*Shop staff strip off in protest at packaging

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Shop staff strip off in protest at packaging
By Diana Pilkington

Wimbledon shoppers got an eyeful of a cheeky display this afternoon when staff at Lush stripped off.

For one hour, employees at the cosmetics store bared all, with only an apron to hide their modesty.

The luscious sight had a serious message behind it though, as the pinafore-clad workers helped passerby get to the bottom of an important issue - urging people to go naked by purchasing goods with no packaging.

Trainee manager Wendy Reiding said: "The staff at this branch are very much into recycling and being as green as possible, so we were really excited by the idea.

"For the first 10 minutes I felt quite uncomfortable, but it wore off because the main bits were covered".

"Our aprons said 'Ask me why I'm naked' so lots of people spoke to us, and we got a nice reaction. I think we got our point across."

According to Lush, packaging contributes to two per cent of overall greenhouse gases, and plastic uses eight per cent of the world's oil resources.

Lush tries to eliminate packaging by selling solid, naked products - such as shampoo bars, conditioners, massage bars and soaps - which do not need to be put in plastic bottles.

The store's naked campaign was part of a national effort, with similar events happening in 55 cities in the UK.

"Packaging is rubbish and for too long we have had to suffer excessive amounts of it," said Lush founder Mark Constantine.

"Now that the true financial and environmental costs are becoming obvious, customers are challenging manufacturers and retails to cut the wrap."