QUINOA, rice and gluten-free muesli will be on the menu at Old Town’s first zero-waste shop.

Called Nude Foods, the pop-up will open in The Core café, on Devizes Road, next month. Owners plan to stock up to 60 dried foods, including wholegrain rice, raw nuts, herbs and pasta. Eventually, they plan to sell household items like bamboo toothbrushes.

It is the brainchild of group Swindon Zero Waste Initiative, led by Old Town resident Lesley Chandler.

“In recent years people have become even more aware that our use of plastics is having a detrimental impact on the environment,” Lesley said. “While recycling schemes are in place to tackle some of this waste, a large majority ends up in landfill or oceans around the world.

“We want to do our bit to save the planet and so a zero waste not-for-profit shop felt like a great first step.”

Shoppers will need to bring their own containers. Anything from takeaway tubs and plastic containers to glass jam jars can be filled at the store.

The shop will based in The Core, Old Town's first juice café. Owner Kris Talikowski said “I fully support this fantastic initiative and I’m proud to offer them free space in The Core to launch their idea.

"I regularly recommend lots of the products they’ll be selling to my customers and now people can get them from The Core in reusable packaging.”

Zero waste shops are growing in popularity, as documentaries like David Attenborough's Blue Planet boost people's awareness of the impact on the environment of plastic waste. In January, new store Packaging NOT Included opened in Marlborough, with owner Hayley Lambert saying the shop aimed to tackle plastic waste.

She told marlborough.news: “There is a growing awareness in the general public about the damage plastic is doing to the environment and the number of toxins we come across in our daily life. People want to change their shopping habits and find it frustrating how much packaging there is.”

A launch night for Nude Foods is planned for April 17 at The Core, Devizes Road, from 6pm.