Vienna based Now Wow is our go-to shop for sustainable lifestyle products. I had the chance to chat to the founders Imke and Orsolya and ask them questions about how it all started, sustainability and more.

If you had to describe Now Wow in a few words, what would you say:

It matters that you try!

When did you have the idea of opening up your shop? What was your motivation?

We both have completely different backgrounds but once we had the concept for Now Wow planned out and in front of us, we knew that there was no way out: we simply had to do it and let our idea become reality. Responsible consumerism and the use of plastic were topics that got more and more important in our everyday lives (and families) and that is why we decided to open up a small, carefully selected & curated plastic-free store in Vienna’s 7th district. That was back in 2020. Now Wow was the answer to our everyday struggles. The idea started off small but grew into something bigger that is now our full-time job.

Tell us a little bit more about your selection. What are your favourite products?

Now Wow offers a versatile range of products for all sorts of everyday situations. We stock finest beauty and skincare products, sustainable alternatives for the household as well as beautiful lifestyle items for the home, office and travels. All of our carefully selected products are ecological, wholesome and widely plastic free. It is very important to us that whatever we offer feels “right” throughout: it starts with the ingredients, packaging, production process, where it is manufactured, what people got involved in creating them but also the aesthetics. It is important that an items suits us and our selection; not that we offer all products by one brand and/or manufacturer. We also want to make sure that our product range covers all areas of a zero (or less) waste lifestyle.

Our whole store is actually filled with favourite products. Entering the shop feels like entering the “Best of Our World”. What we both love are products that come with a story e.g. about the people who were involved in making it. For instance, small manufacturers always do things a little bit differently and that’s very appealing to us too.

In your opinion, what are the first steps to live a more sustainable lifestyle?

I think the willingness to start. It is not about being perfect but about realising that small steps can impact the bigger picture, e.g. trying to make changes in the bathroom is a great start: replacing plastic bottles with natural, more sustainable alternatives is good for oneself and the environment. Another possibility is to introduce small changes in the household. We need less than we think: a few basic cleaning products - products that are refillable, washable and re-useable are so much better than most of the stuff that’s being offered at supermarkets.

Being a responsible consumer also means questioning items: where do they come from? Who produced them? How long did it take for them to get here? How can they benefit me in the longer run? Apart from just thinking practically about the journey of a product, we also believe that the aesthetics are important and can add to our lives.

Where can people find (or find out more) about you and your shop?

Surrounded by other lovely little shops, we are based on lively Zollergasse (in the 7th district of Vienna). We always enjoy having visitors and chatting to them.

Our website www.nowwow.shop was created with love and attention to detail. It is a great place to find out more about us, our motivation and projects. Now and then, we share tips on how to live a more sustainable and plastic-free life on it too.

Last but not least: what is your definition of “Heiterkeit”?

The willingness to actually live life - and to be carefree, no matter how hard and worrying today and the future might seem.

Interview and translations from German: Katharina Geissler-Evans, heiter magahine

Photography: provided by Now Wow

Deutsche Version

Making your home more sustainable can be very easy. Over the years we’ve made a few changes at our house in order to reduce waste and live more in line with our values. A lot of them are simple swaps we’ve made so that we can avoid single-use products. I’d like to share some of them with you today:

Kitchen

baking mats: instead of baking paper we now (re-) use silicone baking mats that are easy to use. A plus: we don’t need a lot of oil or similar when baking/making food in the oven.
reusable kitchen roll: I came across a great alternative to the traditional paper rolls a few years ago. The kitchen roll we use is made from cellulose and cotton. It can be washed and reused several times. The material is biodegradable so once the individual sheets have done their job for good, they go on the compost.
beeswax wraps: a great alternative to cling and tin foil. I dare to say that bread and fruit last longer when wrapped in them.
linen napkins: I don’t like eating without napkins but I had a real problem with using paper napkins and thus, creating more rubbish than necessary. A few years ago, we began to use linen napkins that we now reuse (we all have our own napkins of course) until they need to go into the wash.
jars to store dry food: instead of acquiring more plastic boxes we now use jars to store dry food and herbs. Some of the jars were specifically bought for that purpose, others were former honey and yogurt jars.
refillable coffee capsules & a reusable filter: when we still lived in the UK and Munich we had one of the famous capsule coffee machine. Instead of buying the single use ones, we bought reusable capsules that we filled with coffee we ground ourselves. That way we didn’t have lots of capsules ending up in the bin and could try out a variety of roasted coffee beans (most of them from cafes we loved). Now, that we have a filter coffee machine, we work with a reusable metal filter. It’s great!
metal straws: now and then I love using a straw e.g. for my smoothies, an iced drink in summer. The more sustainable options we have at home are metal straws. Not sure if it’s just me but I think drinks taste even better with them. On a side note, I’ve used bamboo straws too but found them harder to clean.

Bathroom

soap bars: when I was younger I used to love all the colourful shower gels & hand soaps and their fancy smells. What wasn’t great was that I always ended up with plastic bottles that were hard to clean and therefore, couldn’t go into the recycling container (but general waste). One of my friends re-introduced me to soap bars. We had them at my childhood home but over the years I had forgotten about them. Now, they’re my number 1 option. I haven’t warmed to shampoo bars yet (I simply haven’t come across one that works for my fine long hair) but I am open to get convinced other wise.
refillable bottles and containers made from recycled materials: soap bars don’t always work, e.g. for my face wash, toner etc. What I’ve been trying to do though is either go for glass bottles (some brands also offer refills now) or packaging that was made from recycled materials.
reusable make up remover pads: I’ve tried different ones but the pads I like the most are made from bamboo fibre. They’re super soft (even after several washes) and go gentle on my skin. A good alternative to remove eye make-up are facial cleansing sponges. They’re used when damp and are very easy to rinse off afterwards.
toothbrush: at home I have an electric toothbrush that I’ve owned it for a while. Last year I came across a brand from Berlin that offers toothbrush heads that go with my toothbrush but don’t harm the environment once recycled. When I am away for a long weekend, I bring my biodegradable bamboo toothbrush.
sanitary products: I changed my sanitary products a few years ago and am so happy with that change that I’ll never go back. Instead of pads and tampons, I opt for menstruation cups and period pants.

Baby/toddler

wipes: we love using fabric wipes for our son. They are gentle on his skin and easy to wash.
glass bottles: yes, they’re bit heavier than the plastic ones but it is easier to clean them. Also, it feels good to have less plastic in the house.

Cleaning/laundry

fabric cleaning wipes: instead of single-use ones, we use fabric wipes and sponges in our house. I usually wash them on a hotter spin.
natural cleaning products: luckily, it is easy to get natural cleaning products these days. One of my favourite ones is a bath cleaner that is made from recycled vinegar. If you’re super keen, you can also make your own cleaning products using baking powder, vinegar and lemon. I don’t do it a lot but if I do, I usually add a few drops of essential oils to make the house smell lovely.
washing clothes only when necessary: we tend to wash our clothes only when it’s necessary. In most cases it’s enough to hang a blouse outside or next to a hot shower so that it smells fresh again. If I need to wash an item (that is not necessarily one of the cleaning cloths I mentioned above), I wash it on a colder spin. Tip: denim hardly ever needs washing.

Food shopping

baskets and reusable shopping bags: like most other people, we avoid buying bags at the store but bring our own shopping bags and baskets.
containers: I tend to pack my own containers to buy cheeses/fruit etc before I head to the shop. That way I can avoid unnecessary plastic packaging.
plastic alternatives: if there is a chance I can avoid plastic packaging e.g. for milk, yogurt, fruit, I always do. It’s great that so many brands offer glass alternatives or similar these days.

I hope you’ve found my tips useful. Do let me know if you’re planning to introduce some of them to your household. I’d also love to hear from you if you already do the same or if you have sustainable practices that could interest me too.

Words & photo: Katharina Geissler-Evans, heiter magazine

Zero waste and plastic free: eco-lifestyle store Now Wow

Small changes, big difference: making your home more sustainable