Published in AuNaturel
On a windy and cold Saturday afternoon, Spitalfields Market seems busier than other days. It’s hard to make your way through the flood of people queuing to sink their teeth into delicious street food. The whiff of London fades away whilst entering the crowd leaving room for eastern aromas and the good old smell of fried food.
On the corner near Giraffe and Lululemon, Vidal Jain, 41, the owner of Vimi, a zero-waste shop, is being kept busy by customers. His stall catches the eyes of many tourists and locals and many people stop to have a look at the latest eco-friendly alternative.
Vimi opened in 2018, selling products from a vast array of suppliers. Last year, Vidal started selling his products, including a vast range of items, from sporks and reusable food wrap to reusable sanitary pads and homemade natural soaps.
“There is a lot of work behind any of my products,” says Vidal, who smiles at everyone who approaches his stall, while showing them his “deal box” containing discounted products. “You need to get the design right and research the materials you want to use. There is no space to mess things up and it’s challenging. You want people to buy your products.”
Even when extremely busy, Vidal makes sure to have some time to accommodate everybody. On a recent hectic and stressful Sunday, he is also keeping an eye on one of the neighbouring stalls. “It’s always busy here,” he says while putting a reusable water bottle in a paper bag. “I feel like people are getting more and more interested in sustainability and that is good.”
Vimi was created as an amalgam of Vidal or Vi, and Mitali or Mi, Vidal’s wife. When Vidal talks about his business he seems to hide something. He talks very passionately about the environment but with his elegant coat he looks more like a man with a job in the City than one of Mother Nature’s advocates.
He confesses that he has spent most of his working life selling plastic items. “I was a representative for a company that sell reusable plastic items but plastic nonetheless for 10 years. It was a very well-paid job but the consequences of our plastic-free lifestyle on the environment weren’t worth the money,” he said.
During last year’s Christmas dinner, he decided to quit. “I knew I was going to leave a decent job, but I decided it was time to change and start anew.”
The idea behind Vimi was not only inspired by Vidal’s lifestyle but also by his religion and youth years spent in India. His family practices Jainism, one of the most ancient belief systems in India that encourages a nonviolent behaviour towards all living creatures.
“I have never had a strong bond with my religion but lately I have been thinking about it a lot,” Vidal says. “This is the way I want to live; I want to be nice to all living creatures and that does not include humans and animals only but the planet as a whole.
“I want people to understand that there are alternatives and that we can all live in better harmony with the environment without having the need to take advantage of its resources and destroying it”.
Vidal talks about his business as a mission, pure passion bursting for every pore: “It is hard setting up a business in London nowadays, but we need more similar shops. We need a shift in our mentality, we need people that encourage other people to make a change”.
In all of this Vidal is supported by his wife Mitali Ashanti whom very proud of the work they are putting into Vimi: “There is always a lot to do. It’s stressful and frustrating sometimes but we are aware that we are doing something to make a change and seeing people buying our designs and being happy about them it pays off.”
“People are still reluctant in this kind of businesses, says Vidal, sometimes prices are higher than store-bought products and there is limited availability for other products. However, this is an investment. I have used my spork and coffee cup for lunch every weekend when I am here and there is nothing difficult about it.”
So, what are Vimi's guidelines for eco-friendly shopping? Vidal says: “First of all ask yourself: do I really need it? Then where is this product going to go once I have finished using it? And spread your word about products you bought that are good or products that you have decided not to buy, and it turns out to be a good choice for the environment.”
The vision of Vimi is to make people acknowledged that they need to make better choices: “We need to honour the environment we live in; this is our home” says Vidal.
Aleksandra Jasinksa, 22, student at UAL is shopping at the stall. She seems very interested in the bamboo combs: “I am so happy to see stalls like this one. I have never shopped here but these products are very cute and well designed.”
Vidal is working hard to make his zero-waste lifestyle business accessible to affordable to everyone. He says: “We want to offer sustainable products that are also produced ethically, that help in people’s everyday life and they don’t have an impact on our planet.”
Vidal dreams to be able to open his own store: “I would like to have my own place where people can find us easily” says Vidal while looking at the busy market: “I like it here but I feel my shop needs a more permanent home because I would like to expand my business and my range of items”.
At the moment, Vimi’s home is Spitalfields Market every weekend from Friday to Sunday and products are also available online. Happy zero waste shopping and namaste.
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