A Hadleigh mum who started a zero-waste business in Cyprus after being shocked by the country’s waste problem is bringing an eco-friendly store to her hometown.

East Anglian Daily Times: Kathy Attard is the owner of Adore Nature and is originally from Hadleigh. Picture: KATHY ATTARDKathy Attard is the owner of Adore Nature and is originally from Hadleigh. Picture: KATHY ATTARD (Image: KATHY ATTARD)

Kathy Attard, 37, who was a student at Hadleigh High School, is relocating her zero-waste shop named Adore Nature, to the former Hall Street store in the town’s High Street.

Ms Attard has been running the eco-friendly shop in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, for the last year, but has decided to move home to Suffolk to be closer to her friends and family following the pandemic.

She said it is time to come home and “restock” and is excited to bring her passion to the town where she grew up.

Initially she was concerned there would not be a demand for the shop in Hadleigh, but she has been overwhelmed by the support from residents on Facebook, with many people excited about the new venture.

East Anglian Daily Times: Adore Nature is moving from Stotfold to Hadleigh High Street. Picture: KATHY ATTARDAdore Nature is moving from Stotfold to Hadleigh High Street. Picture: KATHY ATTARD (Image: KATHY ATTARD)

“I was blown away by the number of people who liked the idea of the shop,” said Ms Attard.

“I am going to offer refill foods, such as pasta, rice, teas, coffees and lots more. I plan to make it affordable for everyone and the one-stop shop where you can get everything eco-friendly.”

Ms Attard said the rise of zero-waste shops in Suffolk is “brilliant”, and believes more people are becoming aware of the amount of rubbish they throw away following the rise of environmental documentaries on TV and the likes of David Attenborough.

Her drive to become more eco-friendly came after she found herself living in Cyprus for more than five years, where she noticed a huge volume of rubbish.

East Anglian Daily Times: The former Hall Street menswear store in Hadleigh will be home to Adore Nature zero-waste refill store. Picture: GOOGLE MAPSThe former Hall Street menswear store in Hadleigh will be home to Adore Nature zero-waste refill store. Picture: GOOGLE MAPS (Image: GOOGLE MAPS)

“I had never seen so much waste,” she said. “There was lots of takeaway cups and people were very lazy, but they didn’t have any alternatives in Cyprus.”

She started her own business in the country, going to markets in Cyprus, sharing a shop with her friend and travelling all over to share her eco-friendly alternatives.

She said the Cypriots loved everything which was natural and cruelty free and it was great to open people’s minds to a more conscious way of living.

When she moved back to England she opened the store in the town of Stotfold and it became a huge success, with many residents changing to refillable products after realising the positive impact it has on the environment and how it still does the job.

East Anglian Daily Times: Adore Nature is a zero-waste refill shop coming to Hadleigh in the next three weeks. Picture: KATHY ATTARDAdore Nature is a zero-waste refill shop coming to Hadleigh in the next three weeks. Picture: KATHY ATTARD (Image: KATHY ATTARD)

“Years ago there was a stigma attached to zero-waste shops,” said Ms Attard.

“But it is all about starting off small and planting those seeds by making these ethically-sourced products available to everyone.

“People will begin to see the benefits and we are going back to where we should be.”

There will be more than 1,000 products in Ms Attard’s shop, which is due to open in the next three weeks. 90% of her stock will be made in the UK and all workers will be paid properly.

East Anglian Daily Times: Kathy Attard, who grew up in Hadleigh, started her refill shop in Cyprus after noticing the huge volume of waste. Picture: KATHY ATTARDKathy Attard, who grew up in Hadleigh, started her refill shop in Cyprus after noticing the huge volume of waste. Picture: KATHY ATTARD (Image: KATHY ATTARD)

Among her products will be refillable cleaning items, shampoos, household products, cosmetics, fair trade kids toys and more.

Customers will be encouraged to bring in their own reusable containers, but will also be able to buy an aluminium or glass bottle to take products home in, which can then be reused again and again.

Ms Attard hopes the people of Hadleigh and the surrounding areas will get behind the independent business and will continue to shop local.

East Anglian Daily Times: The new zero-waste refill shop in Hadleigh is set to open in the coming weeks. Picture:KATHY ATTARDThe new zero-waste refill shop in Hadleigh is set to open in the coming weeks. Picture:KATHY ATTARD (Image: KATHY ATTARD)