A NEW plastic-free shop is set to open its doors in Tiptree.

REco Store, a zero waste business, will be encouraging people to ditch the one use plastic and ramp up the recycling.

The store, which has been set up by Susie Falco and Elise Clitheroe, will be selling environmentally friendly household cleaning products, shampoos, conditioners, soaps and shower gel.

It will also stock degradable bin bags, deodorant, dried pulses, pasta, nuts and seeds, cereals and herbs and spices.

Customers will be asked to bring their own food containers and empty cleaning product bottles and refill them using the products.

It in turn allows the business, based at Crate Tiptree in the Tower Business Park, to reuse its existing containers rather than buying new ones.

The shop is one of a number of ‘refill outlets’ opening up and down the country.

Many eco supporters have been inspired by programmes such as Blue Planet 2 - directed by Sir David Attenborough - to raise awareness of the havoc caused to the environment by discarded plastic.

The plastic does not bio-degrade and will last for hundreds of years.

Elise said: “We want to give the public options.

“We currently have very little choice when it comes to striving for a zero waste lifestyle, so we decided to take the first step towards that change.”

The duo came up with the idea after starting a Facebook page sharing information about lifestyle changes and other environmental matters.

The positive response they got helped spark REco Store.

The are set to open at the Kelevdon Road site which is made up of a series of converted storage containers.

Susie added: “We started by looking for premises and discovered Crate Tiptree.

“We couldn’t believe how perfectly it fit with our ethos.

“This courtyard of converted storage containers reminded us of Boxpark in Hoxton and is already home to several small retail businesses including a lovely Coffee Crate. It was a perfect match.”

The business will open on Monday April 15.

It will then be open Mondays to Saturdays from 9am to 5pm.