Eliminate the packaging bag
In recent years, even though the recycling and recycling has been used on discarded packaging, the effects are not ideal, and the rate of waste is greater than the rate of recycling.
In Berlin, a supermarket called Original Unverpackt argues that it is better to promote precycling than to worry about recycling packaging waste, by removing bags from the shopping habit by avoiding buying household or commercial items that generate waste.
In ordinary supermarkets, fruits, milk and vegetables almost all come with their own packaging. In Original Unverpackt, customers can hardly find the packaging. Sara Wolf and Miena Glimbovski dropped out of college to cut the bag at source, spending two years organizing this "maverick" supermarket. Miena Glimbovski says: "in the case of cucumbers, nature has given them a 'packaging'.
The Original Unverpackt advocates the concept of "zero waste" to reduce the consumption of resources such as water and gasoline, which permeates every link of the supply chain. Everyday goods and organic goods sold here come from local suppliers, which can effectively reduce transportation costs and pollution during transportation.
Supermarkets are expected to sell more than 600 items, not in single-use packaging, but in whole batches in open-down containers with a control lever that customers buy on demand. The shopping rule here is: you must bring your own container to take the item away, or borrow reusable containers or reusable bags from the supermarket. Rest assured, although do not have packing bag, but product information such as production place, nutrition composition still can be marked clearly.
In addition to food, supermarkets sell daily goods such as shampoo and diapers, but since there is no packaging, there are restrictions on the type of goods, such as toothpaste that cannot sell a tube, only powdered teeth. It is worth mentioning that the price of goods in the store is high and low, which is generally close to the public, and won't make customers feel short of money when they go around two times.
The Original Unverpackt offers a different shopping experience than the dazzling lights and loud promotional sound of ordinary supermarkets. The interior decoration style of the store is simple and modern, and the decoration also pays attention to implementing the concept of environmental protection. For example, the use of environment-friendly Windows, energy-saving lighting and wood flooring can create a shopping environment closer to nature. More interestingly, during the day, the Original Unverpackt is a supermarket that, at night, can be turned into an event venue to play environmentally friendly films about green economy and zero waste.
While packing bags aren't exactly an environmental killer, some can extend the shelf life of food and reduce waste from spoilage. But for the natural environment, it is necessary to reduce white pollution. According to the world wildlife fund, about 8 million plastic bags, bottles and cans are floating in the ocean. In Germany, about 16 million tons of packaging waste lies in landfills each year. In the face of shocking Numbers, the Original Unverpackt carried the flag in the environmental war.
In some American cities, people pay 10 cents for plastic bags. In China, the ban has been in place for some years. While government guidance has been effective, the Original Unverpackt has proposed a new model that combines buying and selling.
In order to open its first store in Berlin, Original Unverpackt raised funds at Startnext on May 12. As of June 11, it had received 102,000 euros (about 857,000 yuan), more than twice the initial target of 45,000 euros and more than 3,000 contributions. Before crowdfunding, the project has received some large private investment, and the fundraising on the crowdfunding platform is to supplement the last part of "working capital". The Original Unverpackt did not disclose the total amount of financing and the usefulness of crowdfunding, but it seems that operating costs are not low.
