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Nude Foods, a Cape Town zero waste store turns one

by | Dec 10, 2018

Nude Foods, the zero waste store in Cape Town’s CBD, turned one last week. We’re delighted to have the store in town! Since it first opened its doors at 5 Constitution Street it has grown a loyal customer base, and recently opened a satellite store at Montebello Design Centre in Newlands. Owner Paul Rubin was motivated by a frustration with wasteful, over-packaged goods at regular stores and by the fact that no one seemed to be doing anything about it. He has created an exciting grocer stocked with fresh produce from an EU-certified farm in Philippi; eco-friendly cleaning products; dry goods; honey; olive oil and body products, mostly sold by weight.  Criteria for product are organic where possible, always non-GMO, earth-friendly natural ingredients. And most definitely plastic free. Paul explains:

I have always been passionate about food and health & wellness, as well as waste-free living. This was an opportunity to culminate these passions and to create a socially responsible business at the same time.

My only regret is not doing this sooner. This is long overdue in SA and around the world. The stats speak for themselves. There is a global pollution crisis that many still choose to ignore.

It concerns me that we live such disconnected lives in western society, disconnected from our food, from each other, and from nature and the planet. This disconnection most often translates into wastefulness.

We have had great feedback and have quickly established a regular customer base.

I shop at Nude Foods and also at various farmers markets.

There is no better way of reducing your carbon footprint than by not eating factory farmed animals, especially cows. I became vegan 6 years ago. I also strive to consume as consciously as possible, and as little as possible.

I am not a climate optimist. I think there currently exists a race between the rate we are destroying the planet, and mankind’s ability to wake-up to this and harness the necessary resources and technology to make the required reparations. But things are starting to change – so there is some hope. It’s not all doom and gloom.

See Nude Foods website for more information.

Watch Sarah Robyn Farrell, our Talking Rubbish columnist, visit Nude Foods and hear her advice on going plastic free:

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