Zero-waste. Plastic-free. Bring-Your-Own (BYO). In recent years, these buzzwords have skyrocketed in popularity, riding the surging wave of environmental consciousness and climate activism throughout the world. Many retailers are attempting to cater to an increasingly eco-conscious consumer base: by increasing vegan options, or reducing single-use plastics. A few have taken this idea one step further, founding their businesses around a mission of sustainability. As a zero-waste newbie, I decided to make a trip to one such store – Scoops Wholefoods – to find out what exactly a sustainable shopping experience entails!
Originating from a single outlet in Sydney in 2013, Scoops Wholefoods today has expanded to several locations in Australia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. The bulk wholefoods chain aims to offer a guilt-free shopping experience, eliminating unnecessary packaging and ensuring products are sourced sustainably. In Australia, their stores are even fully powered by green energy, and constructed using sustainably-sourced timber from local hardwood forests!
Limitless Variety, Limited Footprint
Upon entering their outlet at the Jem shopping mall, I was immediately greeted by row after row of rectangular white bins. Operating on a ‘bulk foods’ concept, these bins store food items in large quantities, and customers scoop out smaller portions based on their respective needs. The scene evoked fond memories of the traditional metal biscuit tins at neighbourhood ‘mama shops’ (convenience stores) during my childhood, where we could similarly purchase small portions of our favourite snacks!
Shelves of bulk bins containing food items at Scoop Wholefoods. (Photo taken by me)
Compared to the old-school mama shops, however, there was a greater variety of foodstuff at Scoops Wholefoods. I was pleasantly surprised by the wide assortment of chocolates, dried fruits, nuts, and other titbits on sale. There were also raw ingredients such as grains, pasta, and spices, useful for those looking to cook up gluten-free or vegan recipes. Other than food items, there is also a section featuring eco-friendly toiletries and laundry products!
As part of their commitment to go plastic-free, the chain does not provide any single-use plastics in the form of plastic bags or containers*. Instead, customers are encouraged to bring their own containers to store their purchased food items. A staff member directed us to weigh my containers at a weighing station near the store’s entrance, and then provided me with a pencil to later label the container with its respective item’s product code. It was a quick, hassle-free process, and I was promptly sent on our merry way to browse the store’s diverse selection.
*Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, patrons are currently issued single-use plastic gloves for hygiene reasons!
At the end of our visit, we brought home several containers of delicious goodies, including a jar of smooth peanut butter freshly made at the store! A great benefit of the package-free concept is being able to buy small quantities to try before loading up on our favourites during the next visit!
Not Truly ‘Zero-Waste’?
Up to this point, I have been rather hesitant to use the term ‘zero-waste’ to describe the grocery chain. For customers without their own containers (or without sufficient containers), the store provides them the option to use paper bags or purchase glass jars which they can reuse upon their next visit. Unfortunately, most of the customers I observed during my visit opted for the former. On a single-use basis, paper bags have been shown to be less environmentally-friendly than plastic bags, given that Singapore incinerates its waste.
Of course, this is in no way meant to be disparaging to Scoops Wholefoods. It cannot be denied that their bulk bin system eliminates a significant amount of packaging waste, and their ethical approach to sourcing for products is something other grocery chains should aim to emulate. Rather, it seems that much of the consumer base has yet to cultivate the proper habits or mindset conducive to a zero-waste ecosystem. One can simply turn to Singapore’s abysmal domestic recycling rate (13% in 2020) as another example: having the proper infrastructure in place does not necessarily translate to having a population who will use it effectively!
Towards Sustainable Consumption and Production
As the world begins to grapple with the ramifications of our modern consumerist society, the idea of sustainable consumption and production has come to the forefront of discussions around the environmental crisis. Major corporations such as Microsoft have announced plans to reduce waste by ‘closing the loop’ and recover materials from their own waste streams. Singapore has also announced ambitious plans to transition to a zero-waste nation in order to relieve the mounting pressure on Pulau Semakau, our only remaining landfill. Current projections estimate that Semakau Landfill will reach its maximum capacity in 2035 if waste generation and recycling rates remain at what it is today.
If this trajectory holds, stores like Scoops Wholefood will also play a key role in facilitating our transition towards net zero waste. They offer a glimpse of what sustainable shopping might look like, as well as the challenges which might limit its success. It seems that for such a concept to gain widespread traction, it needs to be accompanied by behavioural change (BYO habits for instance) by the rest of society. This is by no means an easy feat, given how used we are to the sheer convenience of single-use plastics. Nonetheless, the entry and growth of these sustainable businesses in Singapore is still a promising first step – and hopefully the first of many.
Disclaimer: This article was not sponsored by Scoop Wholefoods