Pembrokeshire’s refill revolution received yet another significant boost today when a new outlet in Pembroke Dock was declared officially open.

The aim is to make refilling as easy, cheap and convenient as possible where people can use their own storage containers, weigh the product, and fill.

And if customers don’t have their own containers, they can buy the shop’s recyclable, compostable and biodegradable paper bags as well as many clean repurposed containers that are free to a good home.

Loose foodstuffs include cereals, quinoa, rice, pasta, lentils, cous cous, dessicated coconut, nuts, seeds, dried fruits and herbs, loose-leaf teas and coffee beans.

Cleaning products include washing-up liquid, toilet cleaner and fabric conditioner while body care products include shampoo, conditioner and handwash.

Refill outlets are now beginning to appear throughout the county with existing refill points already operating in Manorbier, Solva, Wolfscastle and St Dogmaels.

The Pembroke Dock shop, which is situated in the St Govan’s Shopping Centre, has been designed by the team at Pembrokeshire FRAME from almost entirely repurposed materials.

Their industrious efforts have produced a fresh and distinctive design to accommodate both Refill and the Pembroke Dock Community Fridge.

FRAME has received a £25,000 grant from The Sustainable Development Fund managed by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority towards the setting up costs of Pembrokeshire Refill.

They are also grateful to players of the National Lottery for £10,000 funding received from The National Lottery Community Fund towards the salary of a Pembrokeshire Refill Manager.

Meanwhile the Pembroke Dock Community Fridge is the second such fridge to operate in the county.

Last year, the Haverfordwest Community Fridge helped prevent over 46 tons of surplus food from going to waste and enabled over 18,000 people to taste what combating food waste tasted like.

The Pembroke Dock Community Fridge has been set up following funding from Pembroke Dock Town Council (£2,500), and the Bluestone Foundation (£900).

The fridges are stocked entirely through surplus donations from supermarkets, local businesses and community members. Pembrokeshire REFILL would like to encourage everyone to take what they can use, and to donate what they can afford, whether that’s surplus veggies from the garden, tins from the larder or a contribution towards the running costs.