Once entering this store, fragrant flowers suddenly burst. There are glass jars neatly lined up on a shelf about three meters high. On the right, there is a cashier table as well as a row of empty glass jars and plastic bottles of various sizes. The shelf next to it also appears crowded by rows of jars, jerry cans and skin care products. This store called The Bulkstore & Co is even more interesting because here you won't find any plastic waste.
The shop located on Jalan Wahid Hasyim in Central Jakarta sells various bulk daily necessities, such as cooking spices, food ingredients, soap, to eco-friendly household appliances. All of them are grouped according to their types such as super food (spirulina powder), various nuts (almonds, cashews, kidney beans, chickpeas), whole grains (lentils, dried jali/dried barley, quinoa), black tea, and salt and sugar (sea salt, pink himalayan sea salt, coconut sugar).
Here, you can also buy snacks, chocolates, coffee beans, body care products (deodorants, bath soaps, aromatherapy oils / essential oils, body scrubs), handicraft products, as well as household appliances such as mortar, rubbing, brush clothes, toothbrushes, stainless steel straws, menstrual cups, and containers made of wicker.
What distinguishes The Bulkstore from other bulk stores is the unavailability of plastic containers. Every time you arrive, the shop staff will greet you with the question "do you bring your own container?" Understandably, because this is an eco-friendly shop. To shop at this store, you must bring your own container.
Photo Source: @thebulkstorenco
But what if you don't have or don't bring your own container? Do not worry! Instead of using plastic, The Bulkstore offers glass jars or cassava-based bags. The sizes vary, from mini jars to large jars that fit for kilo rice. No doubt, many buyers like mini-sized glass jars, because besides being practical, the shape is also funny. For the smallest jar, you only need to spend Rp. 8,000.
One product that is quite interesting here is laundry soap for various purposes. The Aquila soap can be used to wash clothes and cutlery. Wow! Soap on sale per gram. The shop staff will pump liquid soap into used water bottle, then weigh it with a digital scale. The measurement results are written on paper tape and taped to the neck of the bottle. Do not worry! You will only pay for the contents of the container.
For those who like to indulge in skin, you should try salt scrub with various scents, bamboo charcoal, pink rosella and ocean breeze with prices starting at Rp. 750 per gram. Looking for a snack? You can buy Pumpberry Cookies (Rp. 200 per gram) made without preservatives, milk, and not contain gluten.
The Bulkstore & Co was born to introduce a healthy lifestyle, both for humans and for the earth. The implementation is in the concept of a store that does not package products with plastic, natural products without a mixture of hazardous chemicals, and 95% of vegetable-based products. In addition, the shop also carries local products for land, ecosystems, and farmers, as well as increasing the diversity of agricultural products and handicrafts.
Instagram: @thebulkstorenco