Plastic is fast becoming taboo, so if you're looking to start living in a more sustainable way then these local shops are a great place to start.
Long gone are the days where simply putting all your recycling into the correct receptacles was considered 'enough'. We're all doing our best, but sometimes it can seem a bit overwhelming to live life in a green way.
Thankfully, Leeds has some great zero waste shops in and around the city centre that have been designed to make it easy for us.
Selling everything from dry cereals and grains to spices, dried fruit and household beauty and cleaning products, not to mention single-use plastic alternatives to store it all in, keep reading to discover those closest to you and start living your best sustainable life.
Ecotopia, Grand Arcade
This zero-waste shop at Grand Arcade in Leeds city center has it all: dry foods, gluten free foods, pet food, homeware, health and beauty products, and of course reusable products. Ecotopia also launched a pay it forward scheme earlier this year so that you can treat someone who really needs it.
Panda Refills, Kirkgate Market
Originally opened as the JarTree in 2018, this is Leeds' first dedicated zero waste shop. Panda Refills offer ‘weigh and pay’ refills of food, cleaning and body care products alongside gifts, homeware and more. Here you'll find products from almost all of the leading eco-friendly brands, as well as smaller suppliers and local crafty makers.
Refill & Go, Garforth
Run as an ethical enterprise, suppliers here are ethical and the owner makes sure all of his customers know exactly what they’re buying. Here you'll find plenty of plastic-free options for household items, ranging from beauty products to food and cleaning supplies. A great place to pick up basics like cereal, pasta and rice, as well as alternatives to single-use plastic like metal straws and cloth tea bags.
Inside Ecotopia, the zero waste shop inside Grand Arcade / Image: Ecotopia
Waste Not, Ilkley/ Burley-in-Wharfdal
Head down to either of Waste Not's stores and you'll find huge dispensers filled with lentils, beans and grains, dried fruits, confectionary, nuts and more. You can pretty much do a full food shop here, whether you're after fresh produce or looking to stock up the cupboards. A one-stop-shop for all your ethical and sustainable shopping needs.
SCRAP, Farsley
SCRAP rescues low-cost creative supplies that would've otherwise gone into the bin and sells them on at extremely low prices - stopping hundred of tonnes of art supplies from ending up in landfill every year. Owner Louise Lucas has created a crafter's paradise here. This not-for-profit social enterprise is well worth a visit. It also has a liquid refill station.
Zero Muda, Horsforth
All profits made here are channeled back into local school and enterprise projects. Find organic dried foods in jars and dispensers alongside grains, pastas and a huge range of spices. Zero Muda has partnered with Leeds Bread Coop to sell their fresh sourdough and rye loaves and even sell their own (refillable) bottles of eco-friendly wine. Winner.
Headingley Greengrocers, Headingley
Low to no waste community store Headingley Greengrocers is a pinnacle in the community. The shop sells all its products loose to minimise on unnecessary plastic packaging, before donating anything left over to food project Rainbow Junktion Cafe and composters Plate to Plate. Most produce is sourced from Yorkshire to minimise on carbon footprint.
Cleen Bees Eco Refill Station, Farsley
What first began as a cleaning company is now a sustainable eco refill station, created after its founders realised just how much plastic they were going through with cleaning products alone. Designed to suit all budgets, Clean Bees have their own very affordable products on sale alongside named brands like Faith in Nature and Ecover.
Feature image - Ecotopia.
Leeds
No Greek Tragedy, just indie bangers – The Wombats set Leeds’ First Direct Arena alight
The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.
The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.
From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.
They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.
Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.
Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.
Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a rollercoaster - in the best way possible.
Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.
Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?
Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
Danny Jones
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
Georgina Pellant -
1st June 2021 
