Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Whole Foods: Wholly On Board


How many plastic bags do you receive from the grocery on a given shopping trip? Are you aware of the fact that those bags are not biodegradable? So where do the millions upon millions of plastic grocery bags that Americans collect end up after we throw them in the trash? You guessed it….they don’t go anywhere. These plastic bags are aiding the destruction of our environment one bag at a time.

Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic food supermarket, has acknowledged this environmental issue. Their motto, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet” encompasses the company’s task in providing customer and employee satisfaction, as well as environmental improvement.

Taking responsibility, Whole Foods Market has ceased to offer plastic grocery bags at checkout isles in its headquartered city of Austin, Texas. Whole Foods says this marks the company’s first step in its plan of banning plastic bags companywide by next year. Instead, the store offers paper bags made of 100 percent recycled material.

Whole Foods Market has made further progress in this bag reformation. Customers can find what the company calls “A Better Bag”, a reusable bag made from 80 percent recycled materials, available for 99 cents at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. Besides saving the environment, shoppers will have another incentive for using their own reusable bags at checkout: a refund of 10 cents per bag.


“Let’s face it, plastic bags fill landfills, harm our water systems and wildlife, and litter our roadsides and communities,” said Seth Stutzman, Whole Foods Market’s Southwest regional vice president. “We are discontinuing the use of these bags in support of our Core Value of ‘caring for our Communities and our Environment,’ which includes adopting wise environmental practices.”
Whole Foods Market has taken a big step in saving our environment. Will you?

For more information on Whole Foods Market a their strive towards corporate social responsibility, check out these links:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com
http://www.csrwire.com/profile/1954.html
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2007/12/20/whole-foods-plans-nationwide-plastic-bag-ban/

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