From the Unpackaged website:

Remember: 
Reduce by only buying what you need
Reuse by bringing your containers for a refill
Recycle what you can’t reuse

And… if you can’t reuse or recycle it then don’t buy it!

We all know what happens when we open up our box of breakfast cereal for the first time. After tearing through the cardboard, we then rip through a plastic bag, and sometimes there is even a third layer to get through! Catherine Conway, who opened The Unpackaged Store in London has given this issue a lot of thought. Instead of packaging the cereal (or spices, vegetables, bread etc) in layers upon layers of waste that will only end up in a landfill, why not have shoppers bring their own reusable packaging for everything?

The benefits to this are endless. Besides the obvious reduction of packaging and thus waste, the production costs are driven down so the consumer actually ends up spending less on a higher quality product. We no longer have to reimburse the company for all the money and effort spent on unnecessary packaging. If this were implemented on a wider scale the consumer could eventually save further in taxes used for garbage services. In addition, you can only buy the amount of product you actually plan on consuming. This reduces waste as well – no more throwing out half filled boxes of stale cereal!

The Unpackaged Store doesn’t care what kind of container you use to put your goods in. They will let you fill anything from plastic Tupperware to glass jars to old takeout containers. They carry a wide selection of goods including mainstream favourites like free range eggs, wild rice, and banana chips to specialized products like dried exotic mushroom mix, bee pollen, and biodegradable chewing gum. As much as possible The Unpackaged Store uses sustainable practices like using local providers, certified organic, seasonal produce, fair trade, minimal transport of product, and the promotion of waste reduction and healthy eating.  

The idea behind this store isn’t necessarily novel, however following through on such a grand scale definitely is. Imagine the impact if more stores like this popped up?

For more information on The Unpackaged Store visit their website at http://beunpackaged.com/

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