Ecological and packaging­free shopping is perfectly feasible. Launched two and a half years ago, Fanny Mele’s low­waste shop sells mainly packaging­free organic products from local and Belgian producers. 'I buy most of my products in bulk. People can fill their bottles or jars with whatever they need. I love doing this. Showing people that there is an alternative to all this wasteful packaging’. A member of the zero­waste movement, Veerle Colle is a huge fan of the low­waste establishment. ‘This is a way of combating the huge mountain of waste and wasted energy and raw materials'. She points to a growing interest in short supply chains and local, sustainable initiatives, not least because of the corona crisis and the climate change issue. ‘Back in 2014,  Flanders did not have a single low­waste shop. The region now has 34, six of which are in the Flemish Rand area around the city of Brussels’.