Local store's commitment to sustainability recognised by national award
Shop Zero is a zero waste and sustainable living store that helps people to reduce their environmental impact. Based in Nottingham City Centre, the business is about empowering consumers to live more sustainably, by reducing their use of plastic.
Sarah and colleagues behind counter inside Shop Zero store
Sarah Maloy founded Shop Zero in 2016, bringing years of research and expertise about sustainable shopping and conscious consumption to fruition. The store not only offers ethically-sourced produce, but also leads in the field of zero-waste education. The team regularly host pop-up events and workshops, in collaboration with other likeminded businesses from the region. These aim to share knowledge, empowering consumers with more confidence to shop sustainably in a way that suits them.
Sarah and colleagues inside Shop Zero store
Businesses like Shop Zero play a pivotal role in supporting the city to meet its sustainability goals. Commitment to these goals are shared by key stakeholders across the region, notably the two Universities for Nottingham, who were recently named second (Nottingham Trent University) and third (University of Nottingham) most sustainable universities globally in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2022.
These local efforts have far-reaching impacts, which have been recognised nationally when Shop Zero was chosen as one of the Small Business Saturday's SmallBiz100 in 2022.
2022 was the 10th year of the American Express founded Small Business Saturday #smallbiz100 Awards. Thousands of businesses apply for this accolade and Shop Zero was chosen!
(Sarah Maloy)
Shop Zero are champions for the local community – exchanging expertise, showcasing complementary businesses and supporting student employability and graduate retention in the region.
Working closely with NTU, Sarah has accessed support from the Enterprise Team as well as early careers talent, by hosting short-term internships, student volunteers and currently employs two graduates. Sarah has also taken part in the Women in Leadership course, as well as the Carbon Management and Sustainability Community Lab programmes delivered through the Sustainability in Enterprise project.
Lead the field
If you would like you be showcased as a leader in your field of business, contact business@ntu.ac.uk. Learn more about working with NTU.