Every day 1.4 billion pounds of waste is deposited into America’s landfills; 40 percent of that is packaging that is only used once. If you do the math, that adds up to 560 million pounds of pure, unadulterated garbage being deposited into the soil, air and water, which makes its way back into our homes as pollutants, irritants and contaminants.
Presently, Americans don’t have much of a choice when it comes to the packaging of groceries. Sure, we try to do our part by bringing reusable bags to carry our food items home, but when it comes to milk, vegetables, grains, spices, eggs and oils, we pretty much buy a smorgasbord of packaging along with our food. So not only are we disposing abhorrent amounts of waste into our already endangered environment, but we are also paying extra to have our cereals swaddled in plastic and shielded by a cardboard box of armor (my diamond engagement ring doesn’t even get that kind of protection).
That’s why when the idea of in.gredients, the first package-free and zero-waste grocery store, came to brothers and entrepreneurs Christian and Joseph Lane, they knew they had something that could change the way Americans did their grocery shopping and quite possibly the health of the environment. The startup was funded in part by a crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo, an online fundraising platform, which helped raise more than $15,000 for startup costs. Set to open this summer in Austin, Texas, in.gredients will take on the natural and organic grocery Goliath, Whole Foods with its total eco-conscious, local, seasonal and sustainable business model.
One of the many benefits to shopping at in.gredients will be its low prices — you pay only for what you buy — and no packaging equals less money needed to make a profit. Customers will be encouraged to bring containers from home (the store will have compostable packaging on hand for the occasional forgetful shopper ) and fill the containers with grains, spices, oils, dairy, beer, wine, and household cleaners.
All produce will be local and seasonal, so shoppers will need to adjust to not having their usual spread of fruits and vegetables imported from all over the world.
“This is groceries done right. While in.gredients will teach us many things, we hope it also serves as a learning model for the supermarket industry – letting folks know there IS another way to do things” — Christian and Joseph Lane.
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