I’ve been meaning to pop in to the Open House on Durham Road, Low Fell, Gateshead for a while now, but with the addition of their Refill Station it was an absolute must.

This ‘planet conscious’ shop launched in the summer of last year specialising in recycled, renewable and sustainable products providing shoppers with a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. The shop sells pre-loved vintage clothes which is not only bang on trend but helps reduce that amount of waste heading to landfill, and a range of ethical clothing for men and women.

The shop also offers cleaning products such as environmentally friendly soap powder alternatives, gifts and cosmetic ranges that include shampoo bars, so we can save on all that excessive packaging and wrapping.

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The Refill Station is what prompted my visit. An array of large containers that serve up everything from washing powder, to fabric conditioner, to toilet cleaner.

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Simply bring and fill up your own reusable bottle or use one that has kindly been dropped off  and left in a basket at the front of the store by a kind eco-friendly customer for you to use. Prices to fill up are also friendly, with washing up liquid starting at £1.90 per litre.

The basement has also been opened up as ‘The Spare Room‘ which is available for hire and will also be used for events. Currently Yoga Butterfly sessions are held there most days.

Open House market themselves as passionate about protecting our planet, so why not get along and help to protect our planet too!

But don’t stop there, check out these reusable straws (affiliate) that I’ve just ordered from Amazon to help cut down on single use plastic.