At Hometown, we’re passionate about not wasting resources. We don’t pretend to be perfect, but these are some of the practices that are part of our everyday business.

Online Order Packaging

We use a variety of packaging for website orders. The plastic post bags are made of recycled plastic, plus we reuse the following from supplier deliveries: bubble wrap and Jiffy bags, brown paper and cardboard boxes. Any plastic / paper stuffer packaging inside will have been recycled from supplier packaging.

Some is new: we use A4 plastic zip lock bags to keep our fabrics clean and dry in transit. We know, again from customer feedback, that folk find these bags really useful for storage of their ongoing craft projects or they reuse them in the kitchen as freezer bags, for packed lunches etc. Other new items include card letter boxes, (which can again be reused), labels and tape. When our current stock of tape runs out, Marion then hopes to move to paper tape as long as it adheres well to the current bags and boxes.

Recycling and reuse

Did you you know that as a business, we have to pay for all our waste and recycling collections? This is why we repurpose, reuse and redistribute what we can; both to reduce our costs as well as for environmental reasons.

Other examples of our reuse policy is that all our large delivery boxes and fabric bolts are passed onto a local business* for reuse for their online orders. Printer cartridges are recycled via a charity. All A4 paper that is used in-house is printed on both sides; any paper packaging we get is used as notepads etc. Any hard plastic or paper waste that cannot be reused is recycled. *If you’d like to reuse our boxes, we love to hear from you. Give us a call on 01634 838880. Or if you’d just like some cardboard bolts for organising your fabrics at home, we’re happy to pass them on to you.

In classes, we ask all students to recycle any food and drinks packaging with us, rather than throw in the bin. When we have a stack of coffee cups from students, these are returned to our local coffee shop, so they can recycle them as it requires specialist processing.

Repurpose

In January 2025, we did a major refurb in the shop. Existing fixtures were reused, apart from one Billy bookcase, past his prime, which I took to the Council recycling tip. Of course, there were some items that I didn’t need for the ‘new look’. So, as we deconstructed the shop, these items were put outside with a ‘Please take me’ sign. By doing this we passed on useful bits of wood, shelves, a small table and other odds and ends to local folk. I loved the sign left by one new owner. Once we’d finished, we’d produced just one black bag of rubbish and I think that was mostly sweet wrappers to keep up our energy levels!

When I opened our original shop in 2008, several fixtures were already second hand. Two had been bookcases at home and others had been in my living room. Seventeen years later, they are all still going strong. Mrs Slocombe our haberdashery counter is probably 60 years old (you don’t look a day over 50, Mrs S)!

INSTORE

You, as a customer can also help reduce packaging, by bringing your own shopping bag each time you shop with us. When you buy buttons or ribbon we use whenever possible, the small bags from our haberdashery deliveries. Larger plastic packaging from wadding deliveries are also reused when you buy wadding. More of our suppliers are now using compostable plastic on their fabric bolts and are also committed to reducing packaging and removing plastic from packaging.

Unlike the clothing industry, none of our fabrics ever go to waste or landfill. Small ends of bolts are sold as remnants or fat eighths. Any still smaller pieces are saved and from time to time we bag up ‘Half Pounder’ scrap bags. These are really popular and excellent for log cabin, string piecing, fabric bows and I-spy quilts. Short lengths of wadding are again sold as remnants or reused for class samples. Did you know that you can patchwork together odds and ends of wadding with Wadding Seam Tape? So, no random bits left hanging around and taking up space at home.

Instore we are gradually replacing our lights to more efficient LED versions. This is an expensive undertaking to do all at once - so it’s an ongoing process as funds allow. Plus, as my staff will confirm, we are great believers in not putting on the heating until absolutely necessary! Layered clothing serves us well throughout the year and we don’t have air-conditioning in summer, as we simply open the windows and doors.

So please be assured, that we reduce, reuse, rework or recycle wherever possible.

If you have any bright ideas on how we can improve further, such as shopping bag sewing classes, darning or patching workshops, please let us know on 01634 838880 or when you’re next in store.

Marion and the Hometown team

May 2025