This is one practice from the olden days that I would be happy to go back to doing. Come to AZ in one of the many apartment buildings with retail space in the bottom and you'll have 300 or more guaranteed customers.
I'm in the Midwest and there's one of these stores by me. They also have collection bins for recycling certain plastics that aren't otherwise accepted like disposable razors, toothpaste tubes and makeup compacts. Every one of these stores should encourage keeping the aforementioned out of landfills as much as possible.
Refill stores are tackling single-use plastic waste by allowing customers to bring their own containers for products. These stores are growing in number across the US, offering a sustainable shopping alternative and helping reduce plastic packaging demand.
We had one of those nut dispensers at our local store. Someone I know working there said they wouldn’t dare buy the nuts from it because the dispensers are never cleaned- and he was talking six years of it. I am ALL for some sort of dispensary store where shoppers bring their own containers or return containers to be washed/resued, but there have to be safety issues addressed first. If you remember the 80’s aspirin tampering, the whole reason why the nation went nuts with packaging is because of the harm just one dickbag can do to many innocent people. We can’t just waive this off, like it’s rare, especially these days. I’ve also heard of kids flinging boogers into the nut dispensers. Things like this is why we have safe packaging but a waste problem. We need guidelines for this. All these companies using plastics should be held accountable for the current issues with waste. We can do this, but it’s got to be better than just plain dispensation like this.
I can see why this video popped up on my recommendations page this morning- the first store (Trace) is in my county, and we've been stopping by when in the neighborhood for years. They have had some interesting guest speakers, have brought in authors in collaboration with the book store down the street, and host the occasional class, and a batch of local recycling (etc.) resources posted by the front door, so has more of an engaged 'member of the community' support vibe going than most eco-friendly themed stores I've encountered. The video focused on the refillable goods along the walls, but the center islands also have much more permanent, buy once solutions which I have gravitated to more, not living in walking or easy public transit distance. It's a good place to get ideas and small gifts, like birthday cards with seeds imbedded that can be composted into wildflowers. I am glad they exist, but worry whether the bulk goods refill business model is sustainable long-term given competition from larger, greenwashed grocery stores in the area that have inventory overlap. They have out-lasted two sustainable stores just outside the county and have made it half a decade now, so I'm hopeful they'll stick around.
Curious about the logistics? Are they all making stuff in house to acquire things which can't be acquired without plastic packaging? The first place had cereal, which I suspect came wrapped in plastic. Is it like "bulk packaging" uses less plastic when spread out amongst people?
I'm all for less waste, but this kind of shopping is a nightmare for people with food allergies. I'm betting they don't always store the same goods in the same bins, and rarely clean them out. It's a cross-contamination nightmare. It's certainly a privileged life to be able to buy your food like this.
Back to the co-ops some of us hippies grew up with. I am ecstatic to see this shop in action, she’s making my dreams come true.
hope it catches on
This is one practice from the olden days that I would be happy to go back to doing. Come to AZ in one of the many apartment buildings with retail space in the bottom and you'll have 300 or more guaranteed customers.
I'm in the Midwest and there's one of these stores by me. They also have collection bins for recycling certain plastics that aren't otherwise accepted like disposable razors, toothpaste tubes and makeup compacts. Every one of these stores should encourage keeping the aforementioned out of landfills as much as possible.
Finally a good news story! Need a break from all the waste, suffering and bloodshed stories.
We have one here for laundry detergents. Anna In Ohio
Refill stores are tackling single-use plastic waste by allowing customers to bring their own containers for products. These stores are growing in number across the US, offering a sustainable shopping alternative and helping reduce plastic packaging demand.
I wish there were more of these stores!
We had one of those nut dispensers at our local store. Someone I know working there said they wouldn’t dare buy the nuts from it because the dispensers are never cleaned- and he was talking six years of it. I am ALL for some sort of dispensary store where shoppers bring their own containers or return containers to be washed/resued, but there have to be safety issues addressed first. If you remember the 80’s aspirin tampering, the whole reason why the nation went nuts with packaging is because of the harm just one dickbag can do to many innocent people. We can’t just waive this off, like it’s rare, especially these days. I’ve also heard of kids flinging boogers into the nut dispensers. Things like this is why we have safe packaging but a waste problem.
We need guidelines for this. All these companies using plastics should be held accountable for the current issues with waste. We can do this, but it’s got to be better than just plain dispensation like this.
I can see why this video popped up on my recommendations page this morning- the first store (Trace) is in my county, and we've been stopping by when in the neighborhood for years.
They have had some interesting guest speakers, have brought in authors in collaboration with the book store down the street, and host the occasional class, and a batch of local recycling (etc.) resources posted by the front door, so has more of an engaged 'member of the community' support vibe going than most eco-friendly themed stores I've encountered.
The video focused on the refillable goods along the walls, but the center islands also have much more permanent, buy once solutions which I have gravitated to more, not living in walking or easy public transit distance. It's a good place to get ideas and small gifts, like birthday cards with seeds imbedded that can be composted into wildflowers.
I am glad they exist, but worry whether the bulk goods refill business model is sustainable long-term given competition from larger, greenwashed grocery stores in the area that have inventory overlap. They have out-lasted two sustainable stores just outside the county and have made it half a decade now, so I'm hopeful they'll stick around.
Curious about the logistics? Are they all making stuff in house to acquire things which can't be acquired without plastic packaging?
The first place had cereal, which I suspect came wrapped in plastic. Is it like "bulk packaging" uses less plastic when spread out amongst people?
I think some of the items do come bulk in plastic, but at least it’s not then sold in smaller plastic bags a second time like modern cereal packaging
What a great idea. Bravo ladies. Hope this catches on. 🤗
Very cool
May my voice be on the Voice of America, too?? I promise, I really behaved!!
I'm all for less waste, but this kind of shopping is a nightmare for people with food allergies. I'm betting they don't always store the same goods in the same bins, and rarely clean them out. It's a cross-contamination nightmare. It's certainly a privileged life to be able to buy your food like this.
It's ONLY a "problem" for EXTREMISTS! MOST OF us could CARE LESS!
Not a real problem... Made up
Ok boomer 😏