.

Looking for storage in Cardiff? Easystore Self Storage has a dedicated storage facility just off Newport Road in Cardiff. Contact us today or get a quote using our online quote form.

[Image credits – taken from the websites or social media profiles of each shop]