A sustainable business in Bexley helping shoppers reduce waste has received £5,000 to put back into their business after winning a national competition.

Wasteless Market, co-owned by Teresa Ewart and Lis Radbon, won the money to purchase stock on the global wholesale platform Faire.

Wasteless Market was founded by Teresa in 2019 after the loss of her sister to cancer, driven by a desire to offer sustainable, natural alternatives to homeware and personal care products.

Lis joined as co-owner in 2020, and together they have promoted eco-friendly shopping in Bexley.

Lis said: “Wasteless Market was set up because it was proving too challenging to find anywhere else that sold handmade products with fewer ingredients that were free of single-use plastics.

“As the sole provider of refills and a hub for eco-conscious traders and customers in Bexley, we have now cultivated a loyal following of environmentally-minded consumers.

“Faire has already made ordering and finding eco-friendly supplies much more convenient and reduced the quantities we needed to order to bring down delivery costs.”

The business, which hosts monthly markets and a refill hub, relaunched last month after being forced to close during the Covid pandemic.

The competition, part of Faire’s Open with Faire programme, saw new and aspiring retailers from across the UK enter.

The programme offers up to £20,000 in free, 60-day payment terms to help stock shelves and support the launch of new shops.

Each entrant was required to submit a video explaining how winning an additional £5,000 to spend on stock would transform their business.

Lis added: “As a non-profit enterprise, every penny we make is put back into the business so these savings are a great help.

“The £5K on credit will now enable us to expand our product range to help attract more customers and help them reduce their carbon and plastic footprint.

“It will also release funds to market our events and host educational workshops on sustainable living.”

The judging panel for the competition included Charlotte Broadbent, Faire’s UK general manager; Rebecca Morter, founder and CEO of Lone Design Club; Andrew Goodacre, CEO of the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA); and Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones MBE, founder of The Black Farmer brand, who opened his first shop in Brixton last year with support from the Open with Faire programme.

Dozens of other entrants have also been accepted into the programme, including It Takes A Village Play Café in Walthamstow, and BLÜM Floral in Bolsover, Derbyshire, run by Chelsea Flower Show winner Kirsty.

Wasteless Market operates at several locations across Bexley:

  • Every Tuesday, 10am - 12pm at Belvedere Community Centre, Mitchell Close, Belvedere
  • The first Wednesday of every month, 10.30am – 12.30pm at Geddes Place URC, Geddes Place, Bexleyheath DA6 7DJ
  • Sunday, 22 September, 10 am - 3 pm at Danson House Producers Market, Danson Park, Bexleyheath DA6 8HL
  • Saturday, 28 September, 12 noon - 4 pm at Wasteless Market Ecofair, St Mary's Church Hall, Wickham Street, Welling DA16 3QU
  • Sunday, 13 October, 10 am - 3 pm at Lesnes Abbey Farmers' Market, Lesnes Abbey Woods, SE2 0AX
  • Sunday, 27 October, 10 am - 3 pm at Danson House Producers Market, Danson Park, Bexleyheath DA6 8HL

With their £5,000 prize, Teresa and Lis hope to expand their product range and continue helping local residents embrace sustainable living.