Refill revolution for pop-up shop

By Beth Doherty
Twitter:@bethdmedia
Instagram: @bethdohertymedia

Blueberry Den, a door-to-door refill service, has opened a pop-up shop in Wilton Shopping Village until Sunday for plastic-free supplies.

But Celeste Skinner, owner of Blueberry Den, can usually be found in her refill van, delivering to customers around Salisbury.

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I am never keen on sharing a photo of me behind Blueberry Den but here’s the story! This time last year, I heard about plastic-free July for the first time🤭 Not only I wanted to take part but I wanted to take it to the next level. A few months later, my brother started building me a website 12,000 miles away, I started talking to people, making contacts and popping up here and there. One pandemic later, over 2,000 bottles refilled and 2 refill stations set up, I am going for the 3rd one✌🏼 See you at @wilton_shopping_village on Monday alongside the fabulous @weathered_knots @willandevie11 @the_missingprint & @chalkevalleysoaps You can’t miss us, the beautiful @lulabeeweddings will work her magic on our studio for you all to see✨ I can’t wait 💚 #plasticfreejuly #bethechange #nevertoosmalltomakeadifference

A post shared by Zero waste refill service 🌿 (@blueberry.den) on Jul 24, 2020 at 9:19am PDT

Speaking to New Valley News, Celeste said: ”Everything we offer is plastic-free, and we only operate a circular economy, so the whole idea is to make a zero-waste lifestyle as convenient and affordable as possible.”

During the lockdown, Celeste was delivering needed essentials to customers who would leave their reusable containers on their doorsteps. Doing her deliveries during the day meant she had some little helpers on board, aged 6 and 7.

“Both my children have been doing deliveries with me since the beginning of Blueberry Den, as it was the only way I could run my own business.

“I always tell them how many deliveries we are doing and where we are going so they know what to expect. They get a little treat when we get home and we always go for our daily walk straight after,” explained Celeste.

Blueberry Den, Wilton shop

Speaking of her eco-friendly endeavours since lockdown, Celeste says she hopes recent changes become new habits.

“Since lockdown, I have noticed a tendency to order just the basics, and people are making their own milk alternatives, and growing their own food, which is a massive step towards becoming more environmentally- conscious and living a more sustainable lifestyle.

“I have never seen so many bikes on the roads too, and I really hope these changes become habits,” she added.

Now, she hopes to stay on at Wilton shopping village as many of her customers are local to the area. Having another refill station means Celeste can cut her share of emissions even further by doing fewer deliveries.

“It’s great to have a base in Wilton as there is a lot of families here. It is close to where I live and the parking is helpful for customers who bring in their containers to refill,” said Celeste.