Part of being green is using natural ingredients, buying locally grown and produced products, and carrying your own reusable bags to the store. But, what about all the packing your products are in? Flour you use to make homemade bread comes in a bag and some oranges come in a mesh-like bag. Are you really making that much of a difference if you still have product packaging waste?
Well, it may seem a little uber-green, but it is reported that we toss out 1.4 billion pounds of waste every day in America. And, even more alarming to me is that about 40 percent of that waste is one-time packaging, like the flour bag that will never be used again.
The Lane brothers, Christian and Joseph, are hoping to make a least a dent in that massive amount of one-time packaging by opening In.gredients in Austin, Texas. The store, scheduled to open this fall, will be the first package-free and zero waste grocery store in the U.S.
The concept may seem pretty revolutionary, but actually, it is pretty basic. Customers at In.gredients will be able to buy in bulk and must bring their own containers to the store. Rather than recycling waste, the Lane Brothers are calling it “precycling” – getting rid of the waste before it is even created.
Your container is weighed when you come in the store. Then the product, let’s say flour, is added to the container, it is weighed again, and you are only charged for your product weight.
The Lanes also plan to carry oils, baking supplies, grains, produce, dairy, meat, beer, wine, and household cleaners – all without store packaging.
In.gredients is also hoping to sell organic produce, feature locally produced products, and collect rain and waste water. Plus, they promise to carry only food that is in season, so you won’t have to settle for veggies and fruits that aren’t quite up to par.
If you think this sounds like a great idea that will really take off once it gets going, you can even invest in the company. If this type of store is available in your neighborhood, will you frequent it?