The average American produces 4 1/2 pounds of trash a day. With 28,000 residents in Westport, that’s 45 million pounds of trash per year. It’s probably tons more, of course; we are not exactly “average” Americans.
BD Provisions has a modest goal: get 5% of Westporters to cut their waste by 5%. That’s still over 100,000 pounds of waste diverted from landfill.
So what’s BD Provisions, and how will they do it?
It’s 2 stores: one in Fairfield’s Brickwalk, the other in Newtown. They call themselves “a carefully curated collection of bulk foods sold by the pound in sustainable containers.”
BD carries everything from basic pantry staples to trendy superfoods. There are over 300 items in all: pastas, rice, cereals, bulk teas, spices, grains, snacks, baking ingredients, nuts, candies, chocolates and more. Everything is sold by weight.
Bins and tins at BD Provisions …
Artisan olive oils, balsamic vinegar and local honey is always on tap. They also roast coffee, so you can take your beans home while they’re warm.
You know that satisfaction you get when you scoop the candy at Fresh Market, and get just what you need? That’s the feeling at BD — except you do it throughout the entire store.
Biodegradable and compostable packaging options further ease the environmental impact. The store encourages shoppers to bring their own bags — even canning jars — from home. (You can also buy them there, to reuse over and over.)
… and shelf after shelf of herbs.
BD Provisions is the brainchild of Westporter Tara DiPippa and her husband Tony, and John and Cynthia Boccuzzi. The DiPippas would love to open another location in their hometown.
Until then, they’re connected to Westport by donating 100% of their hot coffee sales all month long to the Gillespie Center.
Sure, it takes a bit more gas to get to the Brickwalk than a store here — for some Westporters, anyway.
But think of all that waste you’re not creating. We’ll get to that 100,000 pounds per year goal — one coffee bean, oat and nut at a time.
