‘Do I really need this?’ Zero-waste grocery shopping

This NMF-sponsored video gives us a glimpse of what zero-waste shopping might be like in the near future.

We meet Hannah and Jacob from Greener Habits and Megan from Re:Store – owners of two London grocery stores that stock ethical, vegan and sustainable food products in a plastic- and package-free environment.

They are part of a growing movement of ‘zero-waste’ supermarkets aiming 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.

On the down side, shopping at packaging-free groceries takes extra planning. Car-less city dwellers may find it harder to carry around glass jars in case they need to food shop. And toting a reusable container of pasta or lentils is much heavier than the same products packaged in plastic.

On the retail side, no packaging means you need to move inventory quickly before it spoils, and it’s also challenging to reduce waste on the supplier’s side, as food needs to be shipped in bags and boxes.

That said, it is clear that humankind must do away with its reliance on plastic, if it is to protect the earth and all other species that exist upon it.

Read more about the pros and cons of a plastic- and package-free food chain here.

View the original video here.

Good Living is the Cyprus Mail’s portal of curated content from across the internet, showcasing local and global ideas, cultural highlights, and scientific and technological developments to inspire a sustainable life.