Did you know that the average American is still producing nearly 3 pounds of trash every day? That is a monumental amount of trash! Where does that trash go? It’s actually very unfortunate that this trash is hauled off to dumps and landfills because then it is out of sight, out of mind. Perhaps if we could actually see the amount of trash that we are producing we would think twice before we buy certain items that contain a lot of packaging, or just certain items in general. Overall, consumers just don’t realize what they are contributing to (myself included.)
There are many people now that are becoming aware of this massive issue and they are starting to look at it head on to directly make a difference. There are restaurants, journalists and average consumers that are aiming to create zero-waste. And you know what? They are actually succeeding! From what I have read, it is not even that difficult for these companies and people to achieve this. Once you change your perspective on what you are buying and consuming regularly, the rest just falls into place.
Zero Waste Supermarket
Amazingly a project funded by the company called Social Impact Finance, will be Germany’s first “zero-waste” supermarket. Yes, you read that right, ZERO WASTE. The supermarket, which is called Original Unverpackt (Original Unpacked in English) is aiming to eliminate food packaging waste before it even gets into the shopping cart. The store will encourage people to bring their own containers and bags with them to hold the exact amount of the item they wish to buy. Many of the items will be stored in “bulk-bins.” There will be absolutely nothing that comes in a disposable box, bag, jar or package sold at the store. If you happen to forget your containers, or spontaneously decide to grab something on your way home, don’t worry, there will be containers for you to borrow or recycled paper bags.
The idea for this amazing, innovative, ecologically inspired project came from two German social impact innovators Sara Wolf and Milena Glimbovski. On their website they explained that they want consumers to have the choice of how much food they buy and how much waste they are producing. Check out the video below that explains a bit more about Original Unverpackt.
What Can You Do?
It is true, we have littered the planet with garbage, but we still have a chance to fix what we have done and make smarter, more conscious decisions in the future. Hopefully supermarkets like this will become the new trend and other areas of the world will catch onto creating a more eco-friendly, harmonious, trash free world. Don’t forget, we can all do our part to help cut down the amount of trash we are producing everyday. You can buy bulk as much as possible and bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store. You won’t only be saving money, but saving our Mother Earth as well. Win win.
Much Love
Sources:
http://socialimpactfinance.startnext.de/original-unverpackt
http://www.trueactivist.com/youll-find-no-plastic-or-packaging-at-this-zero-waste-grocery-store/
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