The Women Behind London's Sustainable Stores

Only 32% of UK businesses are run by women. Fortunately this percentage appears to be growing every year, but it’s no secret that women (especially women of colour) still face more barriers when starting businesses than their male counterparts. That's why we're so honoured to be working with a number of women-led local zero waste shops!

In light of International Women's Day earlier this week, we reached out to a couple of them to discuss how they've found fulfilment through refilling - here's what they had to say:

What has been the most rewarding part of running a sustainable business? 

A: The most rewarding part about running a sustainable business is the community that we’ve created with our customers. We had only been open 6 months when the pandemic hit and we all went through lots of scary times and big changes in the last two years but our customers have always been supportive and we kept running through all of the lockdowns and madness and have now come out the other side together. We also love the passion and commitment to sustainability that our customers have, it drives and motivates us to always show up and learn and evolve together.

What has been the most rewarding part of running a sustainable business? 

A: I'd say the most rewarding part of running a sustainable business like Spedal is bringing back human connection to what is often known to be a brutal and unfriendly industry. And the long term impact this has on everyone we interact with and of course the planet.