It was during their travels that Jean Paul Farrugia, his sister Christina and her husband, Paul Micallef, came up with the idea behind ReRoot, the first zero waste, plastic free shop on the island.

The siblings were on a beach in Phuket, Thailand when from picking up seashells they slowly shifted to picking up plastic bottles and other rubbish till they realised the whole beach was littered in plastic.

“It was really shocking. We had always wanted to start a business together, and that day we sat down and said if we’re going to start a new venture, it has to be something around reducing waste and minimising our impact on the environment,” said Mr Farrugia.

Paul Micallef, his wife Christina and brother-in law Jean Paul Farrugia. 

Around two months ago, after a lot of hard work, they opened the doors to a project through which they hope to support the movement away from the age of convenience and disposables to a lifestyle that is less harmful to the environment.

From edibles to cosmetics, washing detergents and clothing, all the products for sale at ReRoot, in Iklin, are either reusable, recyclable/compost-able or refillable and, most importantly, plastic free.

Mr Farrugia points to cotton buds, sunscreen, face wash and toothpaste.

“Many people use these products on a daily basis and have no idea of the impact conventional brands have on marine life and the sea,” he explains.

Fragments of the plastic sticks on cotton buds have been found in seabirds and whole sticks in turtles.

Cosmetic products such as toothpastes and exfoliating shower gels contain plastic microbeads which also harm marine life and can be eventually consumed by people.

The shelves at ReRoot are stocked with products that are free from the ubiquitous plastic packaging and can be reused a number of times as opposed to conventional products.

Everything sold in the store - from toothbrushes to sunscreen - is plastic-free. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

“Our cotton swab, just as an example, can be used over 1,000 times, reducing the waste generated by the 54 billion cotton swabs dumped in the landfill or in the seas each year.” 

But the shop, Mr Farrrugia makes clear, is about getting people involved and more conscious about their lifestyle rather than making them feel that they need to become zero-waste overnight.

“It’s really a journey. One of my favourite quotes is we don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly, but millions doing it imperfectly,” he said.

ReRoot will be launching their online store and delivery service in the next few weeks and expanding their food range.

They are also planning a series of events related to sustainability and zero waste in store.

Amended February 24, 2020: A previous version of this article confused Paul Micallef and Jean Paul Farrugia in the photo caption.