Former business executives Florence Tay and Jeff Lam co-founded UnPackt with aims to spread the message on zero-waste living, affect change and make packaging-free shopping more accessible in Singapore.
Unpackt, which is run by a social enterprise, announced its intention to help seniors and single parents by making employee positions available to them.
As Unpackt does not do deliveries, it encourages shoppers to see the goods in person and make decisions to fit their own zero-waste needs. Unpackt has helpful staff to assist customers with tailoring their shopping and make helpful recommendations.
The opening of Singapore’s first completely “green” store, from product to packaging (or lack thereof, in this case), has left citizens undecided.
Some are raving about having a sustainable option for shopping:
Others are unsure if its as budget-friendly as it says it is and challenges its “zero waste” standards by pointing out labels:
And there were recommendations made to make the shopping experience better:
Unpackt, with its friendly attitude and welcoming approach, has an appealing store that is flooded with natural light. They carry grocery items, fresh produce, body and health products, and some house items.
Unpackt works in partnership with local farmers and businessmen and welcomes tie-ups with others who share their zero-waste vision. For events, partnerships and the like, they can be reached at info@unpackt.com.sg.
Unpackt is another local effort at curbing the staggering plastic problem the world faces. According to statistics from the National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore generated a total of 815,200 tonnes of plastic waste in 2017. 763,400 tonnes of plastic waste were disposed of while 51,800 tonnes were recycled (at a rate of 6%).
Think about that the next time you go shopping.