Local business Honest Wholefoods Co is part of a new association of independent zero waste grocers which has launched this month.

‘Sustain Aotearoa - Independent Zero Waste Grocers’ aims to increase the prevalence, influence and efficacy of grocers who are committed to minimising consumer and in-store packaging and food waste across New Zealand.

Sisters Emma Brown and Nicola Cross launched Honest Wholefood Co launched almost a year ago, providing households with the essentials they need, minus the wasteful packaging they normally come in. 

As one of the 12 grocers around the country in the new association, they hope their collective voice will have more weight when it comes to encouraging suppliers to reduce waste, and that collaborating will magnify their voices and their impact.

The impact of a collective voice to influence supply chains is obvious, says Nicola, who is the association’s secretary.

“At Honest Wholefood Co, we’d be on the phone to suppliers constantly, encouraging them to rethink their bulk packaging,” Nicola said. 

The number of stores selling products without single-use packaging are increasing in New Zealand. PHOTO: Supplied 

“But being able to engage with suppliers and major distributors as a collective of stores helps us advance zero waste supply chains faster - it makes suppliers see that there’s a growing market for this.” 

The number of zero waste grocers increased by 110 per cent in 2019 alone, and more still have opened this year. There are now at least 23 zero waste grocers around the country, spread across eight regions. Twelve of the stores are independent and owner-operated.

A key part of Sustain Aotearoa’s membership criteria is that stores must be zero waste - they must only sell products without single-use packaging, president Bon Green said. 

The association also hopes to be a resource for new stores, as members know how hard it is starting out and they can share their knowledge. As well as minimising the waste they pass on to consumers, members also work with suppliers to cut packaging waste behind the scenes too. 

Nicola said looking local was key to cutting waste in supply chains. 

“It’s always easier to work with someone you’ve met directly, to chat about whether they can supply you a little bit differently. And it’s easier to trial reusable packaging systems with local suppliers,” she said. 

“The only reason many haven’t done it already is because no retailer has ever asked them before.”

Nicola said many of the association’s members would switch suppliers if they found suppliers weren’t willing to work on reducing back room packaging waste. 

“None of us want to order beautiful food and have it arrive on a pallet shrink-wrapped in one-use plastic. These are the systems we hope to change, both through our advocacy and through our ability to develop and trial alternatives that other players may choose to adopt in the future too.”

Sustain Aotearoa encourages anyone who is running an independent zero waste store, or who is thinking of starting one, to get in touch with them. 

Learn more about Sustain Aotearoa here and Honest Wholefoods Co here.