31-12-2020
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TU/e Industrial Design www.tue.nl

ZERO: Packaging-Free Supermarket

By 31-12-2020

One Week About – Student Work, Faculty of Industrial Design, TU/e

Third year Bachelor project
Armando Rodriguez Perez

The global food supply chain is putting a big strain on the environment. The sector accounts for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions and single-use plastic makes up for 26% of the plastic dumped into the ocean every year. Packaging plays a big role in reducing costs and making supermarkets more competitive, but we may soon reach a point where we need to look beyond economic growth and into sustainable alternatives. 

While bulk shops and zero-waste stores try to tackle these issues, they are not accessible or competitive enough to confront big retailers. Zero is a packaging-free supermarket concept. The store uses a series of sensors to track items customers take without relying on computer vision or packaging. No weighing or scanning products is necessary, making zero-waste groceries more competitive with other emerging store formats.