UEA Students’ Union Shop goes green with new refill stations

UEA's Students' Union has paved the way for students and other universities alike with their admirable range of plastic-free, eco-conscious refill stations, now available in their shop.

In March 2019, the UEA Students' Union requested feedback from students on the snack-providing portion of the shop – Grab 'n' Go – and many requested a broader range of healthy snack options, along with an effort to cut down on plastic and high-emission products.

The shop, which already stocked an impressive range of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free products, explained in a Facebook post earlier this month 'we’re introducing our new refill station where you can skip the plastic and fill your containers with products such as rice, pasta, kidney beans, chickpeas'. They are also stocking refillable, healthy snacking-foods as requested, such as nuts, seeds, and dried fruits.

Refillable snacks!

Looking at other popular student buys such as cleaning products, the SU Shop announced they will also be providing a 'refill station for cleaning products such as all purpose cleaner, laundry detergent and fabric softener and more! We know that plastic is an issue our students are passionate about so we’re proud to introduce new ways for our students to cut down on plastic usage'.

The SU Shop's refill station for cleaning products

The shop has also stopped selling plastic carrier bags, encouraging students to use their own reusable bags or purchase environmentally-friendly canvas bags sold by the shop.

These planet-conscious changes have proven highly popular with students so far, and hopefully other Students' Unions around the country can follow UEA's example on how to take student feedback and use their resources to preserve a greener future!