The big comeback of the bulk

In South Africa, the idea of a mobile grocery store was imagined by the social enterprise ForReal. She converted an old truck into a wheeled grocery store that travels to townships around Johannesburg to offer residents bulk packaged goods and named this wheeled grocery store “skhaftin” literally “lunch box” in local jargon.

In Indonesia, bulk also comes at home. Simply order and then schedule via the application of the startup Siklus its delivery. The driver will then come to distribute shampoo, laundry and other product stored on the back of his bike. Customers then go out with their own bottles or buy some from Siklus.

Finally, in Europe, Pieter Pot, a Dutch startup, has made it its mission to remove all packaging from grocery products. Here too, it is enough to order online and also pay for the first jars. Pieter Pot then fills the jars and delivers them to your home at the slots you want. On the next delivery, the consumer will give the startup the empty jars and recover his “deposit”.

Between environmental constraints and budgetary arbitrage, the heart of consumers balances. However, these three initiatives show that it is also possible to reconcile wallet and environmental requirements.

In South Africa, it is the most fragile population that uses bulk. Here, it is both a question of eating better, for the benefit of one’s health, according to one’s budgetary resources. So it’s a good way to consume better with the necessary amounts for the family per week. A lack of unnecessary expenditure relevant for households under constant budgetary pressure.

At Siklus and Pieter Pot, it is the fight against packaging but also the fight against waste that prevails. Here, bulk is a simple way for the consumer to act for a more responsible consumption. We find through the bulk the idea that a tailor-made trade that would produce only the desirable quantities is possible, from food to fashion or furniture!