independent of the waste this prevents, this just sounds objectively pretty neat, even though there is a big asterisk to it that makes it not viable for a lot of things or a lot of people:
That’s why I was so interested to stumble upon a new supermarket in my neighborhood. It’s called Live Zero, and it looks more like a wholesaler than a traditional grocery store. Goods are stored in clear self-service bins or dispensers, to be poured into containers you bring from home. You can buy all sorts of staples by weight, from raisins to flour to olive oil to shampoo, taking only as much as you need. There’s not a shred of plastic wrap in sight.
Live Zero is part of a growing movement of “zero-waste” supermarkets that aim to end packaging waste by doing away with packaging altogether. The concept began in Europe more than a decade ago, and has since spread globally. There are now zero waste supermarkets from Brooklyn to Sicily to Malaysia to South Africa.
independent of the waste this prevents, this just sounds objectively pretty neat, even though there is a big asterisk to it that makes it not viable for a lot of things or a lot of people:
No packaging means no shelf-stable food, Balkan points out. This is lovely if you have time to pop into the market every day for fresh meat and vegetables, but impractical for the majority of us who rely on a pantry of canned tuna and Tetra Paks of soup. On the retail side, no packaging means you need to move inventory quickly before it spoils—sealed Cheerios last much longer than open bins of granola (and spoiled food means food waste, another environmental problem). It’s also challenging to reduce waste on the supplier’s side, as food needs to be shipped in bags and boxes.
From an environmentalist perspective I love the idea, and if there was a store near me selling things in bulk I'd buy at least some items this way. In fact, we do have some stores that sell things...
even though there is a big asterisk to it that makes it not viable for a lot of things or a lot of people
From an environmentalist perspective I love the idea, and if there was a store near me selling things in bulk I'd buy at least some items this way. In fact, we do have some stores that sell things like nuts, oats, and dried fruit in bulk. But I definitely don't want all food to be package-free, for the reasons mentioned in the article plus an extra one - disability.
All those inconveniences, like having to carry around your own containers, needing to shop more frequently because food spoils faster, and not being able to buy pre-made items like soup, can get compounded with certain disabilities. I don't cook for myself at the moment because I live with my parents and it makes more sense for me to use my energy to work rather than tire myself out cooking. But if I do have to fend for myself again, like I did in college, I'd need to rely on things like frozen meals and pre-chopped vegetables, neither of which have an easy package-free version.
I was pretty heartened that the article examined reasons why it won't be practical for some people and certain types of foods, even if it doesn't mention disability explicitly. It's much more nuanced than the reaction to a Tweet about peeled oranges in a plastic container that gets rehashed on Twitter every so often.
Picking up on your quote: I kinda see this as a solvable problem: introduce these stores in cities or otherwise population-dense markets, and these stores should do a big push to change consumer...
Picking up on your quote:
On the retail side, no packaging means you need to move inventory quickly before it spoils—sealed Cheerios last much longer than open bins of granola (and spoiled food means food waste, another environmental problem). It’s also challenging to reduce waste on the supplier’s side, as food needs to be shipped in bags and boxes.
I kinda see this as a solvable problem: introduce these stores in cities or otherwise population-dense markets, and these stores should do a big push to change consumer perception. If you bring in enough people from all walks of life, with enough frequency to churn through inventory, a store like this would be extremely sustainable over somewhere like, say, Iowa.
This is basically just a farmer's market that keeps store hours rather than only being open on Sundays. Cities already have variants on these.
I kinda see this as a solvable problem: introduce these stores in cities or otherwise population-dense markets, and these stores should do a big push to change consumer perception.
This is basically just a farmer's market that keeps store hours rather than only being open on Sundays. Cities already have variants on these.
This sounds perfect. I'm fully willing to make an effort to reduce my waste but I honestly cant see how I can do this on my own when everything comes in packaging. I'm willing to bring reusable...
This sounds perfect. I'm fully willing to make an effort to reduce my waste but I honestly cant see how I can do this on my own when everything comes in packaging. I'm willing to bring reusable containers to the store, I just need somewhere that will sell stuff unpackaged.
This is especially important for me as my SO has pretty bad food allergies. The points being brought up about not being able to get customers to follow rules is a serious issue, as bulk bins can...
even though there is a big asterisk to it that makes it not viable for a lot of things or a lot of people
This is especially important for me as my SO has pretty bad food allergies. The points being brought up about not being able to get customers to follow rules is a serious issue, as bulk bins can be vulnerable to cross contamination.
Waitrose now sells pasta in boxes made partly from recycled food waste.
This also can be an issue. What if the packaging for food that is safe for you happens to be made from food that is not safe in a way that means you will still have problems with it? I can't even imagine the nightmare of trying to track that down.
Overall, as much as I would love to incorporate something like this into my life, the need to know the history of food products and also to have ingredients lists with the food at all times probably means it's not workable for me in the form that currently exists.
I'm not a germophobe, but there's an aspect of this strategy which makes my epidemiology spider-sense itch. Bulk bins are not a terrible idea for dry goods, but pooled vats of perishable liquids,...
I'm not a germophobe, but there's an aspect of this strategy which makes my epidemiology spider-sense itch.
Bulk bins are not a terrible idea for dry goods, but pooled vats of perishable liquids, bowls of pre-prepped foods, etc. come with extra risks of contamination.
Consumer-provided containers likely haven't been properly sterilized, or get contaminated in transit.
I shopped local food co-ops for years. It was always questionable whether the bulk pantry goods could be kept free from weevils or rodent excreta. Every now and then, there'd be a minor food poisoning outbreak from unwashed produce or a rancid self-serve liquid.
Maybe the business model and better processes for boutique zero-waste stores will be adequately protective, but I wouldn't count on this without some regulation and inspection.
That seems tough though, one of the bigger challenges is that people have to make sure their stuff is sanitized too, and that they aren't introducing contaminants. It's hard to make customers...
Maybe the business model and better processes for boutique zero-waste stores will be adequately protective, but I wouldn't count on this without some regulation and inspection.
That seems tough though, one of the bigger challenges is that people have to make sure their stuff is sanitized too, and that they aren't introducing contaminants. It's hard to make customers follow rules.
The main advantages that people advertised processed food with when it was becoming popular was that it is more hygienic and less likely to be tampered with by your local shopkeeper (like watering down the milk, for example).
I can see this being good for things likes soap, lotion, shampoo, etc. And for dry pantry goods as well (if the pest control issues can be addressed), but I don't think I'd trust my fellow shoppers to not be putting exotic cultures into my yogurt. I think a better option might be to focus on degradable packaging whose shelf-life roughly matches the shelf-life of the product they hold.
independent of the waste this prevents, this just sounds objectively pretty neat, even though there is a big asterisk to it that makes it not viable for a lot of things or a lot of people:
From an environmentalist perspective I love the idea, and if there was a store near me selling things in bulk I'd buy at least some items this way. In fact, we do have some stores that sell things like nuts, oats, and dried fruit in bulk. But I definitely don't want all food to be package-free, for the reasons mentioned in the article plus an extra one - disability.
All those inconveniences, like having to carry around your own containers, needing to shop more frequently because food spoils faster, and not being able to buy pre-made items like soup, can get compounded with certain disabilities. I don't cook for myself at the moment because I live with my parents and it makes more sense for me to use my energy to work rather than tire myself out cooking. But if I do have to fend for myself again, like I did in college, I'd need to rely on things like frozen meals and pre-chopped vegetables, neither of which have an easy package-free version.
I was pretty heartened that the article examined reasons why it won't be practical for some people and certain types of foods, even if it doesn't mention disability explicitly. It's much more nuanced than the reaction to a Tweet about peeled oranges in a plastic container that gets rehashed on Twitter every so often.
Picking up on your quote:
I kinda see this as a solvable problem: introduce these stores in cities or otherwise population-dense markets, and these stores should do a big push to change consumer perception. If you bring in enough people from all walks of life, with enough frequency to churn through inventory, a store like this would be extremely sustainable over somewhere like, say, Iowa.
This is basically just a farmer's market that keeps store hours rather than only being open on Sundays. Cities already have variants on these.
This sounds perfect. I'm fully willing to make an effort to reduce my waste but I honestly cant see how I can do this on my own when everything comes in packaging. I'm willing to bring reusable containers to the store, I just need somewhere that will sell stuff unpackaged.
This is especially important for me as my SO has pretty bad food allergies. The points being brought up about not being able to get customers to follow rules is a serious issue, as bulk bins can be vulnerable to cross contamination.
This also can be an issue. What if the packaging for food that is safe for you happens to be made from food that is not safe in a way that means you will still have problems with it? I can't even imagine the nightmare of trying to track that down.
Overall, as much as I would love to incorporate something like this into my life, the need to know the history of food products and also to have ingredients lists with the food at all times probably means it's not workable for me in the form that currently exists.
I'm not a germophobe, but there's an aspect of this strategy which makes my epidemiology spider-sense itch.
Bulk bins are not a terrible idea for dry goods, but pooled vats of perishable liquids, bowls of pre-prepped foods, etc. come with extra risks of contamination.
Consumer-provided containers likely haven't been properly sterilized, or get contaminated in transit.
I shopped local food co-ops for years. It was always questionable whether the bulk pantry goods could be kept free from weevils or rodent excreta. Every now and then, there'd be a minor food poisoning outbreak from unwashed produce or a rancid self-serve liquid.
Maybe the business model and better processes for boutique zero-waste stores will be adequately protective, but I wouldn't count on this without some regulation and inspection.
That seems tough though, one of the bigger challenges is that people have to make sure their stuff is sanitized too, and that they aren't introducing contaminants. It's hard to make customers follow rules.
The main advantages that people advertised processed food with when it was becoming popular was that it is more hygienic and less likely to be tampered with by your local shopkeeper (like watering down the milk, for example).
I can see this being good for things likes soap, lotion, shampoo, etc. And for dry pantry goods as well (if the pest control issues can be addressed), but I don't think I'd trust my fellow shoppers to not be putting exotic cultures into my yogurt. I think a better option might be to focus on degradable packaging whose shelf-life roughly matches the shelf-life of the product they hold.
What does it mean to correctly label your containers? Do you have to put the weight of the container on it? The item codes?
Still waiting for this trend to catch on in the US :(