Tip: during this walk through Zoetermeer you do packaging-free groceries

Peppers, nuts, cucumbers and more: various products are packed in plastic. That is not necessary at all, believes Elisah Pals of Zero Waste Netherlands. Do you agree? Then you can do a so-called Zero Waste Tour through Zoetermeer on Saturday 4 June, together with other Zoetermeer residents.

Bring your own container and enjoy the product. That is the mission of Elisah from Zero Waste Netherlands. “It is not necessary that many products in the supermarket or other Zoetermeer businesses are packed in plastic,” says Elisah. Through the tour you will discover that you can transport enough products in your own containers and bags.

Zero Waste Tour in Zoetermeer

The Zero Waste Tours are held in many Dutch cities. In Zoetermeer, the tour starts at the Wereldwinkel in the Dorpsstraat. The guide is guide Suzanne. You will visit at least five locations that sell packaging-free products. Elisah: “Previous editions showed that many people want packaging-free products, but were not sure where to go. Several entrepreneurs say that they see many Zoetermeer residents who participated in the tour.”

Zoetermeer entrepreneurs

“I hope that this way people will think more consciously about buying packaged products,” says Elisah. “With the tour, I tried, together with the local guides, to inform fellow citizens in a fun way. In addition, I want to put local sustainable entrepreneurs in the spotlight in this way.”

Week without waste

The Zero Waste Tour is part of the ‘Week Zonder Afval’, which runs from May 30 to June 5. The goal of that week: as many empty waste bins in the Netherlands as possible. There are various activities throughout the country. This is also the case in Zoetermeer. On Saturday 4 June there will be a clothes swap party. You can find the program here†

This is how you walk

Buy here online a ticket for 5 euros per person. The walk, and partly bike ride, lasts from 09:30 to 11:00. The start is at the Wereldwinkel in the Dorpsstraat (see below for details). Afterwards there will be a cup of coffee ready for you: so bring a refillable drinking cup.

What are you taking with you?

• Your own shopping bag(s), jars, trays and bags.
• Your bike and good walking shoes.
• A cup for coffee or tea.