Over the last year or two here in Hong Kong we have become more and more familiar with zero-waste stores. With the likes of Edgar and Live-zero offering an alternative to the plague of plastic packaging found in supermarkets, it seems Macau now has a waste free bulk-buy counterpart.
MaiLon (米量) opened April 21st in the São Lázaro district, on the eve of Earth Day, with a warm response from Macau residents. With over 30 decently priced bulk items available including legumes, rice, pastas and dried fruit all served from glass storage jars or hoppers, with space for more in the future, they are already off to a great start.
After attending a cleanup activity at Hac Sa beach several years ago, Austin felt a sense of achievement, only to see the beach in a similar state the following month. “I remember the pretty picture after we finished picking up the trash at Hac Sa Beach; however, the plastic trash had swamped the beach again when I volunteered for the same activity a month later…it seems like we did nothing at all”.
Wanting to do something positive, Austin began setting up MaiLon, which opened two days ago to an incredibly supportive crowd. When approached by The Macau Post Weekly, Austin went on to say 'Consumers are encouraged to bring their own bottles when shopping there. The aim is to convince shoppers to use less plastic packaging'
Of course I have not has a chance to check out the store yet, however will make sure to visit on my next trip to Macau. Let us know if you know if you have visited. What are your impressions?