A WEYMOUTH-based eco start-up run by a mother and daughter duo has launched a reusable bin liner in response to a spike in household waste during the pandemic.

Eco brand Moonie designed the reusable bin liner when they learnt that there was a surge in household waste in the first year of the Covid pandemic.

The data was revealed in Zero Waste Scotland’s latest Carbon Metric report – it shows that the carbon impact of waste from Scottish households grew by 3.2 per cent in 2020.

Waste from English households increased in 2020/21 by 1.8 per cent, whilst the amount of waste recycled decreased by 1.2 per cent – statistics from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs revealed.

This prompted Moonie, which stock a variety of eco-friendly products, to launch a bin liner that can be emptied, washed in a washing machine, and reused.

Moonie co-founder Kia Brooker said: "The pandemic forced us all to change our lifestyle. We spent more time at home whether that was working or home schooling and as a result, online shopping and food deliveries increased. This of course led to a rise in household waste.”

The bin liner was launched to replace the need for single-use plastic bin bags. Each reusable liner is handmade in Dorset using Eco PUL and can be machine washed or wiped clean.

Moonie wants to make consumers more aware of how much they are consuming and throwing away. Not only does the reusable liner eliminate the need for single-use plastic bags but it also ‘forces people to be more mindful about their waste’.

Moonie co-founder and mother of Kia, Karen Weston, said: "If we were made to bury our rubbish in our own back garden, we would think twice about what we buy. It would very quickly become overwhelming."

Karen makes most of the company's products from her Weymouth home using sustainable and ethical ingredients.

The design of the bin liner also centred around sustainability – with no toxic solvents involved in the making and they are stronger than compostable bin liners.

Kia added: “We were overwhelmed with positive feedback when the liner launched.

“We may only be a small business, but we feel like we're making a huge impact."