So we made our first foray into the world of refills yesterday. We went to Wild Oats in Redland. We went on the way to work – I say on the way but of course it wasn’t at all but at least the car only had to do three journeys instead of four. We were lucky to park outside and the first half hour parking was free. So it only cost a bit of petrol money, whereas the bus, if there was a suitable one (there isn’t) would be about £10 altogether.
The people at Wild Oats were really helpful and there were loads of staff. It is mainly a Health Food shop and very middle class! They sell a range of both liquid and dry refill items and we went with a list. Success was variable!
We buy several Ecover products already so we filled up on washing-up liquid and multi-purpose cleaner. Comparing prices with the supermarket we use they were significantly cheaper which is a fabulous bonus as the main aim was to use less single-use plastic.
We also filled up a shampoo bottle with Lavender and Geranium shampoo and a handwash bottle with aloe vera liquid soap. We’ve not tried either of these yet but I will let you know how they go. Unfortunately we tend to use pretty cheap toiletries so these cost us quite a bit more, even though we chose the varieties which were on offer. We’re going to have a think about how to move forward with this.
The dry goods were not as fruitful. We were hoping to pick up Basmati rice, Arborio rice, loose tea, coffee beans and gluten-free pasta. We came away with none of it! I guess none of it is very ‘healthy’? There was some Basmati rice but only brown. I’m afraid we’re not that worthy.
So limited success but lovely people. Next time we will try Scoopaway on Gloucester Road. Watch this space!
I am a woman of a certain age (not 60 yet!) who lives in Bristol. I’ve lived almost my whole life in Bristol, with a short sojourn in Cornwall in my teens. I am trying to lead my life in an ethical way in all areas and hope to explore what this means.
I have four passions and several interests so I hope I will have plenty to write about. My passions are my family, knitting, cricket and St Peter’s Hospice. My other interests are volunteering, the environment, reading, TV, films & theatre, fundraising, chronic fatigue, mental health and eating. My non-interests are animals, housework, football, rugby and cooking.
I come from a family of four – two sisters and a brother. Our parents dies a few years ago. I am married to my soulmate Colin, an amazing man who tolerates my funny ways and supports me in everything I do. We have three children and two wonderful granddaughters. I am so proud of my family – we must have done something right as they are all good people. I have two sons-in-law who I love like my own and together we all make up a family unit where everyone loves and respects everyone else.
I am a total hypochondriac but do have some genuine problems, some of which I may talk about at a later date. At the moment I am overweight and have just started to eat more healthily, which I think is the answer to weight loss. We were on holiday last week and enjoyed puddings and cakes every day.
I work part-time and Colin is recently retired. This means that we have been able to spend much more time together doing some of the things we’ve been meaning to do – some planned and some spontaneous. I love this period of my life – I just wish I had the energy to match the time and the opportunities available!
View all posts by alisonspurrell
Ethical Knitting Nana 