Hungary’s most environmentally conscious stores

For those who are just a little interested in conscious shopping, it was hard not to notice that in the fall of 2019, packaging-free stores sprouted like mushrooms in Hungary. Such stores have reappeared in the last ten years around the world, and the record-breaking summer seems to have brought a turning point in Hungary as well, Forbes wrote.

Shopping in a packaging-free shop requires some organisation and forward-thinking. You need a canvas bag and a mason jar, and if you want to do it wisely, it is a bad idea to go by car.

Interested in the zero-waste movement yourself? Here are some zero-waste Hungarian products.

The idea is simple and not new at all. Almost two generations ago, they did not package anything unnecessarily. Then another era came, putting fruits in nets, carrying eggs in cartons and PET bottles to bring home water. In response to this, the zero-waste movement was born, the basic idea of ​​which is that – although it is a good starting point – it is not enough to collect waste selectively, it is best not to produce it. Not to mention that it is not just packaging that is wasted.

In 2013, it was estimated that 30-50% of all food produced in the world ends up in the trash.

Fashion interests you more? Click here and see how these Hungarian girls make stunning bikinis while helping the oceans get rid of waste.

Although the first packaging-free stores were opened in Western European countries, such as Germany, around 2010, the trend has really been picked up in recent years. It took quite a few years in Hungary for the first such business to appear. The Nopack store opened in Budaörs in September 2015, and after a year of operation, it closed. Later, Piliscsaba proved to be too small for a similar idea, but the owner’s shops in the capital proved to be viable. Looking at the number of new store openings, summer 2019 seems to have brought about a change not only in tree planting but also in the spread of the zero-waste approach. The list:

Ligeti Bolt (Liget store)

The first packaging-free store in Budapest. Melinda Sipos was the first to open a packaging-free store in Piliscsaba. The city proved small for her, so she moved to Budapest in the spring of 2018.

1137 Budapest, Katona József u. 9-11.
1111 Budapest, Karinthy Frigyes út 14.

For their site, click here.

Ne pazarolj! (Don’t waste!)

Store and café since fall 2018. The store offers vegetables, pasta, flour, spices, teas, household utensils, among other things, with a particularly wide selection. The café also provides space for workshops.

1027 Budapest, Fő utca 79.

For their site, click here.

Szatyorbolt (Bag-shop)

Mainly known for its seasonal vegetables and fruits, dairy products, and bakery products in the Budapest Palace District.

1085, Budapest Gyulai Pál utca 12.

For their site, click here.

Zöldbolt (Green store)

The online store has been operating since 2007. It is not only a packaging-free store but offers exclusively environmentally friendly products, and the store uses 100% green electricity.

1226 Budapest, Kiss János altábornagy utca 35.
8200 Veszprém, Budapest út 58.

For their site, click here.

Cekker bolt (String bag-shop)

Kálmán Veronika’s shop – named after the old folk term for bag – is welcoming customers since 2018.

4024 Debrecen, Kossuth utca 49.

For their site, click here.

Garabolyos

The store opened in the third-largest city of Hungary in early 2020.

6724 Szeged, Jósika utca 34/b

For their site, click here.

Zöld Blokk (Green Block)

A local couple, Enikő Niczuli and Gábor Bartal, opened the store in the place of a former organic store early 2019.

7632 Pécs, Nagy Imre út 25.

For their site, click here.

Niki Méri – Zöldülők Boltja (Niki Measures – Store for Greens)

This is the second packaging-free store in Pécs, which opened in autumn 2019.

7621 Pécs, Rákóczi Ferenc út 39/b

For their site, click here.

1 Csepp Zöld (1 Drop Green)

A packaging-free store in the heart of Győr. Aside from food products, the store offers cleaning products as well.

9022 Győr, Bajcsy Zsilinszky Endre út 41.

For their site, click here.

Csomagolásmentes termékek boltja (Store of Packaging-Free Products)

Székesfehérvár’s first ‘green’ store, which opened in October 2019. The couple who owns the store has tried everything they sell.

8000 Székesfehérvár, Ligetsor 439/3

For their site, click here.

Feltöltő Pont Veszprém (Refill Point Veszprém)

Boglárka Laczkó opened her store that sells all-natural food and cleaning products in November 2019.

8200 Veszprém, Cholnoky Jenő utca 34.

For their site, click here.

Tebe hulladékmentes bolt (Tebe Waste-Free Store)

Csilla Pocsaji opened the city’s first packaging-free store where she sells over 300 types of products. Tebe means Lifetree in Palócság.

5600 Békéscsaba, Kinizsi utca 12.

For their site, click here.

Szegedi Fűszeres (Szeged Grocer)

Dr Zsuzsa Nyári is an expert on oriental spices. In her store, she sells many kinds of teas, dried fruits, pastas, and eco-detergents.

6721 Szeged, Brüsszeli körút 10/a

For their site, click here.

Éléskamrám (My Pantry)

It is a small shop, but many things can be found here, from pasta to Praid bath salts.

6500 Baja, Bajcsy Zsilinszky Endre utca

For their site, click here.

Nyom nélkül (No Trace)

Since October 2019, this packaging-free store and café in Solymár is awaiting customers with organic flour, muesli, and cleaning products.

2083 Solymár, Mátyás király utca 22.

For their site, click here.

Életerő Életmód Központ

They specialise in butter and milk made from different seeds.

2000 Szentendre, Kálvária út 16/b.

For their site, click here.

Csuporka (Little Jar)

Instead of a grocery store, we would call it a drugstore: they mainly offer natural cleaning products, cosmetics, baskets, and clothes.

4220 Hajdúböszörmény, Petőfi utca 36.

For their site, click here.