Westport Couple Opens Bulk Food Store In Newtown

Westportnow.com

Anna-Liisa Nixon

Westporters Tara and Tony DiPippa, along with Newtown residents Cynthia and John Boccuzzi, have opened BD Provisions, a bulk food store with an emphasis on low and zero-waste packaging, at 125 South Main St. in Newtown. BD Provisions offers a selection of grains, snacks, chocolate, pastas, nuts, candy, and more in over 250 large barrels that customers can scoop themselves and pay for by the pound, with the option to buy as much or as little as they want. Also on offer are artisanal olive oils, vinegars, local honey, and maple syrups on tap with refillable glass bottles, as well as coffee beans roasted at the front of the store. Already named one of the favorite zero waste shops by MarthaStewart.com, BD Provisions looks forward to expanding via franchises in the United States and abroad. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Anna-Liisa Nixon for WestportNow.com

Can No Waste Culture Solve The Garbage Problem?

THE FULL STORY

WSHU FOR NPR

Hosted by Ron Ropiak

June 3, 2019

Municipalities across New York and Connecticut are considering, or implementing, recycling goals to reduce pollution, such as bans on plastics from single-use bags to straws and takeout containers. But how hard will it be to break residents of their wasteful culture? We’ll discuss the zero waste movement with guests:

• Martin Melosi, Ph.D., Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen University Professor of History, University of Houston

• Sherill Baldwin, environmental analyst, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

• Bridget Fleming, legislator, D-Noyack, Environment, Planning & Agriculture Committee, Suffolk County Legislature

• John Boccuzzi Jr, owner, BD Provisions

• Alexander Williams, owner and director of operations, Blue Earth Compost

• Tamara Lim, founder and CEO, The Wally Shop

Listen here:

https://www.wshu.org/post/can-no-waste-culture-solve-garbage-problem

BD Provisions: Gourmet Bulk Food Shopping That’s Really “Out Of The Box”- Jessica Ryan For CT Bites

Bulk shopping isn’t exactly a new concept – we’ve been filling the trunks of our cars and SUVs with oversized products from those mammoth box stores for years. But bulk shopping that’s zero waste is something we don’t often see. BD Provisions, in Newtown, takes this familiar concept and gives it a breath of fresh air with a new, environmentally friendly spin.

Less is more, especially here. Less waste means more product which means greater savings and more fun, but you really need to head over to experience it yourself.

At BD Provisions you’ll find 270 carefully curated products sold by the pound in massive sustainable containers.Products range from dehydrated and powdered superfoods. You won’t want to pass by the creative, flavored rice, quinoa and soup blends that will enhance any weeknight dinner. Of course there are plenty of healthy snack options from the most beautifully colored wasabi coated soybeans, beautiful and delicious dried, crunchy beets, spicy chick peas, a wide selection of nuts both raw and flavored. Gorgeous beans and pastas. Beautiful aromatic spices, a generous selection of the most beautiful tea blends.

Creative vinegars and olive oils, maple syrup from Litchfield and honey from Weston’s Red Bee are available in bulk, as are shampoos, body lotions and essential oils. And yes, of course there’s something for Fido too!

For those with a sweet tooth, you’ll find plenty for your sea-salt-vanilla-chocolate-coffee-espresso-nut-peanut cravings. Perhaps you’re more of a gummi lover? Yes, there are plenty of those too.

How does it all work? You can bring in your own canning jars, or buy some from them that can be exchanged for ones that have been cleaned and sanitized. Or you can use the biodegradable plastic or paper bags provided. Grab a pen and some twist ties and when your bags are filled, mark them with the numbers marked on the bins. This makes checkout a breeze.

Shopping here is an experience and you are encouraged to try before you buy. So ask to have that sample before you fill your bags with goodies; sample as many as you’d like. May I steer you toward the warm, freshly made, honey roasted peanut better? How about the chocolate honey roasted peanut butter? No really, these are a must to try!

I can’t write about BD Provisions without mentioning their coffee beans. Hand selected from coffee farms world-wide, they source only the very best, fair-trade beans from Peru, Guatemala, India, Brazil, Ethiopia, Colombia and Sumatra. A great deal of effort was made to find those grown in different climates and soils, harvested and dried in different. With a coffee roaster on premise, in a matter of 20 minutes or so you can have freshly roasted medium or dark beans.

You can take their beans home whole, or have them ground to the consistency of your choice at the store’s grinding station. Their signature roast, Midnight Joe, is a blend of three dark roasted and named after the uncle of Co-Founder, John Boccuzzi. As with everything else they sell, there’s plenty of coffee to sample too. Can’t make it into the shop? Their coffee can be purchased online.

Do yourselves a favor and take the drive to Newtown and support this great venture.

BD Provisions
125 South Main Street Newtown, CT 06470

Are Zero-Waste Grocery Stores the New Way to Shop?- Martha Stewart.com

Original article from marthastewart.com –> https://www.marthastewart.com/1535413/zero-waste-grocery-stores-package-free

January 16, 2019

Here are a few of our favorites.

By Alexandra Lim-Chua Wee

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: KATERINA BOGATIREVA

New year, new ways to save the planet. At least that’s what the latest eco-lifestyle trend, zero waste stores, has us feeling.

From France to Florida and Canada to Connecticut, more and more retailers are on a mission, not just to reduce the amount of food and product packaging in stores, but to eliminate disposable packaging completely.

(SEE: How This Family Is Living a Zero Waste Life)

By offering people the option to buy bulk items in their own containers, or purchase refillable ones, these new package-free stores could change the way we shop. Food and product packaging, like plastic bags, bottles, and boxes, make up nearly a quarter of the trash in U.S. landfills. According to the EPA, this waste is also a majority of the litter that ends up infiltrating waterways and washing onto beaches.

Is there a zero waste store near you? Read on for our roundup and let us know if we missed your favorite. Then, use our tips to shop greener.

PRECYCLE

Determined to help people shop with less packaging, Katerina Bogatireva opened a zero waste grocery store in Brooklyn earlier this month. (Also new in Brooklyn is The Wally Shop, a new package-free grocery delivery service that’s currently in beta.) Similar to the handful of other package-free stores popping up worldwide, Precycle prioritizes selling locally sourced produce (sans plastic bags) and bulk pantry staples like grains, flours, beans, oils, baking ingredients, spices, and more.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: KATERINA BOGATIREVA

After filling up their own containers or bags, shoppers can then get bulk items weighed (minus the tare) and pay only for the food they need. A new way to shop that’s plastic-free, helps reduce food waste, and saves you money? What’s not to love!

(LEARN: Why Bulk Food Shopping is a Smarter Way to Shop)

BD PROVISIONS

This sustainable shop in Newtown, Connecticut features over 270 bulk items from vinegars, oils, and honey on tap to bins of grains, spices, teas, and snack items. You can even refill your jar of coconut oil or buy package-free beauty products, like bath bombs.

HELLO! BULK MARKETS

With a stock list available online to help you prepare for your shopping run, this Utah bulk shop (set to soon re-open in a new Salt Lake City location) wants to make waste-free shopping easier for everyone. Stock up on grains, legumes, herbs, and dried nuts and fruits in the food section. There are also cleaning supplies, body care needs, and essential oils for sale completely package-free.

JAR THE ZERO WASTE SHOP

Founded by eco-focused teen, Brandi Kneip, just two months before high school graduation, this Stuart, Florida store is stocked with organic bulk items, like coffees, beans, pastas, flours, and dried fruits. There are also non-food items available, including reusable sandwich bags and plastic straw alternatives, to help promote more sustainable lifestyles.

(LEARN: How One Woman is Making Zero Waste Living a New Norm)

ROOTS ZERO WASTE MARKET

Scheduled to open in spring, this Garden City, Idaho eco-shop will offer plastic-free shopping for bulk pastas, flours, oils, spices as well as beers and wines on tap. Local organic produce will also be available alongside non-toxic household and personal care products.

RAINBOW GROCERY 

While not technically a zero-waste store, this Bay Area worker-owned co-op has become an eco-emporium for locals because of its massive bulk section. Over 800 items are available, including a wide variety of organically grown and locally sourced products, everything from miso, salsas, spreads, and syrups along with other dried good essentials and package-free produce.

(TRY: These 4 Simple Ways to Pack a Zero Waste Lunch)

YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD!

If a zero waste store hasn’t opened in your town yet, you can always check out the local farmers’ market for package-free produce along with baked goods (just bring your own bag!). If your neighborhood has a co-op, consider becoming a member, as some co-ops require membership in order to shop, or find a public one; most co-ops prioritize locally sourced produce and offer bulk pantry essentials. Finally, check if your local grocery store has a bulk aisle. Many chains like Whole Foods, Sprouts, Earth Fare, Fresh Thyme, and MOM’s organic market feature a wide selection of bulk items and have no problem with customers using their own bags and containers (though it doesn’t hurt to double check first).

Waste Free Shopping Tips

If the thought of switching your usual grocery shopping trip for a new bring-your-own routine sounds like too much, Bogatireva of Precycle says there’s no need to quit packaging all at once: “Do your research and find the way that works for you!” This could be as small as carrying reusable shopping totes and skipping plastic produce bags. Maybe it’s keeping a few small cloth bags with you, as Bogatireva does, in case you pass by a bulk aisle. Whatever you choose, remember changes take time, but small steps can have big impacts.