This week in Amsterdam, a Dutch chain of grocery stores unveiled an aisle with zero plastic packaging at one of its stores. Ekoplaza’s plastic-free section is being hailed as the “World’s First Plastic-Free Supermarket Aisle.”
The aisle is filled with over 700 products ranging from snacks to cereals. If a product cannot be made wrap-free, the store is utilizing biodegradable packaging. The products in the aisle are not more expensive than plastic-wrapped goods.
Last year, the Guardian published an in-depth story on the extent of plastic waste generated by supermarkets in the United Kingdom. They estimated that nearly 1 million tons are created annually.
Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet, the group behind the plastic-free aisle campaign, stated that, “There is absolutely no logic in wrapping something as fleeting as food in something as indestructible as plastic. Plastic food and drink packaging remains useful for a matter of days yet remains a destructive presence on the earth for centuries afterwards.”
This campaign illustrates plastic wrapping for food products is not necessary. With it, Ekoplaza joins the wave of cities, states, countries, and other groups and individuals that have recognized single-use plastic and foam food containers are a damaging scourge and are destroying ecosystems, harming animals, and blighting the planet.
And this plastic-free aisle is just Ekoplaza’s first step. They have plans to create plastic-free aisles in all of its 74 branches by the end of 2018. Here’s hoping other grocery stores follow their lead!
Wonderful — great — we MUST follow suit! —
WAOOOOWWW!!!!WONDERFUUULLL!!!!?????????????????
Awesome! We need this in the United States!
Wonderful!
Nice !
Congrats, Amersterdam! Now for the rest of the world to follow…
I tend to buy stuff that’s not covered in plastic no need for half of what is covered in plastic make fruit & veg sweat then it starts to wrott in the pkastic cant wait fir this ti come to the uk
fantastic when are uk going to catch up
Love this concept!!
US Grocers and packaging industry—how about this?
Thanku Ekoplaza. I hope all grocery in Australia follow your lead. Currently there is a big push to get Woolworths to stop wrapping some of their produce in plastic and styrofoam.They have promised to but as yet have not followed through.We need to return to the good ol’ days when food especially loose food like produce and lollies were sold to us in paper bags. ????????????????????????????????????⛰???????
WAY TO GO EKOPLAZA! THANK YOU FOR GETTING THIS STARTED! Let’s hope it goes worldwide.
Now, if each U.S. grocery store could do that by starting with one aisle, it would give those of us who believe in recycling and saving the planet and ocean from plastic waste, an alternative. I like the dollars I’m spending to show manufacturers what I like or dislike.
Fantastic. Lets hope the British supermarkets will not be far behind in adopting the same approach. Down with plastic!
Thank you ? I’m so happy for the animals.
Hooray! Now the rest of the world needs to get on board and cut back drastically or eliminate all the plastics that we use and then subsequently toss out, polluting our precious planet. We need to get back to bio-degradable materials. This is great news!
That’s great! The world thanks you!!