Plastic Free Interview

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There is an increasing awareness about how plastics are affecting the environment, which has led to people searching for ways to minimise their own plastic use. But it can sometimes be tricky knowing where to start. That's why we decided to interview zero waste shops Filling Good and Zero Joe's to pick their brains surrounding going plastic free.




Filling Good is a zero waste store founded early in 2019 to help the people of Maidenhead shop more ethically by selling conscientious products without any packaging. It originally started as a pop-up shop inside the Nicholson Shopping Centre, but after increasing interest and demand for zero waste products, the shop was born! Filling Good is now a cooperative owned and run by the community, for the community as a society on cooperative principles.








Zero Joe's is a mother and son run zero waste shop located on St Leonards Road in Windsor. Their ethos is to provide their customers with affordable, single use plastic free shopping to reduce the human impact on the environment.







What inspired you to start your zero waste business?

Filling Good: We wanted to open a place for local residents, where they could minimise their personal impact on the planet at an affordable cost. So we decided to stock products being as unpackaged, organic, local, affordable, and ethical as possible, while also strengthening the community spirit. This is how Filling Good, the not for profit and zero waste shop of Maidenhead, mostly run by volunteers, was born.

Zero Joe's: Simply the climate crisis, the sea of plastic on offer in supermarkets and the lack of a local option to shop via refills. I also wanted to provide education and support workability programmes especially for Autism.


How do you keep yourself motivated with minimising your plastic waste?

Filling Good: I don’t really need to stay motivated because avoiding plastics is not a constraint to me anymore - I am organized with my containers, I truly enjoy going to the shop and doing my refills, as well as having the peace of mind that do my best to be part of the solution! But I am far from being perfect though, I guess this is all a journey which never ends :)

Zero Joe's: We cannot afford to be complacent if we want to prevent climate catastrophe. I know that every choice makes a difference and we must take personal responsibility for our choices. It is not just someone else's problem to solve and my individual actions matter.


What plastic do you find the hardest to avoid?

Filling Good: In terms of single use items, I personally find butter and cheese packaging the most difficult to avoid.

Zero Joe's: Medical Blister packs and margarine tubs.


What is your favourite zero waste product and why?

Filling Good: There are so many! Probably our stainless steel pans. I use them everyday and I know they will last longer than my lifetime, while cooking beautifully and without the nasty chemicals of non stick...a great investment, and cherry on the cake, it's made in the UK!

Zero Joe's: Anything biodegradable and compostable so that I know there is nothing to incinerate or send to landfill. Like our cloths, brushes, scourers and scrubbies.


What advice would you give to others who want to make a positive impact?

Filling Good: Be kind with yourself! Invest in beautiful and quality items that you will reuse over and over again. Surround yourself with few but beautiful objects you will love to reuse over and over again rather than single use ones you will throw away. It includes clothes (which are full of plastics!), containers, reusable water bottles, food covers, menstruation products etc... It will also enable you to save money in the long term!

Get organized! Each time you have a bottle of oil, shower gel or washing up liquid is empty, put it in your shopping basket. Same when your pasta container, or rice, etc... is finished - so you are ready to go to the shop and refill without thinking about it! Let our volunteers help you while refilling, Filling Good is a warm hearted and fun place to come to :)

Zero Joe's: Think about the ways you can empower yourself to avoid single use plastics. Carry a reusable coffee cup, visit a refill shop. A washing up liquid bottle can last 350 years so why would you throw it away after one use and not keep refilling it instead? Everyone can make a difference by just making a few small and easy changes and refilling is satisfying!


We hope that this interview has provided you with some inspiration to cut down on the plastic you use in your everyday lives. For more plastic-free related content such as tips to reduce plastic use and how single-use plastics are affecting our environment, please check out the Circular Economy section on the Environment and Sustainability Hub. We'd love to hear what swaps you're making or changes to habits to reduce your plastic waste! Send us pictures of what you're doing to Sustainability@RBWM.gov.uk

There is an increasing awareness about how plastics are affecting the environment, which has led to people searching for ways to minimise their own plastic use. But it can sometimes be tricky knowing where to start. That's why we decided to interview zero waste shops Filling Good and Zero Joe's to pick their brains surrounding going plastic free.




Filling Good is a zero waste store founded early in 2019 to help the people of Maidenhead shop more ethically by selling conscientious products without any packaging. It originally started as a pop-up shop inside the Nicholson Shopping Centre, but after increasing interest and demand for zero waste products, the shop was born! Filling Good is now a cooperative owned and run by the community, for the community as a society on cooperative principles.








Zero Joe's is a mother and son run zero waste shop located on St Leonards Road in Windsor. Their ethos is to provide their customers with affordable, single use plastic free shopping to reduce the human impact on the environment.







What inspired you to start your zero waste business?

Filling Good: We wanted to open a place for local residents, where they could minimise their personal impact on the planet at an affordable cost. So we decided to stock products being as unpackaged, organic, local, affordable, and ethical as possible, while also strengthening the community spirit. This is how Filling Good, the not for profit and zero waste shop of Maidenhead, mostly run by volunteers, was born.

Zero Joe's: Simply the climate crisis, the sea of plastic on offer in supermarkets and the lack of a local option to shop via refills. I also wanted to provide education and support workability programmes especially for Autism.


How do you keep yourself motivated with minimising your plastic waste?

Filling Good: I don’t really need to stay motivated because avoiding plastics is not a constraint to me anymore - I am organized with my containers, I truly enjoy going to the shop and doing my refills, as well as having the peace of mind that do my best to be part of the solution! But I am far from being perfect though, I guess this is all a journey which never ends :)

Zero Joe's: We cannot afford to be complacent if we want to prevent climate catastrophe. I know that every choice makes a difference and we must take personal responsibility for our choices. It is not just someone else's problem to solve and my individual actions matter.


What plastic do you find the hardest to avoid?

Filling Good: In terms of single use items, I personally find butter and cheese packaging the most difficult to avoid.

Zero Joe's: Medical Blister packs and margarine tubs.


What is your favourite zero waste product and why?

Filling Good: There are so many! Probably our stainless steel pans. I use them everyday and I know they will last longer than my lifetime, while cooking beautifully and without the nasty chemicals of non stick...a great investment, and cherry on the cake, it's made in the UK!

Zero Joe's: Anything biodegradable and compostable so that I know there is nothing to incinerate or send to landfill. Like our cloths, brushes, scourers and scrubbies.


What advice would you give to others who want to make a positive impact?

Filling Good: Be kind with yourself! Invest in beautiful and quality items that you will reuse over and over again. Surround yourself with few but beautiful objects you will love to reuse over and over again rather than single use ones you will throw away. It includes clothes (which are full of plastics!), containers, reusable water bottles, food covers, menstruation products etc... It will also enable you to save money in the long term!

Get organized! Each time you have a bottle of oil, shower gel or washing up liquid is empty, put it in your shopping basket. Same when your pasta container, or rice, etc... is finished - so you are ready to go to the shop and refill without thinking about it! Let our volunteers help you while refilling, Filling Good is a warm hearted and fun place to come to :)

Zero Joe's: Think about the ways you can empower yourself to avoid single use plastics. Carry a reusable coffee cup, visit a refill shop. A washing up liquid bottle can last 350 years so why would you throw it away after one use and not keep refilling it instead? Everyone can make a difference by just making a few small and easy changes and refilling is satisfying!


We hope that this interview has provided you with some inspiration to cut down on the plastic you use in your everyday lives. For more plastic-free related content such as tips to reduce plastic use and how single-use plastics are affecting our environment, please check out the Circular Economy section on the Environment and Sustainability Hub. We'd love to hear what swaps you're making or changes to habits to reduce your plastic waste! Send us pictures of what you're doing to Sustainability@RBWM.gov.uk

Page last updated: 10 Oct 2022, 03:21 PM