3 ms·

In Ukraine, there is a big French supermarket chain called Ашан (auchan.ua), in which people can buy liquid cleaning products by the volume. For example, if you

In Ukraine, there is a big French supermarket chain called Ашан (auchan.ua), in which people can buy liquid cleaning products by the volume. For example, if you need a litre for dishwashing cleaning soap, you can go and pull a lever and fill an appropriate size plastic bottle. It's their own brand and it's very cheap. I'm not 100% sure if you can bring and use any plastic bottle, or you have first get it from them. They also have huge crates of pasta and other grains where you can simply shove how much you want into a plastic bag, weight it and pay at the till. No need to wrap those items in boxes and more containers. While Ukraine has many environmental problems (it's not easy or common to recycle, large % of uneducated population about these issues), it has some good ideas and policies like these.

ryanianian 8y ago
That's excellent. It's surprising even high-end specialty stores in the US (e.g. Whole Foods) don't do more of this.
- briandear 8y ago
  It’s suprising that even Auchan in France doesn’t do this.
- BRAlNlAC 8y ago
  It's the same problem that you see in Japan to an even greater degree, consumers perceive packaging as giving the product added value, so market forces push high-end retailers away from no-packaging because it's associated with discount/low end shops. In the US you can buy lots of things in 'Bulk' if you go a store like WinCo, which is marketed as being cheap. Additionally the Bulk foods just aren't as fresh as what you'd find packaged by the half-pound at Whole Foods as least in my anecdotal experience.
- vinay427 8y ago
  The Whole Foods in my area has various bulk foods (through Sprouts has FAR more) and has bulk body products (soaps, lotions, shampoos, etc.).
namibj 8y ago
I hope you understand the irony of using a plastic bag for this...
- loco5niner 8y ago
  I assume the use of plastic in most cases is reduced since it only needs to travel from store to home.

ryanianian 8y ago

That's excellent. It's surprising even high-end specialty stores in the US (e.g. Whole Foods) don't do more of this.

briandear 8y ago
It’s suprising that even Auchan in France doesn’t do this.
BRAlNlAC 8y ago
It's the same problem that you see in Japan to an even greater degree, consumers perceive packaging as giving the product added value, so market forces push high-end retailers away from no-packaging because it's associated with discount/low end shops. In the US you can buy lots of things in 'Bulk' if you go a store like WinCo, which is marketed as being cheap. Additionally the Bulk foods just aren't as fresh as what you'd find packaged by the half-pound at Whole Foods as least in my anecdotal experience.
vinay427 8y ago
The Whole Foods in my area has various bulk foods (through Sprouts has FAR more) and has bulk body products (soaps, lotions, shampoos, etc.).

namibj 8y ago

I hope you understand the irony of using a plastic bag for this...

loco5niner 8y ago
I assume the use of plastic in most cases is reduced since it only needs to travel from store to home.