The store Original Unverpackt (Original Unpackaged) in Berlin has set out to make the impossible possible with their eco-conscious grocery store. This new model of grocery store creates zero waste by letting their customers purchase exactly what they need and nothing more, reducing food waste as well as packaging waste. 


Original Unverpackt doesn’t have any big name or brand name products. Instead, they sell almost exclusively bulk organic produce and food that customers can pay for based off of how much they are purchasing and shop using their own bags or containers.


The entrepreneurs who started this initiative, Sara Wolf and Milena Glimbovski, envisioned a new way of sustainable shopping.  They used a crowdfunding campaign for to raise money for their grocery store idea. They noted that there are many items that catch your eye with “super colorful packaging” at the grocery store, but “what we tend to forget is that this packaging is only waste at the end of the day.” 


16 million tons of packaging ends up as waste every year in Germany alone. It is completely possible to avoid this if we rework the infrastructure of our food systems. Although this initiative is not all over the world yet, it’s promising to see more companies working towards a brighter future for our world. 


Source via www.theplaidzebra.com/zero-waste-grocery-store-no-packaging-plastic-big-name-brands/


Please share this blog post to keep spreading the word about positive initiatives and companies that are changing our world! 
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​Did you know that one-third of all food produced worldwide goes to waste?
 
France has officially become the first nation in the world to ban supermarkets from wasting food. As of this month, large grocery stores must now donate unsold food to charities- a move that will result in millions of meals for France’s needy.
 
People who can benefit from this food, such as the homeless, will also be getting a boost in their nutrition as much of the food thrown away is often fruits and vegetables.
 
In our world, there seems to be extreme opposites between those who go hungry and have no source of food, and those who have an excess amount of food to the point where obesity is a major problem. The law in France requiring supermarkets to donate their excess food hopes to help bridge this gap.
 
In the United States alone, the average American family of four throws away about $1,500 per year in groceries that were perfectly good. However, the reality of making all countries donate their excess food is daunting, as more jobs and volunteers are needed to sort the food and get it to the proper redistribution centers.
 
Much of this waste comes from confusion over the dates on food labels. The “Best By” date is actually the date that the food is at it’s optimum state, but does not actually spoil until much later, usually weeks or even months after the date on the label.
 
This new law is a step in the right direction to helping all people achieve better health and wellness.
 
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/
 

Ben & Jerry’s is perhaps the most iconic ice cream company in the world. From their crazy outrageous flavors and job offerings as professional ‘flavor testers’, the company has made a huge name for themselves within the dairy industry.
 
However, the world is quickly changing, and Ben & Jerry’s recently has had huge demands from consumers asking for a non-dairy offering of the famous ice cream. After a large change.org petition garnered attention with about 30,000 signatures asking for non-dairy alternatives, the company got serious about research and development of a new, vegan certified line of desserts. They’ve been testing these vegan versions for nearly three years and the labors of their work have finally come to fruition.
 
The announcement of four new vegan flavors is finally here. Ben & Jerry’s now offers a twist on two of their classics- vegan Chunky Monkey and vegan Chocolate Fudge Brownie, as well as two entirely new flavors including P.B. & Cookies and Coffee Caramel Fudge. They also plan on expanding these options and flavors in the future.
 
Vegan options have grown in popularity throughout time. Yes, many vegans and vegetarians are thrilled about the new flavors, but studies show that vegan products have also had increased demand by those who are not vegan but rather prefer non-dairy options. This is due to allergies, health concerns, and environmental concerns. Dairy products are both destructive to your body as well as the Earth, and people are finally getting the information that they deserve about all of the negative sides to the dairy industry.  Ben & Jerry’s has the potential to start changing the dairy industry for good and help educate the general population about health as well as the environment. This is one positive step in the right direction!
 
So, which flavor will you try first?

Source: www.usatoday.com

Feb One

Bring on the month of love…self-love that is. I’m focusing on me. This is the month I like to dial in and become more disciplined and focused on my health. That’s because most of us have only a month left to get as prepped for Spring Break, Coachella, bathing suit season, formals, Vegas trips, etc., as we can. I have received some questions regarding what I have been doing lately to achieve my health/fitness goals and I’m so excited to share this specific tip with you.

I have never been a “juicer”. I have a juicer and I have tried drinking only juice, but personally, I think the concept of going on a cleanse and ingesting only liquid nutrition for days is absolutely insane. Let me say that a little nicer, It’s just not for me. Like a lot of my friends, by the end of the first day of a juice cleanse you will already find me sitting at a Mexican restaurant, grumpy and annoyed, inhaling chips, guac, and a jumbo chimichanga. I feel deprived and unsatisfied. That is not how “dieting” should be.