WHAT IT IS?
Pigs are used in many more products than we can imagine. According to the research by Christien Meindertsma, represented in a an Oxford TED-talk (2010), pig parts occurs in no fewer than 185 different types of products. From contact lenses to desserts, from face masks to cadmium batteries, from ceramics to wax. Many customers, and even farmers don’t know.
The owners of the pig shop ‘Oijnk’ in Veghel, the Netherlands, saw this as an opportunity. It’s the only pig shop in the Netherlands, and probably in the world. It offers over 500 products with pig parts in them. At the same time it teaches all visitors in a honest and transparent way that pigs are ending their useful ways in a far great variety of products than imagined.
WHY IT’S COOL?
Pig store Oijnk encourages positive word of mouth for the pig sector. They sell gift packs, artsy items, candy-making workshops, children’s games with a farmer theme and items from the children’s figure ‘Peppa pig’. The store owners who are also pig farmers, can tell people about how the pigs are raised and cared for. The store knows how to draw attention to the fact that everything from the pig is used and nothing is thrown away in a fun and educational way. It’s edutainment in action. With the pig as the sustainable king of re-cycle.
WHY IT HAS FUTURE GROWTH POTENTIAL?
Knowing what you eat and use is an increasingly important topic in society. Pig shop Oijnk gives the pig sector a familiar face, where people can go with trust and ask their questions. The fact that animal activists have demonstrated in front of the store several times shows that people do not know how important the pig is in our lives and that the animal should receive more and well-deserved appreciation.
For further information about Oijnk please click here!
5 Comments
Interesting to know how many ‘random’ products use this very specific animal
Dear Iris. How nice to meet you here again. We discussed your Cool Seed already in class, so you know my remarks. The is Cool because it mixed good ‘pig’ p.r. with a really strong point: All of the pig is used. This is a Cool and distinctive sustainability argument. Of course, there is the broader sustainability argument of raising animals. Bu the point you make is strong and succinct. Thanks. Carl
I don’t know if pig parts occurring in more that 185 types of products a good thing or a bad thing. I mean yes, these businesses can benefit but being an animal lover myself, I don’t know if I would ever visit such places. But what you wrote at the end of your article: “The fact that animal activists have demonstrated in front of the store several times shows that people do not know how important the pig is in our lives and that the animal should receive more and well-deserved appreciation.” made me think of what is more to this story we don’t already know.
This seed is cool because it shows that it is possible for people to use or utilize all parts of an animal, not just the sell or use their meat but literally everything.
If an animal is going to be killed to serve us (as food or other resources), it is really important that there is no waste, as this is disrespectful to nature and in fact not sustainable. But I wonder if a business that “loves pigs” by referring to its usefulness as a product, rather than its integrity as a living being, is really loving it. There’s nothing cute or nice about killing animals, even when (or if it is) necessary. Also, in terms of trends, I wonder if a business like this can really be that cool, as there is a growing concern in the world about environmental and animal welfare issues, that gets stronger every year. Several fashion and makeup brands, for example, have already removed animal materials or animal testing in their production processes (which has been seen as really cool initiatives).