Crowdfunding Call for the Preservation of the Unpacked Store in Wupertal, Germany

The Unverpacktladen “Ohne Wenn und Aber” on Loher Straße in Unterbarmen is the first and only one in Wuppertal since 2019. The store offers food such as coffee, muesli, legumes, risotto rice, pasta from Italy, sustainable drugstore items, as well as products associated with Wuppertal. In the store, relaxed shopping of sustainable and packaging-free goods at fair prices is possible with advice from the owner Diana Lantzen and her friendly team. However, without financial support, the store is threatened with closure. Against this background, the 2nd crowdfunding call of the Unverpacktladen runs until November 11th, 2021.

Read more about the crowdfunding call launched by an unpackaged store in Wupertal, Germany, and find the latest business headlines in the world with the Born2Invest mobile app.

Plastic waste: Germany as the European leader

There are several reasons why the business concept is necessary: First, Germany is the frontrunner in Europe in terms of plastic waste produced per person. Every day, one inhabitant produces an average of 0.48 kilograms of plastic waste. This is exceeded by only six other countries worldwide. Secondly, an estimated ten million tons of plastic end up in the oceans every year. The plastic masses kill marine animals or enter the human body as microplastics through their consumption.

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Restrictions put in palce to stop the pandemic reduced the income of the unpackaged store

The original concept of Unverpacktladen is not limited to the packaging-free sale of goods. It is also intended to be a meeting place for people who want to learn and network about sustainability through workshops, lectures, and concerts. However, most of the events could not take place due to the Covid-19 crisis and the restrictions that came with it. The company’s own café was further restricted by the mandated to-go sales.

This further income is now missing. The critical financial situation aggravated the six-week summer slump, in which many people stayed away due to vacations. To keep the store going, Diana Lantzen, founder of the unpacked store, recently launched her second crowdfunding appeal. “We need, in order to continue to operate the Unverpacktladen here in Wuppertal, your support!” she appeals in a video contribution to the crowdfunding campaign.

Crowdfunding: Many individual people make a big idea possible

Crowdfunding refers to financing without bank loans, in which many individuals support an idea through donations. Through the first crowdfunding, enough seed money was collected in 2019 to start the Wuppertal Unverpacktladen. The figures from the crowdfunding platform Startnext give cause for hope: according to the platform, around $2 million (€1.72 million) were collected for unpackaged stores between 2014 and 2019, thus financing 62 stores.

Diana Lantzen’s ambitious goal is to collect $19,700 (€17,000) in 30 days. In addition to pure donations, it is also possible to purchase vouchers for shopping, coffee, and cake or workshops. So far, over $15,000 (€13,000) have already been collected, and the campaign will run until November 11th, 2021.

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(Featured image by Ri_Ya via Pixabay)

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First published in blickfeld, a third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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