Eco lifestyle does not necessarily have to be expensive, dull and full of sacrifices. There is a growing number of products that do not harm the environment and yet are a pleasure for the senses. You just need to drop by to The Basic Market, the newly opened shop in Mokotów to find out about it.
Jagoda Gierałtowska is an owner and runs the shop. Previously she studied fashion journalism in London and cooperated with the Polish edition of Harper’s Bazaar. When she was considering setting up her own business she found a gap in our market. In London, she saw numerous shops with design and cosmetics which allowed to reduce plastic. Warsaw is still missing such types of shops. We can buy cosmetics in drugstores, reusable cups in cafes, but is it good to have everything collected in one place.
“The word basic means elementary and essential. That is why articles in our shop are selected so that customers could collect what is needed to live in harmony with nature”, says Jagoda. She carefully reads labels, verifies the credibility of the manufacturers and tests most of the products herself. The majority of them are produced outside Poland in England, Germany, the United States or Switzerland. However, day by day more and more eco-friendly products are being manufactured in our country. At The Basic Market, we can buy soaps, shampoo bars and deodorants by 4 Szpaki, reusable organic cotton pads by Mamy Natury, dishwasher or washing powders by Balja, cleaning products by Klareko, candles by Glyk Company and bowls made of wood wastes by Wood Spot.
Foreign products are sold at reasonable prices unless they are designer products that are highly desired and showcased at the most important design museums. We were fascinated by foreign products, for example, Kuro-Bō activated carbon water filters, feather-light reusable bottles by Swiss SIGG, rCup travel cups made from recycled single-use cups, Swedish 3 in 1 cutlery by Light My Fire, jute bowls by the British company ReSpijn. We could go on and on.
If you still hesitate and you are not sure if it is necessary to use reusable shopping bags, biodegradable waste sacks, reusable razors with replaceable blades, toothpaste pills just visit The Basic Market, look around and don’t be afraid to ask questions. It is worth making this effort.
The Basic Market, Bałuckiego St 21 and online: www.thebasicmarket.com
