Zero waste supermarket wins award

The UK's largest zero waste supermarket, based in Birmingham, wins a business grant to expand internationally.

The Clean Kilo in Digbeth was announced as the winner of FedEx Express’ Small Business Grant UK.

The £20,000 grand prize won by the team will help them further expand their reach on a larger, international scale.  The Clean Kilo impressed the judges by outlining plans for international growth.

The Clean Kilo is the UK’s largest zero waste supermarket, which allows customers to reduce unnecessary plastic waste by bringing along their own containers to fill up on everyday items like coffee, bread, eggs and vegetables.  The store also helps customers reduce the food miles as items come from producers and growers from in and around Birmingham, like organically grown salad leaves from Aston.

The FedEx Small Business Grant UK, has been running for three years in Europe and aims to provide small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with the support necessary to achieve their dream of growing worldwide.

“We are over the moon to have won the FedEx Small Business Grant, 2018,” said Tom Pell and Jeannette Wong, of The Clean Kilo. “The £20,000 grant will enable us to reduce plastic pollution on a far greater level and help open the door for a second plastic free supermarket. The ability to replicate our shop gives us the foundations to help realise our long-term dream. We want to offer our knowledge on environmental issues and plastic-free shopping in the world’s most polluted developing countries. With the FedEx grant we can have a greater impact to turn off the plastic pollution tap.”

The Clean Kilo is located just inside Birmingham’s iconic Custard Factory at 1 Gibb Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B9 4AA and their website can be found at https://www.thecleankilo.co.uk/