SHOP ZERO is run by me, Sarah Maloy. I aim to empower people to live more sustainably by providing well researched information and products for my customers. Knowing where to start when reducing your environmental impact can be hard, so if you’re looking to take a practical approach, then Shop Zero is a great place to start. As you make changes that are more in harmony with our environment, I can help you to stay informed and make choices that suit your lifestyle. I want to provide people with alternatives and sustainable swaps to everyday items that don’t cost the Earth.
Us humans have become very detached from the impact we have on our environment. We have all been shocked by seeing how the waste that we produce, whether this be from the rubbish in our homes, to the carbon emissions from broader human activity, is affecting our world. We can see increasingly that the capacity of the Earth to manage our over-consumption has been exceeded. Unlike us, nature does not operate is a linear way; taking, using and discarding without regard. We need to follow her circular example and learn to live more consciously.
I do have qualifications in the environmental field (a Degree in Biology, followed by an MSc in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, then my PhD in the microbial ecology of polluted waters). But I have always had the environment at the heart of what I do both in work and in my life not only because of that, but because it makes sense. I worked in the sustainability field on both company-wide and community-based projects until such roles fell out of favour, so then I qualified as a Primary Teacher. My catch-phrase is, ‘We are nature!’ By this I mean that we are not separate from nature but part of it and thus we have responsibility for the stewardship of our world.
I have first-hand experience of reducing my family’s waste so I can help you to do the same. I first became particularly intent on making significant changes over 3 years ago. I was lent Bea Johnson’s iconic book Zero Waste Home. Even though I had thought we were trying to live more in harmony with nature, I became acutely aware of the amount of waste we were creating as a family and set out to reduce it. And as my low-waste journey began, the plastic crisis started to come into acute focus, which only increased my desire to help others to live more sustainably too. I have learnt that being more environmentally conscious is not always easy. But what I have learnt, I have put into my business, to make it easier for you.
I started my first my business, Join the Dots – sustainability made simple, in 2017. As ever, my focus is on empowering individuals, schools, business and community to live more sustainably. Out of this business, two main projects grew – Nottingham Fixers community Repair Cafe, and Shop Zero. Many of us have a strong desire for change, but what is on offer to us is certainly not perfect and making choices is not always easy. So my aim is to use my knowledge and experience to be transparent in what I do and offer. I hope this can empower you to make the choices that are best for you and those around you.
So Shop Zero is about the community of people it serves, all of us who are coming together with a common goal.
Come on in and say hello!