No Plastic Bags Provided: BYOB When You Shop At This Zero Waste Store In Jurong Point

If you haven’t already noticed, being eco-friendly is quite the rage as of late (as it should be). From fast food chains banning plastic straws to encouraging shoppers to bring their own bags for their grocery shopping, efforts to reduce waste created by single-use plastics are being increasingly adopted in Singapore.

In efforts to save our earth one plastic at a time we first saw the opening of Unpackt back in April – the first zero-waste grocery store in Singapore.

Now, we have Reprovisions – a newly opened zero-waste bulk store in Jurong Point.

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Bring Your Own Bags

According to the Singapore Environment Council, we’re still producing a massive amount of plastic waste – 815,200 tonnes last year to be specific. However it’s great to see that movements to reduce our reliance on single-use plastic are gaining traction here too.

Recently opened in Jurong Point (11 Oct), customers are expected to bring their own reusable package to bag their food items and sundries.

Reprovisions mainly sells healthy fare such as nuts and dried fruits as well as staples like pasta and spice blends from Anthony The Spicemaker.

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Adopting the weigh-and-pay concept, customers you will have to weigh your containers, jars or bottles on a weighing scale provided so that the weight can be noted down and excluded from your total bill.

Here are some of the items you can expect from Reprovisions:

Spice mixes from local spice shop Anthony the Spice Maker going between S$5.40 to S$6.30. From basics such as ground turmeric and ginger to mixes such as tandoori and black pepper crab, you can just buy what you need!

[caption id="attachment_37875" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Image Credit: Sofia Khanafie Facebook[/caption]

They also carry pasta from popular Italian brand Barilla going for $0.46 per 100 grams. A box of Barilla spaghetti from the usual supermarkets would cost about $2.55 for 500g.

[caption id="attachment_37877" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Image Credit: Sofia Khanafie Facebook[/caption]

And also 6 different types of rice for as low as $0.25 per 100g.

[caption id="attachment_37876" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Image Credit: Sofia Khanafie Facebook[/caption]

If you’re looking for something sweet, Reprovisions carries an assortment of liquorice flavours such as sour watermelon, sour rainbow and sweet bubblegum going for $3.50 per strip.

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How To Purchase

Customers who bring their own packaging will have to weigh their empty containers before filling it with their desired items. As you go about your shopping, write down the product codes before dispensing or scooping the products you want.

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Reprovisions also provides kraft bags and reusable jars in case you don’t have your own container on hand.

This encourages customers to head down with a “shopping list” in mind so as to curb impulse purchases and reduce waste.

Reprovisions is an amazing social enterprise that can hopefully move Singaporeans away from plastic wastage and being more eco-friendly.

Reprovisions
Address: Jurong Point Shopping Centre, 1 Jurong West Central 2, Singapore 648886 #03-32/33
Opening Hours: Mon – Fri: 10.30am – 9.30pm, Sat – Sun: 10.30am – 10pm, PH: 10.30am – 10pm
Facebook 

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(Header Image Source: Reprovisions)

From June 20, Your KFC Drinks Will No Longer Come With Plastic Caps And Straws

Starting 20 June 2018, all 84 KFC restaurants nationwide will stop serving beverages with plastic caps and straws.

It comes as no surprise as there’s been a ramping up of anti-plastic waste measures by huge companies recently.

For example, Deliveroo Singapore pledged to do its part to cut down the use of plastic with the introduction of an “opt-in function” for cutlery on World Environment Day (5 June).

There are also plenty of start ups in Singapore introducing bamboo/metal straws to encourage Singaporeans to ditch the plastic straws and opt for reusable ones instead. Melissa Lam, the Bamboo Straw Girl, sells reusable bamboo straws and other products such as natural soap bars, bamboo fountain pens, and fabric wraps, and strawkeepers.

Ditch The Plastic Straws

In a bid to reduce single-use plastics, KFC will stop serving their drinks with plastic caps and straws as part of their No Straws initiative.

[caption id="attachment_35156" align="aligncenter" width="1280"]KFC Singapore Image Credit: NTUC ThisWeek[/caption]

Lynette Lee, General Manager of Kentucky Fried Chicken Management Pte Ltd, said: “We acknowledge the strain that single-use plastics put on our environment and are taking steps to do our part in endeavouring a change.

This makes KFC the very first fast food chain in Singapore to ditch single-use plastics. It has been estimated that this move will “save 17.8 metric tons of single-use plastics in a year”.

Since December 2016, KFC Singapore has made efforts to go green by swapping out paper boxes for reusable baskets for dine-in meals. In early 2017, KFC introduced recyclable paper packaging for their breakfast platters in place of foam packaging for their KFC a.m. menu.

These initiatives saw a reduction of close to 2.5 million paper boxes and over 700,000 sets of foam packaging in a span of only 6 months.

KFC Singapore also added that they will continue to review and rollout the use of more biodegradable packaging for their offerings as part of their ongoing eco-conscious efforts.

Good on you KFC, you’re doing it right!

What are your thoughts on KFC ditching their straws and plastic caps? Let us know!

KFC Singapore
Address: Find your nearest outlet here
Website

Also Read From Seoul To S’pore – Korea’s Popular Isaac Toast Chain To Open In Plaza Singapura This July

(Header Image Source: KFC Singapore)

Sorry, No Bags Provided – First Zero Waste Grocery Store In Singapore Wants You To BYOB

Let’s admit, if we had to pay 5 cents for a plastic bag at the supermarket check-out counter, we would gladly pay it.

After all, what’s 5 cents if it brings a whole deal of convenience for you. For most mothers, a plastic bag is used for more than just carrying their groceries home, it’s used to dispose our trash as well.

In fact, Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Amy Khor mentioned on Tuesday (March 6), that “Imposing a charge or ban on disposable plastic bags and substituting them with other types of disposable bags is unlikely to improve environmental outcomes.”

[caption id="attachment_34222" align="aligncenter" width="606"] Image Credit: UnPackt is Singapore’s first grocery store where goods will be sold without any packaging.

Saving The Earth One Plastic At A Time

In most supermarket chains across Europe, bringing your own bags for your groceries is a cultural norm. If you don’t bring your own bags, you’ll either end up carrying everything or paying for each bag as you leave the grocery.

UnPackt is the first of its kind in Singapore, where customers are expected to bring their own reusable package to bag their food items and sundries.

[caption id="attachment_34221" align="aligncenter" width="1728"] Image Credit: Unpackt Facebook[/caption]

It’s a social enterprise that aims to spread the zero waste message and make packaging free shopping more accessible across Singapore.

Before going about your shopping, you will have to weigh your containers, jars or bottles on a weighing scale provided so that the weight can be noted down and excluded from your total bill.

After filling up your containers with food, you will have to weigh your containers again at the counter before making payment.

This encourages customers to head down with a “shopping list” in mind so as to curb impulse purchases and reduce waste.

[caption id="attachment_34220" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] Image Credit: Unpackt Facebook[/caption]

As a start, the store will be selling healthier food options such as rice with lower glycemic index, organic pasta and superfood powders dispensed in large self-serve gravity bins to minimise individual packaging.

Goods will also be priced lower than regular high street items since they are packaging free after all.

They aim to expand the store offerings with consumer items such as body wash, shampoos and even stainless steel, making it the one-stop shop for green and sustainable living.

Once UnPackt is operationally stable, it aims to hire full time staff, with a preference for single mother and senior citizens.

[caption id="attachment_34223" align="aligncenter" width="659"] Image Credit: Unpackt Facebook[/caption]

The launch of UnPackt comes at a time when Singapore’s waste footprint has creeped into the mainstream consumer consciousness.

Just last year, it was reported that we produced more than 800 million kg worth of plastic waste – only 6% of which was recycled.

We can reduce plastic wastage if we all make the conscious effort to do so. Maybe hopping on to the zero waste camp is a brilliant decision at the end of the day.

Becoming eco conscious can start from simple daily things such as bringing your own takeaway containers and stainless steel straws. Tiny changes in our lifestyle can be cultivated into habits.

UnPackt is an amazing social enterprise that can hopefully move Singaporeans away from plastic wastage and being more eco-friendly.

Perhaps only then, will I believe that we’re truly a “Clean and Green City”.

UnPackt will open their doors Saturday, 5 May. Bring your own glass jars, containers and bottles and start on an eco-friendly, packaging free journey with them!

UnPackt
Address: 6 Jalan Kuras, Singapore 577724
Opening Hours: 9am – 8pm, daily
Website

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(Header Image Source: Unpackt Facebook)