BIG is an organization dedicated to helping consumers, food makers and grocers learn about the many environmental and economic benefits of bulk foods.

by Admin on Sep 25, 2011 at 4:40 PM
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The following states have issued proclamations declaring National Bulk Foods Week.  
 

-Alabama
-Arizona

-Colorado

-Connecticut
-Idaho
-Illinois
-Maine
-Maryland
-Nebraska
-New Hampshire
-Oregon
-Rhode Island
-Vermont

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by Admin on Aug 10, 2011 at 10:00 AM
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Catherine Conway, www.beunpackaged.com
London, England UK -- 8/10/2011

Unpackaged is an organic refill grocery in London, UK. Since we opened in 2007, our aim has been to sell fantastic products and help our customers shop more sustainably by offering most of our products in refills. We encourage our customers to bring their own packaging to refill and make it easy for them to do so.

Rather than have a separate refill section within a conventional grocery store, we take refill as our central concept and are working towards being able to offer every product we sell as a refill.
 
Our policy is to sell high quality, organic & environmentally sustainable products, sourced seasonally & direct from local producers. Working directly with local producers means we can extend our philosophy of packaging reuse both up and down the supply chain.
 
I see our refill concept holistically – it is about how we deliver food from producer to customer, from farm to fork, taking into account all the social, economic & environmental impacts in the journey. I truly believe that Unpackaged is a sustainable, competitive answer to some of the key modern challenges our food supply chain faces.
 
So, in a nutshell, this is why we do what we do:

1. C0²e reduction from less packaging - There is an average 48% reduction in emissions each time a product is refilled from Unpackaged  compared to the same product bought in traditional packaging. This figure will only increase as we grow and improve our systems.
 

2. The reduction of material waste from landfill & incineration – Taking an average shopping basket of 10 products refilled across the year, 118 pieces of packaging are saved from landfill . This represents a significant environmental saving, as well as a cost saving to local government who are under strict reduction targets to reduce landfill waste due to increasing European legislation. Failure to meet these targets will result in financial penalties passed on to householders through increased local taxes.

3. Less food waste as customers can buy just the amount they want - 8.3 million tonnes of food is thrown away by households in the UK every year, which equates to roughly 1/3 of the food that consumers buy – a criminal waste. It is also the equivalent of 20 million tonnes of C0² emissions every year , we show that small changes to consumers’ buying habits can have big environmental impacts.

4. Positive behaviour change - We help our customers consume more sustainably. 60% of customers said that since they started shopping with Unpackaged they do not buy over-packaged products in other shops . We know that the simple act of thinking about bringing containers down to refill helps customers change their behaviour in a positive way, and positive associations are more likely to lead to lasting change because consumers can see the benefits in their own lives.

5. Economic benefits across the supply chain:
    Producers: Producers gain better margins on bulk products
   
    Customers: Save money by not spending on packaging (the annual extra packaging cost for the average UK family has been estimated at £470 ; by buying only what they need rather wasting
    food, a family can save an additional £480 )
   
    The Community: Research carried out into the sustainability of  SME’s (small and medium sized enterprises) and the health of local communities shows that the act of reusing and refilling
    products made locally keeps money in the local economy . Local multiplier effects show that £1 spent with a local supplier is worth £1.76 to the local economy whereas the community only
    benefits from 36p if it is spent with a chain store . The more local shops we can encourage, the better for each community - socially, economically & environmentally.

However, there is always a danger when people, or organisations, think theirs is the only way – we fully recognise the need for a diverse range of solutions to the complex problem of food related climate change. We’re part of the solution and just trying to be the best at what we do.

Unpackaged will celebrate its fourth birthday in November 2011, testament to our fantastic and committed customers who share our vision for a more sustainable world, and a nice chat over the counter as they shop!

We’re brimming with ideas of how to replicate our model to make it available to many more communities and increase our social impact.

Our vision is a world with less wasteful packaging and we’re achieving it one customer at a time!


[1] Unpackaged Giraffe Innovation Greenhouse Gas Assessment 2008
[2] Internal estimation
[4] Unpackaged 1st anniversary customer survey
[5] Women’s Institute Packaging Campaign http://www.thewi.org.uk/standard.aspx?id=10926
[6] Ibid WRAP
[7] Hawken, Paul. The Ecology of Commerce p144 - 145

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by Admin on Mar 4, 2011 at 4:57 PM
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March 4, 2011

Dear Valued Retailer,

In recognition of National Bulk Foods Week, October 16-22, 2011, the Bulk is Green Council (BIG), is calling on respected food retailers such as yourself to take part in a fun and free promotional opportunity.  Founded in 2008, BIG is a research and advocacy organization dedicated to increasing consumer, retailer and grocer awareness of the environmental and economic benefits of buying natural and organic food in the bulk aisle of the grocery store.

BIG would like to provide you signage and other collateral material to use in your store during National Bulk Foods Week.  This material will highlight the environmental and economic benefits of shopping in the bulk foods aisle.  If you opt to take part, we’ll also include your store name (and images – if you send them) in the public relation efforts we use to secure media coverage about the promotion at no charge.  Last year’s National Bulk Foods Day promotion was mentioned in trade media such Progressive Grocer and consumer media such as Rodale.com, to name a few.  Additionally, you’ll get your store in the running for BIG’s newest industry recognition – the 2011 Best Bulk Food Retailer of the Year.

In a tough economy, your customers are paying close attention to what they buy at the grocery store.  Shopping in bulk offers them the opportunity to save anywhere from 35 to 96 percent, reduce food waste by buying only a pinch or a pound, and decrease their carbon footprint by consuming limited packaging.  Additional information and resources are available at www.BulkisGreen.org.

What:  National Bulk Foods Week
When:  Saturday, October 16th through Saturday, October 22nd
Where: Grocery stores and co-ops throughout the United States
We look forward to hearing back from you and we hope you will participate in our National Bulk Foods Week promotion!  For more information, please contact me as listed below.

Best Regards,
Bart McKnight
On behalf of the Bulk is Green Council

www.BulkisGreen.org
501-664-1318
[email protected]
www.tradefixtures.com

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by Admin on Jan 3, 2011 at 2:27 PM
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Portland, Ore. – January 3, 2011 – As the world continues to recover from the global economic crisis, customers continue to seek and explore value added, money saving opportunities.  Here are some articles from this past year which illustrate why buying bulk foods is not only good for the environment, but also good for you.  It was a busy, and successful 2010, and we look forward to bringing more information to the table in 2011 on the benefits of buying bulk foods!

Are you Ready for Rising Food Prices
by Amy Ahlberg, Nov. 2010

The Beauty of Buying In Bulk 
by Alison Ashton, Oct. 2010

Eating Healthy Foods Can Save You Money 
by Emily Main, Oct. 2010

5 Reasons to Bulk Up On Food Purchases
by Trey Granger, Sep. 2010

Bulk is Green: Save 96% Shopping Bulk Foods
by Really Natural, Sep. 2010

Video Honors National Bulk Foods Day
by Natural Products Marketplace, Aug. 2010

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by Admin on Aug 24, 2010 at 1:49 PM

Portland, Ore. – August 18, 2010 – Appealing to the soccer mom and the penny-pinching couple alike, shopping in the bulk foods aisle has quickly become one of 2010’s hottest trends, according to the Wall Street Journal.  Celebrating National Bulk Foods Day on October 23 and this boom in bulk shopping, the Bulk is Green Council is proud to announce the launch of the first of a series of two YouTube videos that follow everyday shoppers on a trip to their neighborhood grocery store, documenting how they save time and money while shopping green.

"Budgets are tight and people are thinking twice about how far their dollar takes them," said Bart McKnight, founding council member and Category Manager for Trade Fixtures.  "We decided to document the experiences of real people to better understand how Americans are getting creative with their purchasing decisions, and we think that these videos will teach people a thing or two about to how to make cost-effective, eco-friendly choices at the grocery store."

The first YouTube video, which can be viewed here, follows a 40-something man and a mom and her son on their quest to gather the 11 ingredients needed to make a wholesome natural snack.  The man shops in the regular aisles of the grocery store, while the mom and child shop exclusively in the bulk foods aisle.  The drastic difference in total cost and time required of each is then compared.

The second video in the series follows a different set of shoppers who are prepping a gourmet dinner for a group of friends, and will be launched in time for the first-ever National Bulk Foods Day on October 23.

"The videos reveal some interesting information about how people shop for food today," said Clint Landis, founding member of the Bulk is Green Council and Chief Marketing Officer for
Frontier Natural Products Co-Op.  "We suspected that the mother and child shopping natural in bulk would save money – anywhere from 30 to 96 percent – but we were surprised to see the little boy had fun selecting all the ingredients from one aisle.  He actually taught his mom how to shop in bulk, while the single man shopping in the regular aisles had to run all around the store to find what he needed and ended up pretty frustrated."

The Bulk is Green Council launched the YouTube campaign as part of an ongoing effort to educate people on the environmental and economic benefits of shopping natural and organic in bulk.  Founded in 2008, the council includes industry leaders Hain Celestial Group, SunRidge Farms, Frontier Natural Products Co-Op, Trade Fixtures, and Lundberg Family Farms.  The Bulk is Green Council invites YouTube viewers to share their own experiences shopping in bulk by posting their story in the video’s comments section at http://www.youtube.com/BulkisGreenCouncil, or by contacting the council at BulkisGreen.org.

 

ABOUT BULK IS GREEN COUNCIL

Bulk is Green Council is an organization dedicated to increasing consumer, retailer and grocer awareness of the environmental and economic benefits of buying natural and organic in bulk.  Founded in 2008, the council serves as a research and advocacy group, conducting and publishing studies on industry trends and offering educational tools and resources online.  The board includes industry leaders Hain Celestial, SunRidge Farms, Frontier Natural Products Co-Op, Trade Fixtures, and Lundberg Family Farms.  Additional information is available at BulkisGreen.org.

by Admin on Apr 22, 2010 at 2:37 PM
LITTLE ROCK, AR - The Bulk Is Green council wishes everyone a Happy Earth Day.  Remember bulk is a very easy, economical, and practical way that you can participate in saving resources in reducing your carbon footprint.

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by Admin on Apr 16, 2010 at 10:09 AM
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by Admin on Mar 30, 2010 at 2:28 PM
RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—If you're looking for one easy way to go green this spring, stop buying packaged food and start buying in bulk. Buying in bulk allows you to ditch all the excess packaging—even use your own, reusable containers—and buy it for less...(more)

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by Admin on Mar 22, 2010 at 3:19 PM
PORTLAND, OR—With the influx of new retailers offering bulk foods and double-digit sales growth in 2009, buying food in bulk is slated to be one of the biggest money-saving trends of 2010, according to the Bulk is Green Council...(more) 

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by Admin on Mar 16, 2010 at 2:48 PM
NATURAL PRODUCTS EXPO WEST, ANAHEIM, CA—Eliza Bosley with Delicious Living Magazine sat down with Bart McKnight of the Bulk is Green Council at the 2010 Natural Products Expo West tradeshow to talk bulk foods.  (play video)

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