A fleeting visit to Wales and back — all in one day. We hit the road after hearing about a cool project set up by one of our amazing stockists. She’s as fabulous and fresh as her perfectly painted pastel mint-ice-cream-green fronted shop, The Pantri Box.
When we meet Gemma, her dungarees match the soft pink window frames & the candy-striped caravan that sits next door, where they host workshops, classes & cool happenings for body, mind and soul. Like the colours she chooses around her, she’s a beaming lighthouse of positivity, creativity and fun! And, zipping around Porthcawl in her custard yellow Honda-E after lunch, we soon notice everyone waving and smiling back as we whizz on by. It feels like being in a real-life sunny episode of Ballymory!
So, what’s the story?
Well, we’re really here to visit Eco Green Leaf, the marvellous in-house zero waste shop, operated by the wonderful year 6 kids at West Park Primary School. It’s been open a while, but it’s the first time we’ve had a chance to come along.
Gemma went to West Park Primary as a kid. It set the foundation for an exciting career in fashion & design that took her ‘round the world, surfing on a “tidal wave of overconsumption. Too many flights, too many clothes, too much waste and generally too little contemplation. It made for a cluttered head and a muddled heart.”
Now, she’s back. Helping the school, to help the children, to help the West Park community by creating their own independent business that’s set to make a difference.
Inspiring a New Generation
It’s SO cool to see the wonderful rapport Gemma has with ALL the kids, the teachers and the team at West Park Primary. Her energy fizzes through the project & you can see she gets a buzz from bringing it all back home to Porthcawl. Bringing refill into fashion. Bringing reuse to a new generation.
Gemma started out by donating 200L of Fill hand soap, passing on a load of sage advice on how to run a cool conscious shop. Making it fun! Together with the team of teachers they set up all kinds of special junior departments: A buzzing Marketing Department to take care of poster design, slogan writing, copy, illustration, PR, blogs, vlogs and promos. A tech team looking after info, news and education. There’s some number-crunching finance folks to tackle pricing and spreadsheets… not forgetting the all-important hustlers who stand on the frontline behind the trestles; selling, getting more folks onto Refill Road!
With support from parents, carers & the whole school community the plan is to reinvest all profits from the sale of refills into buying the next range of refill products. That way, they can keep on building the refill model with each Year 6 crew that passes through, making this beautiful shop their own every time. All the while, they’re developing real life skills and learning responsible consumer choices plus helping reduce environmental impact of the whole school community. There are plans to go beyond these gates too, taking it to other schools too!
Fill on Refill: A Hit With the Kids
Back at the pumps, inside the store, you can feel the excitement. Chatting to the kids, they’re keen to tell me about the new toothpaste that’s hit the shop floor. I don’t need to worry too much, because one of them tells me that Fill Hand Soap is very popular, and it holds its own! We’re heading into bubble bath season soon too. But, next term, there’s talk of bringing in some plastic-free sweets on refill. That’s a biggie, it could be the thing to bring the crowds. It might even help boost toothpaste sales?
Staring out the window, on the train back to Paddington, I felt a real sense of pride. The world is a tough place to be right now. Bubbles get burst now and then. Closed loops get closed. There’s disappointments, derailments and disillusionment.
But, meeting Gemma, hanging out at West Park and seeing Fill on refill, in this store, with those fine young folks in control of the pumps… Well, it was really something.
This shop made me stop and enjoy what we do, for a moment. What a joy!
Thank you Gemma. Thanks West Park Primary.
Single use is over!
I am SO proud that we can get to be a part of positive projects like this, and that we can help make household essentials available, on refill, without plastic waste for one local school community. We’d love to do more, if you need help setting something up similar in your local area and want to get in touch with us & Gemma mail us here.
