Plastics are an extremely persistent and toxic material in our environment. They take hundreds of years to break down and can leach toxins into the ground (which ends up in our food). They’re hard to recycle too. Generally they can only be down-cycled a few times before going to landfill or ending up in the oceans.
Where possible we need to avoid plastic waste. Luckily our town makes it fairly easy, with lots of shops and market stalls offering plastic-free grocery and household items.
Sustainable shopping choices around town
Argos, Waterborne Walk
Argos sells replacement gas canisters SodaStream, which saves you buying so you don’t have to buy plastic bottles of fizzy water
Card Factory, Waterborne Walk
They sell degradable confetti.
Charter market, High Street (Tuesday and Saturday)
Many of the stall holders on the market are very happy to sell goods loose and let you use your own containers, boxes or bags (ask them at the start of your purchase). Many offer discounts on your next purchase if you bring back the original packaging.
Clipstone Dairy, Clipstone Farm
Clipstone Dairy have a milk vending machine, and can sell you a bottle you can reuse, or you can take along your own bottle to fill.
The Co-Op, Waterdell
This store has a daily delivery of Italian bread which can be bought loose.
Costa, High Street
They offer a discount if you bring a reusable mug. You can take takeaway cups from other cafe’s to Costa to be sent off for recycling.
Espresso Head, Hockliffe Street
They offer a discount if you bring a reusable mug. The takeaway cups from Espresso Head can be composted.
Frosts Garden Centre, Newport Road, Woburn Sands
Frosts sell an Eco-fill tub (£1.99) on your first visit, then reuse it for future purchases. Each tub holds about 3.5 kg of bird food.
House of Coffee, Peacock Mews
This small coffee roasting shop is happy for you to bring your own containers for beans or ground coffee, and offer a discount off your purchase.
Leighton Buzzard Brewing Company
The brewery sells refillable growlers which you can refill at the brewery on Grovebury Road.
The Little Buzzard Bakery, North Street
The bakery is very happy for you to use your own bag for their freshly baked goods.
Mimic Gifts, Market Square
This lovely shop sells packaging-free bath bombs and soaps, sweets as well as some pantry items.
Morrisons, Lake Street
You can take your own containers to the meat counter.
Nature’s Harvest, North Street
This health store sells many unpackaged items like soap and shampoo, as well as refill dispensers of shower gel, laundry products and more. The range is constantly growing, so it’s best to visit regularly.
Most of their foods like beans, cereals and dried fruit come in home-compostable packaging.
Pecks Farm Shop, Leighton Road
Pecks Farm deliver milk in returnable glass bottles. They also sell a range of local produce, oil and vinegar refills and loose fruit and veg, including organic options.
The Refill, Ropa Court
The Refill is tucked away along Friday Street, at the bottom of the High Street, but it’s well worth taking the time to find it. They sell hundreds of items ready for you to dispense into your own containers, including nuts, seeds, cereals, grains, dried beans, tea, coffee, spices, flour (and much of their produce is organic). They also sell a wide range of household and personal care products.
They even have a peanut butter machine!
Selections, High Street
Although the hardware shop itself has now closed, much of its stock is still available from the Pet and Garden store – items like replacement broom heads, individual screws. and so on. It’s worth exploring their range!
They’ll also will sell you bird food in your own containers. They have a good range of bird seed, suet pellets, sunflower seeds and hearts, peanuts and mealworms. You can also buy fat balls lose so buy as many or as few as you want.
Stratton’s Butchers, Market Square
Stratton’s are happy to sell you meat without any single use plastic – ask them to weigh it onto their usual waxed paper sheets and transfer into your own container.
Waitrose, Waterborne Walk
You can take your own containers to the meat and fish counter.