WITH the New Year underway, I caught up with Maya Gheorghe, who runs popular local zero waste business, Maya’s Refillables, to find out more about how the past year has gone…
“Last January we set a target to refill 10,000 bottles during the year, and we smashed it, collectively refilling 11,444 bottles,” she explains, reflecting on the fact that it wasn’t all bad news in 2020.
“It was a very peculiar year, but I have learnt so much,” she continued.
“I have adapted to offer a delivery service, providing up to three deliveries per week during the busiest periods – all in ‘Wall-E’, my zero emissions electric van.”
Maya’s Refillables sells a growing range of affordable, eco-friendly products – aimed at both helping customers to reduce their waste and plastic consumption but also to consider more carefully where items are sourced and the ingredients and materials used to produce them.
Here are our current favourites…
- Shampoo (refilled bottle) – £6.25
- Ecoleaf dishwashing tablets – £5.35
- Earth Conscious Deodorant – £7.50
- Handwash (refilled bottle) £3.25
- Loofco washing-up brush – £3.25
- Washing up liquid (refilled bottle) – £1.25
- Bamboo toothbrush – £2.95
- Faith in Nature soap – £2.80
- Paper wrapping tape – £3.80
- Washable dishcloths (pack of 5) £2.95
At home, we have been using such products for many years and in our experience, they tend to offer better value, be longer lasting and of course higher quality and more sustainably made than the usual alternatives
It is also important to support independent (normally British) manufacturers and zero waste businesses as much as possible.
Ordinarily Maya can be found regularly at a series of markets in Yateley, Woodley and Wokingham but in some cases the Government’s restrictions have affected things.
Subject to further changes, you can currently find her in Yateley and Woodley twice monthly. Her stall in Wokingham remains closed for now.
You can also order online at www.mayasrefillables.com, by email [email protected] or by phone, text message or WhatsApp 07511 000592. Click and collect points are also available in Woodley, Wokingham, Binfield and Swallowfield.
For those who are shielding or wanting to avoid busy supermarkets where possible, Maya’s Refillables can be a great way to stock up on essential household and personal care items.