RETAIL SPACE
RETAIL SPACE
Selling a waste-free lifestyle
Is it possible to run a retail store that does not produce any trash ? Muneerah Bee finds out from Florence Tay , co-founder of UnPackt , the first zero-waste bulk store in Singapore which opened recently offering food and daily lifestyle products without unnecessary packaging .
UnPackt aims to solve the problem of food waste and excessive plastic packaging .
Why did you decide to open a zero-waste grocery store in Singapore ? Florence Tay : I was motivated to do so after seeing that this could be beneficial for society in many ways . Eco-consciousness has always been a part of my lifestyle , and I want to advocate this lifestyle to other people . For my co-founder Jeff Lam , as someone who lives alone , he realised the disadvantages of overbuying groceries and other household needs . Buying more than you need , especially for food items , means that the food and its packaging will be wasted eventually . We both saw the need for a business that pays attention to consumer and environmental needs rather than being solely focused on making profit . Choosing environmentally-friendly options not only helps the environment , but also the people who live in it .
What do you hope to achieve with this zero-waste grocery store ? Tay : We want to make environmentallyfriendly grocery shopping more available to Singaporeans , and on a societal level , to promote the economic and environmental benefits of this lifestyle . Taking small steps will eventually accumulate big changes , and we hope that stores like UnPackt will help Singaporeans take that first step . We also want to empower disadvantaged communities by employing them , and to support other local start-ups .
In a way , we are bringing back the kampung ( village ) spirit by building a community that cares for each other and the environment we live in . This ties in with the two meanings of our name : firstly , to ‘ unpack ’; reducing the need for packaging waste , and for our customers to make a ‘ pact ’ with us and commit to making changes in their lifestyle .
What are some of the initiatives that UnPackt will implement for the store and customers to ensure a zero-waste policy ? Tay : We want to spread the message of the no-waste lifestyle through outreach initiatives . For the future , UnPackt is looking into conducting educational workshops and activities about environmental consciousness at our store . In conjunction with this , we will help Singaporeans to put what they learn into practice . UnPackt aims to work closely with consumers to understand their needs for living the no-waste lifestyle . We are looking into expanding our product selection and have provided a wish list for in-store shoppers to indicate any new products they would like to purchase , from grocery shopping to home cleaning . We believe that this will help them to implement no-waste options in more aspects of their lives .
What challenges do you foresee in implementing them ? Tay : We need to become more easily accessible for Singaporeans , so we are hoping to open more stores across Singapore . Additionally , we need to get people to make the initial commitment before they see how easy and affordable it is to make small changes that help the environment .
How have your customers responded to your zero-waste concept ? Tay : Thus far , the response has been positive . Many customers are surprised and pleased that it doesn ’ t cost more than what they usually spend on
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Retail Asia June / July 2018 21