A NEW store in the Wee County is taking an environmentally-friendly 'zero waste' approach to every day shopping.

Michael Ijomanta and his partner Lauren Snook opened Zero Waste Organics at Sterling Mills in Tillicoultry on Friday, April 30.

The store aims to reduce the amount of plastic waste and encourages shoppers to buy only what they need to reduce the amount of food and plastic going to waste.

Theodore and Tristan, the couple's two children, are also vegan and the family enjoy litter picking and know all too well the damage plastic paste is causing to the planet.

Michael told the Advertiser: "We decided it was time to do something a bit different and something we thought the planet really needed.

"We are vegan diet and we're trying to eat organic and we struggle so much to find plastic-free produce.

"One of our sons' favourite thing to do is litter picking so we've been doing that as a family.

"More and more we realised how difficult it was to find anything that wasn't double or triple-packaged in plastic and we learned more about the impact it's having on the environment."

The aim of a zero waste store is to give customers the option to buy as much or as little as they need in order to reduce the amount that is wasted.

Michael added: "When people have asked if they can fill a bag or a container, you can buy as little or as much as you need.

"With [for example] the spices, people buy them to make a recipe and then they sit in a cupboard forever and then get thrown out.

"Here, you can take a teaspoonful or a bucketful."

The store's aim is for people to do a full shop at Zero Waste Organics, however with the family being vegan, there are no meat or dairy products on offer.

Other than that, a full shop can be done. Pasta, cereals, fresh fruit and vegetables, oils, tins and jars are available, as well as soaps, body wash and laundry products and more.

There's also a baking section and a kids area with wooden toys and other products handmade in Fife. There's a play area for kids so they can be kept occupied while parents shop.

The reception the store has received has certainly been positive during its first few days of business.

Michael added: "We have an easel and a chalkboard and a little girl covered the board in smiley faces and wrote: 'Go Zero Waste Organics'.

"The reception has been so amazing; a lot of people said they just wandered by, didn't know we were here and had just done a full shop but said they'll be back next week.

"It was lovely to see. It's a new concept to a lot of people but it's very, very simple."

Zero Waste Organics is open every day from 10am-6pm, with more information available on their Facebook page.