In recent years, as environmental awareness has become deeply rooted, a new type of supermarket that sells only bulk food has emerged in the United States. These stores do not provide plastic bags and require customers to bring their own containers, promoting environmental concepts through the act of shopping. Moving away from the previous marketing model of using elaborate packaging to attract consumers—which often leads to waste—this eco-friendly marketing philosophy may be gaining more public favor. Friends who have immigrated to the United States should take note to bring their own containers when shopping; everyone has a responsibility to conserve the Earth's resources.
A reporter from Life Times learned through interviews that vegetables, rice, beans, dried fruits, and snacks sold in these supermarkets are stored directly in glass containers. Customers weigh the items according to their needs and place them into their own containers before heading to the checkout counter. If a customer does not have their own container, they can purchase biodegradable paper bags or glass bottles at the store, though these are quite expensive. For example, a glass bottle for milk costs 2 USD (approximately 13 RMB). However, these glass bottles can be washed after use and returned to the supermarket to redeem the packaging fee.
It is reported that these bulk supermarkets have been well-received by the public. There are already over 300 such supermarkets in the United States, and similar bulk stores have also appeared in countries like the United Kingdom and Canada, reminding the public to conserve resources.