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Hungary’s most environmentally conscious stores
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For those who are just a little interested in conscious shopping, it was hard not to notice that in the fall of 2019, packaging-free stores sprouted like mushrooms in Hungary. Such stores have reappeared in the last ten years around the world, and the record-breaking summer seems to have brought a turning point in Hungary as well, Forbes wrote.
Shopping in a packaging-free shop requires some organisation and forward-thinking. You need a canvas bag and a mason jar, and if you want to do it wisely, it is a bad idea to go by car.
Interested in the zero-waste movement yourself? Here are some zero-waste Hungarian products.
The idea is simple and not new at all. Almost two generations ago, they did not package anything unnecessarily. Then another era came, putting fruits in nets, carrying eggs in cartons and PET bottles to bring home water. In response to this, the zero-waste movement was born, the basic idea of which is that – although it is a good starting point – it is not enough to collect waste selectively, it is best not to produce it. Not to mention that it is not just packaging that is wasted.
In 2013, it was estimated that 30-50% of all food produced in the world ends up in the trash.
Fashion interests you more? Click here and see how these Hungarian girls make stunning bikinis while helping the oceans get rid of waste.
Although the first packaging-free stores were opened in Western European countries, such as Germany, around 2010, the trend has really been picked up in recent years. It took quite a few years in Hungary for the first such business to appear. The Nopack store opened in Budaörs in September 2015, and after a year of operation, it closed. Later, Piliscsaba proved to be too small for a similar idea, but the owner’s shops in the capital proved to be viable. Looking at the number of new store openings, summer 2019 seems to have brought about a change not only in tree planting but also in the spread of the zero-waste approach. The list:
Photo: facebook.com/csomagolasmentes/
Ligeti Bolt (Liget store)
The first packaging-free store in Budapest. Melinda Sipos was the first to open a packaging-free store in Piliscsaba. The city proved small for her, so she moved to Budapest in the spring of 2018.
1137 Budapest, Katona József u. 9-11.
1111 Budapest, Karinthy Frigyes út 14.
For their site, click here.
Ne pazarolj! (Don’t waste!)
Store and café since fall 2018. The store offers vegetables, pasta, flour, spices, teas, household utensils, among other things, with a particularly wide selection. The café also provides space for workshops.
1027 Budapest, Fő utca 79.
For their site, click here.
Szatyorbolt (Bag-shop)
Mainly known for its seasonal vegetables and fruits, dairy products, and bakery products in the Budapest Palace District.
1085, Budapest Gyulai Pál utca 12.
For their site, click here.
