Open water swimmer launches plastic-free retailer

Izzy Crouch, an open water swimmer, noticed the plastic pollution on local beaches which inspired her to launch the company No Plastic Shop from her bedroom, in January 2018.

The premise of the online shop is to make it easier for customers to avoid plastic as Izzy says ‘going plastic free is a struggle’.

Izzy, of Cave Road, St Leonards said: “I’m an open water swimmer, and I’ve been bothered by plastic waste for years. I found it difficult to avoid buying plastic products, which is why I started the shop.

“I spend a lot of time on the beach and I have seen the amount of plastic that washes up on our shores.

“I have been concerned with this issue for a while but it really hit home when Blue Planet II came out and showed the impact plastic was having.

“Reactions (to the shop) since setting it up have been very positive.

“There’s been an increase in interest and demand, but I still choose all the products myself, and send them out from my bedroom. It’s getting full.”

The No Plastic Shop offers a whole range of items from soaps to toothbrushes, travel mugs to wrapping paper, made from recycled packaging wherever possible.

Izzy runs the company by herself – with some support from her four-year-old son Charlie – alongside her day job as a marketing consultant and also while running Hastings Burlesque.

She added: “It does take up a lot of my time but I try to write out receipts and things by hand so that I don’t spend all my time looking at the computer screen.

“When I set up the shop, I realised just how difficult it was to go plastic-free so I wanted to make it easier for the consumer.

“All the items on the website are provided by local companies and I am targeting British companies as much as I can.

“I am currently on the look out for more suppliers. There must be companies out there willing to sell their products through this website.”

The prices on her website range from £2.99 to £39.99 with many products produced by independent, Sussex-based suppliers.

For more information, please visit noplasticshop.co.uk