The discovery of a piece of guerrilla artwork that appeared overnight has drawn the attention of Winchester locals. Kit Fountain reports.

Winchester’s newest eco-friendly general store has opened its doors with big ideas in place for the high street.

Earthian, on Parchment Street, is a ‘zero waste’ shop, in which customers bring their own containers and weigh out their various goods.

While not being the first of its kind in Winchester – fellow refill shop Projects is mere streets away – owner Katie Campling has plans for other milestones.

She told Winol: “I have a big goal to reach by my first-year anniversary. I’d like the shop to be an accredited zero waste to landfill business, meaning not that not only do we help customers to be low waste at home, but all the waste we create as a business is also diverted from landfill.”

Despite the fact that less than 10% of household waste is sent to landfill in Hampshire each year, none of the stores on the Winchester high street have yet achieved the Valpak zero waste to landfill certification, which would make Earthian the first.

Ms Campling said: “When I started researching my shop, I knew I didn’t just want to open something that sold zero waste or low waste goods. I wanted everything about the shop to be sustainable, local and based in the community.

“A sustainable lifestyle is not going to come overnight or from buying a set of sustainable things. It takes time to change habits and routines that are ingrained in society, so we all need to be supportive and encouraging of each other.”

Earthian offers liquid refills on a ‘closed loop system’. Once the containers that dispense liquid products are empty, the 20 litre tubs are taken away to be sanitised and refilled before returned to the store with no excess packaging or waste involved. Other products are sourced from local towns, such as soap from Alton, cloth wipes from Eastleigh, and coffee from the New Forest.

Winchester residents “having a bad time” were offered support on the day described most miserable of the year.

Winchester Samaritans were available to people at the city train station to offer free teabags and advice.

“Today is Blue Monday, but that’s not really what we want to call it – instead we call it Brew Monday. That’s because the idea is to take a teabag, make a cup of tea, and share it with a friend in order to talk to people and open up.” said a spokesperson from Winchester Samaritans.

“January is a really difficult time for so many people and a good number have already come over, taken leaflets and had a conversation. At the end of the day after work, it can be easier to both talk – and listen – to people as the stress has taken its toll and people are ready to go home.”

Winchester Samaritans now have over one hundred volunteers and can be located at 13 Upper High Street.

Blue Monday was coined by psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall over ten years ago, and takes into account different factors such as weather conditions, the end of Christmas, debt, failed New Year’s resolutions and low motivation levels.