County's first Zero Waste shop to open its doors this weekend

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A little piece of history will be made this Saturday when Co Cavan’s first Zero Waste/Plastic-free shop opens its doors.

The EcoShack is situated next door to the Imperial Bar on Main St in Cavan Town and is the brainchild of sisters Maeve and Blaithin McCormick.

The pair originally launched the service from a small horsebox last summer but lockdown restrictions curtailed their plans and after realising there was a large market for their products, Maeve and Blaithin decided to move to a retail unit in the town.

“Both Blaithin and myself try to use as little plastic and be as environmentally friendly as possible in our day-to-day lives but when we moved from Dublin to Cavan we realised there was no place in Cavan like the ZW shops we used in Dublin,” Maeve told the Anglo-Celt.

The shop will sell dry, loose food such as pasta, rice, pulses, grains and treats. Customers can bring your own containers or use the paper bags provided to fill from the shop’s jars and dispenser, then they simply pay by weight.

“This cuts down on plastic waste by buying loose and cuts down on food waste by buying just what you need,” explained Maeve. “The food is also organic where possible which is better for the soil and biodiversity.”

The EcoShack will also stock cooking oils and vinegars along with plastic-free household items like sponges and brushes, washing up liquid and clothes detergent and sanitary products like plastic-free moisturiser, deodorant, tooth brushes and period products.

“It's basically like an old school shop from the ’50s where you can do a weekly shop without bringing home any plastic,” said Maeve.

The EcoShack will be opening this Saturday (10am-5pm) and Sunday (12 noon-4pm). From then on, regular hours will be Tuesday to Saturday.

“We’re really excited about launching, we have been working hard to get everything ready and now we just can’t wait to welcome people through the doors,” Maeve explained.