Wondering where to shop for Plastic Free July? Our Green Business Directory is the place to look! This month, we are featuring North Carolina’s plastic-reducing businesses through our Instagram and blogs, and we’re excited to share these wonderful shops with you!

Today’s featured business is Ekologicall, a Zero Waste and Refill Shop based in Charlotte, NC. Their mission is to empower our community to lead the way to a healthier, simpler and more sustainable lifestyle by changing our consumption habits. They offer non-toxic and eco-friendly alternatives to your home and personal care products, as well as workshops to help you transition into a low waste lifestyle!

We had the pleasure of speaking with Ekologicall’s founder, Valerie Gackerie. Valerie is convinced that education and simple changes can have a big impact on our environment, our health and our happiness. So, she created Ekologicall, because Ecology should be Logic for All.

Q: What is your favorite part about running Ekologicall?

Valerie: The contact with people and having the opportunity through our exchanges to raise awareness about waste, pollution and our environmental impact. I love witnessing those “aha moments” when people realize how easily we can cut back on waste. I also learn a lot from them too. Feeling that I make a positive impact on my community and eventually on the environment is all that matters.

Q: What advice would you give to someone getting started with living zero waste/plastic free?

Valerie: I say it all the time: Start Small. Don’t try to change everything overnight, it’s overwhelming and discouraging. Going Zero Waste takes time, it’s a journey. Start with a trash audit where you will analyze what’s in your trash can and find alternatives to the pieces of garbage you find in there. Replace the plastic film with bee’s wax wraps for instance or refill your bottle of laundry detergent instead of throwing it away. Start with an easy swap, once you’re comfortable with it, add a new one and repeat. And remember to always use what you have first, turn your old t-shirts into rags or into reusable tote bags, a pasta sauce glass jar into a container to freeze your leftovers…after a while, it becomes a reflex, you see waste and automatically think what could be done differently?

Q: What vision do you have for the future of plastic?

Valerie: According to the oil industry the future of plastic is bright. The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that plastic production will continue to grow in the next two decades, and could reach 540 million metric tonnes by 2040. However, the growing concern about plastic pollution and governments’ attempt to regulate CO2 emissions could thwart the oil industry’s plans.

I don’t know if we can call that a vision for the future of plastic but I have hope. People are getting more and more aware of the danger of plastic, especially single-use plastics and they are starting to refuse it and understand the benefits of refill. With only 9% of the plastic produced being actually recycled, efforts are being made to improve plastic sorting and recycling. We actually have one of a kind experimental lab right here in Charlotte with the Innovation Barn.

Also, engineers around the world work on alternatives to plastic using sustainable alternatives such as hemp for example.

I am sure that the oil industry lobby will continue to push plastic but at the same time we will find ways to reduce its use when it’s not necessary (single-use plastics) and develop ways to recycle it. Plastic is a fantastic material due to its qualities and became essential in several industries (food, cosmetics, medical, automotive…), it’s not going anywhere but a more responsible use is crucial for our health as well as all the living things on Earth.

Q: Any other thoughts to share?

Valerie: Plastic pollution, waste, the pollution of our air, water and soil, climate change can feel very overwhelming and bigger than us and honestly it is. The big polluting industries put pressure on us, individuals, telling us we are not recycling enough or recycling wrong while they should be responsible for the after-life of their products. This is the reason why the concept of a circular economy is so important.*

However, that does not mean we should not do anything. We have the power to influence the industry and the government with the choices we make daily. If we stop buying crap, they’ll stop making it! Be a responsible consumer and world citizen.

*Circular Economy is an economic system inspired by nature, where products are designed with the end of their life in mind so no waste is created. Everything can be reused, repaired, repurposed, remanufactured, recycled… in opposition to the linear economy where we take resources, make things, use them and dispose of them, creating waste.