Renewed Eco Shop - Help Us Grow For The Community!

Aim

We're moving to a bigger shop and want you to join us! More refills, more sustainable gifts and the start of workshops + events!

A Brief History of Renewed Eco Shop

Renewed first began in August 2020, during the first part of the pandemic. Having been inspired by the number of people suddenly growing closer as communities, shopping local, as well as people recognising the importance of looking after people and planet (and feeling compelled to play their part in that), I wanted to help make zero-waste, refill shopping more accessible to people. If this is to become the norm then we need more independent shops offering it!

Renewed Eco Shop began initially down at Woodway Farm in Long Crendon, offering refills over the stable door and delivering locally.

A few months in, I started doing pop-ups in Risborough and attended the odd farmers market too. But lugging all that heavy stock about was tough and time consuming, so a year in, I invested in the Renewed van and upped the number of markets I attended and was able to offer doorstep refills into people's own containers.

The dream, of course, was always a bricks and mortar shop and in July 2022, our current premises came on the market and I was smitten! What's more, it was back in Long Crendon and I loved the idea of bringing eco-friendly shopping to a village. The aim was to reach not only people who were already on the low-waste-living journey but to entice those who may never have thought about refilling before. And it's worked! Over the last 13 months we've had so many new people start refilling their jars and bottles rather than buying new and throwing the containers away.

What next?

We're about to take on the lease for the shop next door which is so much bigger than our current shop! This means we'll be able to stock an even wider range of products, larger quantities and hopefully provide an even more enjoyable shopping experience! (There'll be room for buggies and it also has standard height ceilings for those of you who currently have to duck below the beams - I sometimes forget not everyone is 5ft!) Not only that, it has a second room which we want to use to work more with our local community offering workshops, talks and special events. 

Our vision

• Even more refill products
• A wider range of sustainable gifts
• A children's area with sustainable crafts + play refills
• A place to sit should you want to take the weight off while we refill for you
• An eco-themed magazine and book library 
• A communal space where we can offer workshops (like making your own natural cleaning products), talks (such as how to start going zero waste), special events (for example, an eco Christmas shopping evening), and during the week a co-working space where you can bring your laptop and connect to our wifi if you fancy a change of scenery from your home workspace 
• And, if we can secure the funds, a fridge to sell plastic-free fresh food and also to act as a community fridge to help reduce food waste locally

What will your donation help us achieve? What will the money raised be spent on?

• Redecorating to make the shop an inviting place to be
• Fittings + furniture such as shelving, cupboards + seating
• Additional storage containers and scoop bins
• Extra stock
• Upgrading some of our existing stock e.g. bringing in SESI 100l dispensers
• Moving costs such as legal fees and the initial rent (we have to pay rent quarterly in advance) 

But in return, we'll be offering rewards for your support as well as our eternal gratitude! We really hope you'll get behind our plans for a community refill shop and workshop and that our new space will become a central part of village life :)

This project successfully funded on 29th November 2023