Groceries without Packaging

Acts of Leadership are not simply about work. We also benefit from taking a leadership role on how much rubbish we each generate.

Trendwatching report that two new format supermarkets have popped up recently: Unpackaged in London and in.gredients in Texas, USA. Like the Bin Inn chain in New Zealand, but on a far trendier format, these shops allow you to purchase bulk items directly into your own containers. You can even drop off your grocery list and your empty containers in the morning, and pick them up refilled in the afternoon. Great customer service!

However, this style of shopping is something we should return to: shop where we can buy items that come with less packaging. Yes, it is a bit less convenient - we need to remember to take our bulk flour bin into town with us - but hopefully you all have recyclable grocery bags in with you anyway, so adding the containers for refilling is just one additional step in household planning!

While it is not that much cheaper for us to shop this way in purely financial terms, in terms of footprint, landfill and consumption, it is very much cheaper. It also has a much lower social costs and higher sustainability factors. It is one small strip we can peel away from of our enormous Western global footprint.

And for Kiwis; remember that Bin Inn is 100% New Zealand owned and operated. Go to http://www.bininn.co.nz/locations to see where shops are near you.

• Reference: Trendwatching (2013). September 2013 Trend Briefing: Demanding Brands. Retrieved 5 September 2013 from http://www.trendwatching.com/trends/demandingbrands

Sam