Post by account_disabled on Mar 6, 2024 23:13:42 GMT -5
When the COVID- pandemic hit in March , Ella Shone was hit by a wave of inspiration. Plastic pollution was increasing, personal protective equipment (PPE) was being distributed en masse and single-use packaging was increasing.
Coming from a food and wholesale background, Ella realized there was something she could do to help.
Two in one: Deliver groceries directly to your home and reduce plastic pollution
After impulsively purchasing an old electric milk truck (an open van) and renovating it herself, she soon had a parts store on wheels. Now Ella could deliver groceries right to people's doors, without single-use plastic. “I wanted to make it easier for people to do their shopping without having to throw away the packaging waste that most products come wrapped in in supermarkets,” Ella said. That's when TOPUP TRUCK was born.
plastic pollution
Its famous hipster neighborhood of Hackney seemed like a great place to start. She got to work and soon amassed thousands of customers eager to replenish her household essentials each week, rath C Level Executive List er than go out and buy new ones. “Customers can go out in their pajamas, bleary-eyed, jars in hand, and stock their pantries with a minimum of fuss,” Ella says.
From lentils to liquid detergent, the TOPUP TRUCK has more than products on board. It houses everything from dry foods like pasta and rice to jugs of olive oil, vinegar, and even shampoo and conditioner. Customers can bring their own containers to fill with Ella's products.
Why is plastic pollution so serious?
The environmental cost of plastics is no laughing matter. Five million tonnes are used each year in the UK, almost half of which is packaging. And globally, we produce and dispose of almost million tons each year.
Not only is plastic waste ingested by marine animals , harming and poisoning our wildlife, but if it sits idle in a landfill, it won't decompose for over years. Humans also absorb harmful chemicals added to plastics, which make their way into our food chain through groundwater and fish consumption.
According to some studies, British people who eat fish risk consuming , plastic fragments each year.
Only % of plastic waste is recycled to make new plastics, while % is sent to landfill, % to incineration and % is landfilled.
It may be convenient to bring your fruit and vegetables home in plastic bags or tightly wrapped film, but at the same time you are actively harming the planet.
So if we can do our bit to reduce the world's plastic problem , we should.
That's why it's so important that people like Ella spearhead sustainable projects that transform local neighborhoods and help clean up our cities.
What is TOPUP TRUCK doing?
The business has taken off. They have currently moved into a new space to store all of their products and have added more storage dispensers to the truck.
plastic pollution
She has just received funding from ReLondon (a circular economy program run by the Mayor of London and London Boroughs) and is partnering with schools and nurseries to help parents with their shopping needs.
“It's a great way to get children thinking about plastic pollution and its environmental impact from a young age in a fun and experimental way,” Ella says.
To date, TOPUP TRUCK has eliminated the need for over , pieces of plastic and hopes to increase this figure exponentially by expanding to other London boroughs and eventually further afield.
For all her hard work, Ella has been nominated for a GBEA Sustainability Entrepreneur Award and was shortlisted in two categories at the National Recycling Awards.
Coming from a food and wholesale background, Ella realized there was something she could do to help.
Two in one: Deliver groceries directly to your home and reduce plastic pollution
After impulsively purchasing an old electric milk truck (an open van) and renovating it herself, she soon had a parts store on wheels. Now Ella could deliver groceries right to people's doors, without single-use plastic. “I wanted to make it easier for people to do their shopping without having to throw away the packaging waste that most products come wrapped in in supermarkets,” Ella said. That's when TOPUP TRUCK was born.
plastic pollution
Its famous hipster neighborhood of Hackney seemed like a great place to start. She got to work and soon amassed thousands of customers eager to replenish her household essentials each week, rath C Level Executive List er than go out and buy new ones. “Customers can go out in their pajamas, bleary-eyed, jars in hand, and stock their pantries with a minimum of fuss,” Ella says.
From lentils to liquid detergent, the TOPUP TRUCK has more than products on board. It houses everything from dry foods like pasta and rice to jugs of olive oil, vinegar, and even shampoo and conditioner. Customers can bring their own containers to fill with Ella's products.
Why is plastic pollution so serious?
The environmental cost of plastics is no laughing matter. Five million tonnes are used each year in the UK, almost half of which is packaging. And globally, we produce and dispose of almost million tons each year.
Not only is plastic waste ingested by marine animals , harming and poisoning our wildlife, but if it sits idle in a landfill, it won't decompose for over years. Humans also absorb harmful chemicals added to plastics, which make their way into our food chain through groundwater and fish consumption.
According to some studies, British people who eat fish risk consuming , plastic fragments each year.
Only % of plastic waste is recycled to make new plastics, while % is sent to landfill, % to incineration and % is landfilled.
It may be convenient to bring your fruit and vegetables home in plastic bags or tightly wrapped film, but at the same time you are actively harming the planet.
So if we can do our bit to reduce the world's plastic problem , we should.
That's why it's so important that people like Ella spearhead sustainable projects that transform local neighborhoods and help clean up our cities.
What is TOPUP TRUCK doing?
The business has taken off. They have currently moved into a new space to store all of their products and have added more storage dispensers to the truck.
plastic pollution
She has just received funding from ReLondon (a circular economy program run by the Mayor of London and London Boroughs) and is partnering with schools and nurseries to help parents with their shopping needs.
“It's a great way to get children thinking about plastic pollution and its environmental impact from a young age in a fun and experimental way,” Ella says.
To date, TOPUP TRUCK has eliminated the need for over , pieces of plastic and hopes to increase this figure exponentially by expanding to other London boroughs and eventually further afield.
For all her hard work, Ella has been nominated for a GBEA Sustainability Entrepreneur Award and was shortlisted in two categories at the National Recycling Awards.