How does unpackaged online shopping work?
Who we are
Since November 2012 we have been working on making our dream of plastic-free and unpackaged shopping come true. In addition to our jobs and studies, we wrote the business plan, built up a supplier network and secured financing through a crowdfunding campaign. In 2014, Berlin Kreuzberg finally had “unpackaged for everyone”: Milena and the team opened the first store in Berlin to great fanfare in the media.
Since 2016, we have also been sending non-food products related to the zero waste lifestyle in our online shop to all those who do not live around the corner from Original Unverpackt. In 2017, we added the OU magazine , in which we inform our readers in easily digestible stories about sustainable topics related to nutrition, lifestyle, society, the environment and zero waste.
You can find out who exactly is behind OU and what is responsible for here .
problem we solve
- Around 80 percent of all items produced are only used once before they are thrown away. The problem is that “away” doesn’t exist. Everything we throw away ends up somewhere else, in the sea, for example. There it enters the food chain of marine animals as microplastics and thus – whoosh – back on your plate.
- We believe that the plastic madness can only be stopped by sustainable solutions. With Original Unverpackt we have created the first supermarket that completely does away with disposable packaging.
- Our mission is to be a sustainable alternative for everyday consumption. To initiate small changes in our customers' everyday lives. But also to get global companies to act.
- With the OU online shop, we are also making online shopping more sustainable. Since 2016, we have been sending non-food products related to the zero-waste lifestyle to anyone who doesn't have an unpackaged store near them. This way, everyone can make better purchasing decisions.
What is special about OU
- As the first zero-waste shop in Germany, Original Unverpackt is a pioneer for sustainable consumption. Despite our great popularity, we are still a small team in Berlin Kreuzberg. No garbage dogmatists, but fangirls and fanboys of a conscious, sustainable life. Behind us is a large, really incredibly large, zero-waste community that drives us with praise and criticism to get a little better every day.