This week we caught up with Caroline from MyReusables who told us all about her passion for eco friendly products.
What is the story behind your brand?
Trying to be more sustainable and make green choices is something that’s really important to me. Seeing how much I was throwing away on a daily basis just didn’t sit right, so I decided to do something about it. There was a lot of talk about carrying your own reusable cup and bag, but I thought about what else people need when out and about and decided cutlery and straws were an easy swap from single-use to multi-use. So in 2018, with the help of my mother-in-law Pat who made some of the first pouches, I set up myReusables and did my first ever market selling bamboo cutlery in fabric pouches, perfect for on the go, at a festival or a picnic. Since then I’ve expanded my range of products and make many things from repurposed fabrics, such as bags, make-up remover pads, bowl covers and napkins (named scrapkins) to name a few. I feel small changes to our habits and making greener choices really can make a difference.
Do you make your products yourself or do you source them?
Most of the products I sell I make myself. However the bamboo cutlery is something I source, and I wanted to make sure I knew where is came from. When travelling in Bali a few years ago I heard about a social enterprise over on the island of Lombok, Indonesia called Gumi Bamboo. They help women get out of stone mining and instead help them work in a safer environment making earth-friendly products. So I’ve collaborated with them and they make the bamboo cutlery and straws along with some produce bags from up-cycled materials from the dress making industry in Indonesia.
Do you run MyReusables full time or do you have other jobs/businesses?
Up until the end of 2021 I was running myReusables on the side of a full time job as a TV Director. But recently I’ve realised my main focus has changed and I want to put more of my time and effort into running my small business. I love doing markets and chatting to people about green initiatives and things we can all do to make a difference, and I was finding I was having less spare time to do this. So at the end of the year I made the hard decision to leave my full time job and concentrate on running myReusables and making a difference. I’ve also been working in a refill shop called BYO in Tooting market, which is great to meet like minded people who want to find ways to limited the amount of packaging they throw away.
You currently have your products stocked in the SoLo Craft Fair shop, but where else do you sell your products?
Now I have the time I am doing loads of markets around London, which I’m absolutely loving. My full range of products can be found at the markets and I’m often at Venn St market in Clapham, Canopy at Kings Cross and Feast in West Norwood…to name a few. I keep my bio on Instagram updated with where I’ll be. I also sell a range of products on etsy.
