Something Good
What is it: A sustainable living store with a plastic-free pantry and a refillery, Something Good is bringing the zero-waste lifestyle to Newcastle (and possibly beyond if its popular online service is extended).
Why you’ll love it: Founder Lauren Wedderburn, an architect by training, has applied an ethos of great design to create a minimalist, light-filled space that makes supporting a more ethical lifestyle much easier for all of us. Confused by the implications of the choices that you make in a regular supermarket run, Lauren has chosen a selection of products that not only fit the store’s carefully curated aesthetic but also the rigorous set of values (biodegradable, plastic-free, and not tested on animals) on which it is founded.
What you need to know: Here you’ll find the everyday items that you use in your life and in your home – the porridge you make for breakfast, the coffee that wakes you, the oat milk you’ve now switched to, the body wash you apply in the shower — but without the environmental devastation. Gone are single-use plastics and none-reusable packaging: Dried goods, like cereals and spices, nuts and pasta, are dispensed into compostable bags or long-use containers; bath, kitchen, and cleaning products distributed in refillable bottles so you buy only what you need.
Where possible Lauren sources locally, supporting the independents in her community similarly striving for a better way of living, like handmade chocolate from Tynemouth, natural deodorant produced a walk away, and coffee beans ground and roasted in North Shields.
Purchases also support one of the shop’s two charity partners: tree planting with the Tree Sisters — whereby money for a tree is donated with each delivery or each birthday of loyalty club members, and The Hygiene Bank, alleviating hygiene poverty through a buy one / donate one scheme.
How to bring this into your life: The pandemic has driven more of us online for our food shopping. Replace an Ocado order if you can with click and collect from a zero-waste store. Something Good even offers local delivery by electric cargo bikes or a zero transmission van.
Why we think it matters: When we read that microplastics have now entered our water supply and that traces have been found in our bodies, there’s no hiding the devastating impact of our consumer choices anymore. From killing seabirds and marine life to accelerating climate change, that throwaway water bottle lasts longer than the thirst you had when you bought it. Similarly, we’re overbuying when we shop, with an estimated 33 to 50% of all food grown globally never eaten. By buying less and buying what you need, you can reduce the amount of food that goes moldy in your fridge or is forgotten at the back of a cupboard. Stores like Something Good present an alternative way of purchasing our food and products for our home in a way that not only feels good but does our planet good too.
In their own words: "Our little shop brings together all of the products we use ourselves to make our everyday routine a little less wasteful, and a little more sustainable! Everything we sell is tried, tested, tasted and loved by us, so we can make it simple and affordable for you to make some small changes, too.
We make sure each product is thoughtfully designed, well crafted, and sourced from only the best growers, makers and creators. And we make sure to champion local small businesses at every opportunity."
Something to do: Many more of us are turning to plant-based eating as a form of environmental protection, but many of our cosmetic products also use animal derivatives in their ingredients. If you are making the switch to vegan, look on your bathroom shelf as much as your kitchen fridge. Lauren recommends Pamoja skincare, as a planet-friendly go-to.
To find out more: Website / Instagram / Facebook
Additionally, try The Good Life for more on pursuing a zero-waste lifestyle.
