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Foodstuffs at Unverpackt hang in bulk from gravity bins, which are upside down containers that allow patrons to reduce wasted food by purchasing only what they need, while cutting down on cross-contamination between shoppers. Customers must bring their own reusable bags, but the store does provide reusable containers for first time shoppers. IFLScience.com reports, "The duo hope to locally source as much food as possible in order to cut [down] on the amount of fuel costs in order to deliver food to the store."
The difference between Original Unverpackt and traditional stores becomes apparent when you pair down the packaging. As pictured below, unloaded goods never quite seem as plentiful as they did in the shopping basket, and the difference is the packaging:
Salon's sustainability expert Lindsay Abrams writes, "[Original Unverpackt] sells mostly organic products, each of which is labeled with its country of origin, and eschews brand names." Abrams points out, "Up to a third of the world’s food is wasted, and in developed nations, much of that waste occurs when people bring home more than they’re able to eat before it goes bad. If people are only selecting what they need, they’re less likely to throw excess food out later."
Wolf and Glimbovski believe Unverpackt is the beginning of the end of overpackaging. Their slogan is as audacious as their dream--"Let’s be real, try something impossible." And they understand they have a long road ahead. "We aren’t big insiders from the food industry. We want to change something, but that is only possible with your support. This project sets an example and demonstrates that there are other ways to conceive of shopping. In only one generation we have managed to flood our planet with waste, let’s give the next generation the opportunity to make it better." After all, it's for the children.