​The rise of zero waste shops

If you've popped down to your local high street recently, you may well have noticed a new zero waste shop springing up and wondered what on earth this intriguing looking retail space actually sells. Well, if you're into recycling and a sustainable lifestyle - as most Wares customers are - you'll find a fantastic source of future purchases. Zero waste shops allow you to buy your essential groceries, beauty products, laundry supplies and other items without waste.

Rather than buying these products in single-use plastic bottles, you can simply refill, buy items in a recyclable paper bag or generally benefit from a zero-approach to shopping. This vastly reduces plastic waste and rubbish. It allows you to be a conscious consumer and very often it allows you to save money as you aren't wasting your budget on the packaging. When you bring your ingredients home after purchase, you can have all the fun of storing them in beautiful glass jars with lids and creating an attractive, eco-friendly kitchen that is at once vintage-inspired and also completely on-trend in the war against waste!

Choosing the right containers

Plastic is functional and certainly has its place when we use it time and time again and treat it as a permanent piece of kitchenware. But most of us will choose glassware to display dry ingredients such as cereals, flour, nuts and seeds, pulses, lentils, rice and so forth. So stock up on glass jars with lids and you can create a beautiful kitchen or pantry with your ingredients on display, dry, fresh and easy to access.

Why choose glass jars with lids?

The beauty of a traditional glass jar with lid is that you have the flexibility to choose exactly which type of lid you prefer. It might be a Mason-jar style screw lid, or an airtight clip top lid with a rubber seal. You might even like a cork lid or a snap lid. We have a wide range of options available at Wares of Knutsford for glass of all shapes, sizes and colours. Just choose your perfect glass jar with lid from our huge range and benefit from excellent prices and fast delivery.

Some of our best-selling glass jars include multi-packs of screw-top glass jam jars for jam-making and preserves, cork lid jars (some of which come with wooden spoons for presentation) and large clip top jars from Kilner.

You'll find everything from 30ml mini jars to three-litre plus sizes. Look for features too such as ribbed glass, which makes it easier to grip the sides of the jar without it slipping from your hands. Spice glass jars with shaker lids are available too so you can stock up on your herbs and spices at the zero waste shop and simply refill your jar. Why not add pretty labels to make these into a real showpiece, and display them in a spice rack. Just be sure to place it away from direct light as this can impair the quality of the spices and shorten their lifespan.

If you have a deep windowsill or workspace which requires storage, why not check out our nesting glasses which look very attractive together, whilst being extremely functional. You'll even find coloured glass options to make a real statement with your dry food storage, such as aqua blue Kilner jars.

Don't forget decorative or angled storage jars for sweets with fancy glass lids - children will love these in the kitchen for a treat. With that in mind, if you do have children or grandchildren at home, then check out our adorable teddy shaped glass jars which are perfect for making little gifts, as well as for storing sweets and other dry ingredients from the zero waste shop.

Taking your zero-waste shop further

As well as stocking up on your glass jars for storage, why not extend the impact of your zero-waste approach to shopping by:

- Always carrying a reusable tote bag or two (put one in your handbag, one in your car, one by the front door... they are too easy to forget otherwise)
- Try meal-planning so that you always have a shopping list for the week ahead and can buy with that same zero-waste philosophy
- Wash your glass jars before and between use with an eco-friendly cleaner, or even make your own with natural ingredients
- Take part in 'meat-free Monday' to reduce your carbon footprint or consider incorporating more plant-based dishes into your diet
- Get a compost bin and use it for your scraps
- Get into the habit of saving leftovers in the fridge and freezing vegetable peelings and bones to make your own delicious stock

The Wares Difference

For the finest range of kitchenware at great prices, including special deals on bulk buys for small businesses or occasions, please contact Wares. Our customer service is second to none and we take real pride in delighting our customers with our products. Sign up to our newsletter too for the latest news, offers and product releases!