The Re-Store: Getting to know the people behind the scenes

Wiebke and Leon Venter opened their eco-conscious online store the same day President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that South Africa could go into a hard lockdown due to the global Coronavirus pandemic. But luckily for us, their story didn't end there. 

Today, more than a year after the world turned on its head, the Durbanville-based online eco-store, The Re-Store, is thriving and providing an expanding offering of plastic-free, natural products for the eco-conscious consumer.

Their story starts years back, and it is something like a fairy tale. It's a story of chance and love that brought two link-minded people, who were already on their own journeys, together and gave rise to something they both had been searching for.

Wiebke and Leon Venter opened their eco-conscious online store the same day President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that South Africa could go into a hard lockdown due to the global Coronavirus pandemic. But luckily for us, their story didn't end there.

Today, more than a year after the world turned on its head, the Durbanville-based online eco-store, The Re-Store, is thriving and providing an expanding offering of plastic-free, natural products for the eco-conscious consumer.

Their story starts years back, and it is something like a fairy tale. It's a story of chance and love that brought two link-minded people, who were already on their own journeys, together and gave rise to something they both had been searching for.

TWO STRANGERS ON THE CAMINO

Wiebke and Leon on the Caminio de Santiago in Spain. PHOTO: Provided

On the Camino de Santiago, a famous pilgrimage route in Spain that attracts people from around the globe, Wiebke from Germany met Leon from South Africa. Both were already curious about eco-conscious living and had felt unfulfilled in their careers. Both were searching for something with purpose.

Wiebke studied nutrition science and later found herself in the public communications field, working with schools and kindergartens, giving workshops and seminars. It had always been her passion, but she wanted to start her own business.

“I wanted to be self-employed. I wanted to start my own thing in that exact field, nutrition education,” Wiebke explains.

Wiebke took on a part-time job to support herself while having enough time to start her own business. But at the end of her part-time work contract, she realised she didn’t want to continue with that kind of work. She decided to travel for a while to clear her mind.

A couple of years before, Wiebke had walked the Camino de Santiago and had gone back two more times. After finishing her part-time work contract, she went back again, this time as a volunteer at one of the hostels along this route. This was quite a unique hostel, boasting a vegetarian menu, and it even offered yoga and meditations sessions.

“There are very few places on the Camino like this. It was an amazing experience, and I became very close friends with the owner of the hostel. She wanted to create a network of all the special places [on the Camino], and I said, well, I can do that.”

This was when a seed for what would become The Re-Store was planted.

Before she started this project, however, she wanted to finish her travels. So she went on to Central America and finally back to Germany. At that time, she applied for a teaching position in Germany as she really enjoyed working in education.

While she waited to hear if she got the position, Wiebke went back to the Camino to walk the whole route again and write about it on the blog as she went. On the day she reached the hostel where she worked previously, she got a call for a job interview. Unfortunately, she had to fly back to Germany for it.

She explains it was devastating to have had to stop and go back after she had been walking for weeks.

“But I decided this might be my thing. I have to do it. [This could be] that once-off chance in your life.”

Determined to finish, she flew back to the Camino after her interview to pick up where she had left off.

“The first day I was walking again, I met Leon. We fell in love, head over heels and walked together, I think ten more days, and we decided to stay together," she smiles widely. "So if I didn't go to the job interview, I would have just continued, and I would have never met him. It was just… destiny.”

After they finished the Camino, both Leon and Wiebke went back to their own countries. Leon had quit his job shortly before going on the Camino because he wasn't passionate about what he was doing. But after meeting Wiebke, he decided to resign from a second job and visit her in Germany for three months. At that time, Wiebke started her educational training but quickly realised she didn't enjoy it and wouldn't be able to create the change she wanted. During that time Leon asked Wiebke to marry him and they made the move to South Africa.

HOW DID SHARED INTERESTS TURN INTO AN ONLINE STORE?

PHOTO: Provided

Both Wiebke and Leon had already started changing the way they thought about the environment, and on their travels together, their ideas flourished into something they both finally would be passionate about.

“So the whole plastic topic, especially single-use plastic and waste, was a big part of our conversations on the Camino. I also started thinking about it on my trips. I got such an appreciation for different landscapes and Mother Nature. But in these countries, waste was everywhere. In the forests, in the deserts even, hanging on the cactuses. It was horrible.”

On their website, Leon writes: “While growing up, I tried to understand how the world works and why things seem so unbalanced. Trying to make a difference and giving back to the world is a way for me to understand. [Wiebke's] understanding of the harm plastic does to our world fuelled my desire to start this project with her.”

Wiebke says that it was Leon who suggested they open a refill store in the Northern suburbs of Cape Town.

“A shop where you come with your own containers and just fill up what you need. Especially in the Northern suburbs because there is nothing like that. I was very keen. I was all in. I actually did a little bit of an internship at a store like this in Germany when I was still there,” Wiebke explains.

“But we realised it would be a big challenge to open a physical store. You have all these overheads. You need to purchase all the material for the interior. We obviously wanted to see if something like this works here and keep the overheads low, build on that and then later the physical shop can come.”

Wiebke and Leon took everything that they had and pushed it into their online store and are both working on this full-time.

“The decision to start an online store was actually perfect with the lockdown coming. We could really focus on building our brand and getting our name out there even if we couldn’t sell everything we had. So it was a good start for our store, and we love it. Still!”

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE RE-STORE?

PHOTO: Provided

Wiebke explains that besides offering affordable alternative products, the Re-Store is also aimed at sharing their own journey to a more sustainable lifestyle, as well as educating and motivating others.

“We try to live sustainably as best we can and make our swaps. It is exhausting and you have to sacrifice or say no to certain things. We remind ourselves that you need to find a balance between saying no to plastic and still enjoying your life. You don’t have to do it perfectly.”

Wiebke says all of the things she was looking for in her previous jobs, she is getting out of this store.

The Re-Store also promises that they wouldn't put anything in their online store that they are not convinced of or if they don't trust the brand. They also place great emphasis on customer service.

“You want to have a good experience when you shop. Especially when you try new products or start a new journey.”

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

PHOTO: Provided

“It helps so much to know that you are not alone and that there are other people who care about this and who struggle as well. I want to share more stories and create more of a community, maybe like a Facebook community where people can connect," Wiebke explains. "The community that we’re working with are so grateful and very forgiving. So many nice and friendly people, and it’s so rewarding to listen to their feedback.”

They also aim to develop a bunch of their own products. They already sell their own reusable cotton pads, make-up remover and body butter, and want to bring out a range of beautiful eco-friendly lifestyle products.

GETTING TO KNOW WIEBKE

1. FIRST SWAPS

Safety razor

Garbage bags

“I also stopped using garbage bags because I would just put my waste into more plastic and throw it away. And it is really just there to be thrown away. That is the purpose of a garbage bag. So I just put all of my things in the dust bin and then eventually take it out to the big dust bin.”

Toothpaste bits

“Quite soon after we moved to South Africa, we started using the toothpaste bits. We swapped over and I was like, I’m never going to go back to toothpaste again. It is a bit different from the conventional product, but it was such a good swap. I wish everyone could feel what a tooth bit feels like.”

Bamboo toothbrushes

“If I use a plastic or a bamboo toothbrush, there is no difference. It’s just a decision for a better and greener product.”

Menstrual cup

“Quite early on I bought myself a menstrual cup, especially for travelling. In other countries, I would use tampons, but in certain countries, you just get the ones with the plastic applicator, and I don’t like that at all. It’s too much plastic. So this was something that I tried there and it worked very well.”

2. AN UNPOPULAR OPINION AS AN ECO-WARRIOR?

“I got the feeling that for me being an eco-warrior, that I’m not allowed to eat meat. I’m wondering, is it because I’m really becoming aware of all the problems that meat creates or is it because it’s being forced onto me by social media.

“When I was living alone in Germany I wasn’t eating a lot of meat. And then I came to South Africa. Meat every day, and Leon was also like that. But now I think we found a good balance. I eat more meat than I used to just before I came here, but we don’t eat a lot of meat. We don’t eat it every day.

“I find veganism very interesting. I love to try the recipes because it is about finding alternatives. I like when veganism comes from the natural side.

“I also like to try all of those meat replacements. But the thing is, I buy a little packet of vegan mincemeat, and it is wrapped in plastic and wrapped in plastic and wrapped in plastic again. Like how can you not eat meat and, by replacing it with this, still be zero waste? Then I’m more on the zero waste side and will be consciously eating meat. But I have phases, so I feel, and this is from my nutritional background, that your body tells you when it needs something and [you should] listen to it. Obviously, you need to separate between a craving and something nutritious.

“I’m really more worried about the plastic packaging. If you are on a naturally vegan and vegetarian diet, then that is perfectly fine. Eating less meat and dairies, in general, is also less wasteful because animal products are usually wrapped in more plastic. But it’s not only the plastics. There are a lot of chemicals, preservatives, and flavourings in [meat alternatives].

“The word ‘vegan’ is also a marketing thing. People put the word on their product and it sells. It’s because it’s trendy. It’s the same with ‘green’ or ‘zero waste’.”

3. WHAT IS CURRENTLY THE BIGGEST THREAT TO THE EARTH?

“So many problems are big and it’s all intertwined and plastic is just a small bit of it. It’s a small bit of climate change. I think in general overpopulation is a big problem. Humans are just getting too much for the planet, at least in the current way we’re living. So either the population must decrease immensely, or we must change our way of thinking. We are not in tune with nature anymore. We separated ourselves from nature. We are on top of the food chain, we produce a lot that destroys Mother Nature, and there’s no chance for nature to balance itself with us in it.”

4. WHAT CAN WE DO TO COMBAT THIS?

“There are systems, economic systems, that have to change. Being focused on making money, just getting richer and producing more and disposing of more. As long as mankind is focused on this, we cannot change anything. Education can also do a lot. Educating the new generations so that they can change it from the grassroots.”

5. FINAL THOUGHTS

Wiebke feels that everyone can change their own worlds and be a drop that creates a ripple effect in other lives – planting a seed in someone's life so that they can eventually come to the realisation that we need to change our ways.

“Focus on that, be positive and feel good about what you are doing. Know that you are doing something good with a purpose.”