Texas Tribune Article on in.gredients Package Free Store in Austin

8th July, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

I’ve posted before about articles covering in.gredients, the package-free store that is currently in the fundraising stages and will hopefully open this fall in Austin, becoming the first store of its kind in the US, but the Tribune had a really nice article about it today with more info from the brothers (Christian, Joseph and Patrick Lane) who are behind the idea. Here’s an excerpt:

The novel idea is in.gredients’ “package-free” aspect, which Joseph Lane said sprouted after the brothers, who run two other businesses, became distressed at the level of waste from product packaging. According to the in.gredients page on indiegogo.com, a site that helps projects like the brothers’ launch financing campaigns, 40 percent of the 1.4 billion pounds of trash heading to landfills each day comes from packaging.

“If you go into a regular store, it’s very hard to find a product without packaging,” Lane said. “Like your cereal — why does your cereal have to have a box around it? And that’s why bulk is growing.”

So far, there are no signs of an all-out green grocery war in Austin. But Dan Gillotte, general manager of Wheatsville Co-op, cautioned that opening a new grocery store is challenging, especially in a market like Austin. Still, “they might be able to find a niche and make a go of it,” Gillotte said.

So far the brothers, along with Chris Pepe, their business partner, say they have raised more than 60 percent of their goal, but that even without investors, they have the money to finance their dream. If it takes off, and their store draws local vendors to fill the bins with goods, and regular customers to empty them out, Lane said, expansions could be in order.

Check out the whole story for more info and the in.gredient’s webpage.

Free Toilet Program to End August 31, 2011

8th July, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

The free toilet program put on by the City of Austin is set to end August 31st for those still wanting to take advantage of this great offer. Basically if you have an older toilet, you can have it replaced with a new water-efficient one.  This program has started and ended before, so we may hear more about it after August 31st, but if you’re at all interested, you should probably take advantage of it now in case the program isn’t renewed. You can find all the details here.