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It was born in Berlin last year and is the first supermarket in the world that does not use any type of packaging for daily grocery and drugstore purchases. It is an idea that is having great success in the capital of Germany and, in addition, it attracts curious people from all over the world who are interested in attacking the great problem posed by the disposal of packaging in the world. And it is that 40% of the waste that we generate in the world comes from the packaging of food. Cans of preserves, pre-made food, egg or milk cartons, meat and fish trays, bags of vegetables and a huge etcetera. Keep reading this article and discover what it is like a supermarket without packaging: the most sustainable proposal to buy.
A solution to the waste problem
Surely it is easy for you to imagine the large amount of packaging that you throw away after a week only in your household. This problem exists and is real. To try to alleviate its effects, it was created Original Uverpackt: the supermarket without packaging. It is a space that proposes a retail sale with zero waste. It was two young Germans, Sara Wolf and Milena Gimbovski, who, after observing with concern the excess packaging that is thrown away every day in small purchases, decided to materialize the idea. They got crowdfunding (a grant given to good ideas, an alternative to creating businesses and associations widely practiced in Berlin) and have already won several awards for the genius of their idea. In addition, two other supermarkets of this type have already been opened.
Every 5 minutes, 2 million tons are generated in the world. The figures are really scary so, if all supermarkets were like Original Unverpackt, this problem would decrease significantly. There, products are sold in bulk, brands matter less. They still don't have all kinds of products, but you can get out of there with the basics for feeding a home.
How the supermarket works without packaging
How does it work for the consumer? All foods are in containers with dispensers. In this way, the buyer can decide how much of each product is taken and transport it home without packaging. You only need one thing to buy at Original Unverparck: bring your own container or bag and reuse it. A cloth bag for bread, for example, a lunch box or tupper for fresh products, glass bottles for drinks … In addition, the creators point out another advantage: the consumer can choose at any time the amount of food they take and they pay just for that. No more buying a standard size meat tray and ending up throwing out half. Buying in a supermarket without packaging, we will know what we buy and we will do it with an ecological conscience. Unfortunately, this supermarket is not yet in Spain but it is a good initiative that the Germans are welcoming very well.
A successful business
The creators needed 50,000 euros to start it up and they got someone who believed in their idea and gave them that money. In just three weeks, they got three times more than they invested. It also helped that Berlin is one of the most eco-conscious European cities, especially when it comes to recycling waste.
There are many things that we can buy in this supermarket: legumes, nuts, sweets, fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, spices, detergent … almost everything necessary for basic food. And with zero packaging!
From kilometer 0
Its creators define it as "the supermarket of the future". They also feature drink taps so shoppers can refill their reusable bottles. In addition, each product has a label where it explains very well the content of each food and where it comes from. This supermarket also tries promote local product, a more ecological product to avoid the contamination that occurs during the transport process.
The supermarket of the future
The Original Unverparkt, which means in German "unpacked original" has been defined as a "modern and sustainable" supermarket and although it is modern, it returns to recover the sale in bulk by quantity of the stores of old. It is based, not on the “after” (recycling the packaging of the products we buy), but on the “before” facet (that is, buying without packaging and avoiding general garbage). Not only does it encourage consumers to shop with their own packaging, but they can also use the recycled paper bags offered by the store or “borrow” the containers. That is, once the product has been consumed (such as a jar of jam), the container is returned to the supermarket to be used by other customers. It was an ambitious project but a good idea that serves, not only to save a certain amount of garbage to the Planet, but to encourage other supermarkets around the world to do the same.
An idea that can be extended
It is still a new project that is not even a year old (although imitators have already emerged), they are making many improvements and expanding the product line so that, soon, you can buy there and find everything that the consumer can need in a house. It is the supermarket of the future, a purchase without packaging. More economical, fairer, more flexible and, above all, more sustainable.
¿This ecological initiative would work in Spain? This is one of the questions asked by various sectors that are thinking of implementing this type of supermarkets in our country, also promoting the elimination or reduction of packaging, as well as the regional and national product.
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