When you shop at Unpackt, Singapore’s first zero-waste grocery stores, make sure you take your own containers. Tucked away in Jalan Kuras, off Upper Thomson Road, the 1,200 square feet shop, which opened yesterday (5 May), looks nothing like a conventional grocery store.
Instead of tightly packed aisles with brightly packaged sundries, customers will find an open-concept store with shelves lining only the perimeter of the space.
There are no plastic bags. Instead, dried goods such as pasta, grains, rice, nuts and lentils are stored in gravity dispensers, their prices stated by weight. In another corner are large glass and metal dispensers for liquid items such as balsamic vinegar and oils, as well as eco-friendly enzyme-based detergents and surface cleaners. Also available in the store are environmentally friendly lifestyle products including organic soaps and beeswax wraps, which are reusable wraps that can replace disposable products such as plastic cling film.
To make a purchase here, customers need to take along their own glass or plastic containers, which they will have to weigh before filling with the items of their choice. Customers who do not have a container can use a donated plastic container at the store for free, or buy a new glass container.
The social enterprise is the brainchild of friends Florence Tay, 36, and Jeff Lam, 38, who decided to go into business together.
“I feel Singaporeans are ready for such a business because more people care about the environment and want to live a more minimalist lifestyle where they are not creating so much waste,” the singleton says.
As Unpackt is registered with the Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise (raiSE), it plans to employ single mothers and has kept a back room free for employees who may need to take their children to work.
Ms Loveleen Kaur, 26, says she is looking forward to having Unpackt in her neighbourhood.
“In Singapore, we have so much unnecessary packaging and this is a great way to stock up on staples without packaging,” the kindergarten teacher says.
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Source: The Straits Times, 6 May 2018