Grocery chains are one of the big contributors of waste, carbon footprint, and all nasty things that won’t do the Earth any favor. But since more and more people have become aware of the current environmental problem, grocery chains have since been taking some eco-friendly efforts as well (which is a good thing). Here are some of them.
Waitrose
Disposable coffee cups are a problem because they’re rarely recyclable and they usually end up in landfills. Some families use disposable things because they’re hassle free and they’re still used as some kind of freebies just like in Waitrose.
Waitrose is famous for giving the shoppers a free cup of coffee but in disposable cups, which pollute the environment. And to reduce environmental footprint, they will only give coffee to people who bring their own reusable cups. The company has officially announced the disposable coffee cups “ban”, and it’ll be in full effect by the end of 2018.
Without disposable cups, Waitrose will eliminate approximately 52 million cups from both production and waste. The company took this action ever since consumers had expressed their environmental concerns.
Environmental groups such as Paper Cup Recovery and Recycling Group have praised them for this move. While this shows that Waitrose wants to change for the better, this also shows that they listen to their customers, which is great.
Read also: The company that made edible cups are also making edible straws.
SpartanNash
Michigan-based grocery store SpartanNash has released a statement on going green. According to their corporate responsibility, The company is now going local whenever possible. This is because they know that sourcing items that are locally grown equals fewer miles of transportation. This will not only reduce environmental footprint, but also improve produce’s quality.
Meredith Gremel, the executive director of SpartanNash Foundation said, “At SpartanNash, we are passionate about supporting local farmers and food businesses, and are dedicated to helping them succeed through merchandising opportunities in our stores.”
Gremel added that this move would strengthen the company’s relationship with the communities. This complies to the key focus of their corporate responsibility programs, which include environmental sustainability, social responsibility initiatives, as well as waste and energy reduction. She also pointed out that customers were getting interested in locally grown items.
Moreover, 10 SpartanNash grocery stores in Michigan and Nebraska have introduced a food waste recycling program. The goal is “Diverting as much produce, bakery and dairy waste as possible into the food-recycling dumpster instead of the trash dumpster,” as Gremel has said.
She continued, “Our partner collected the material, partnering with local cattle farms in Kennard, Neb., and Webberville, Mich., where the watermelons, carrots, cupcakes, bananas and other produce were blended down to a smaller ration size and mixed with grains, corn, wheat and other nutrients to create the final cattle-feed product.”
Amazon Green
Yep. In case you didn’t know yet, the world’s largest online retailer is now selling organic groceries and other eco-friendly products through Amazon Green. It’s simply the green version of the website, so it doesn’t have a physical store.
So the only way to get the products you want is through your gadget online. Compared to driving your car to a store (with traffic and congestion), purchasing things online is a greener choice. It’s still going to leave carbon footprint (from the shipping), but unless you walk to grocery store, shopping online counts as eco-friendly.
There are over 2500 organic food that you can choose at the site. Other than that, you can freely browse and buy green lifestyle books, home and garden items, renewable energy products, Earth-friendly toys, supplements, and a lot more greener stuff.
Also, Amazon green will help you (as customers) learn how to compost. They also educate you on how to be a driver who’s environmentally responsible by saving gas and also your money. You want to plan a green wedding?
You can learn about it here, but to gather more information, you can also do it on the site. Other than that, you’ll be able to learn about Energy star ratings as well as USDA certified organic products.
Read also: If you own an E-commerce business, take these steps to green it up.
Trader Joe’s
With new items on the shelves everytime you visit Trader Joe’s, grocery shopping becomes more fun. Their newsletter is printed on recycled paper, or if you want to reduce paper altogether, you can get it online.
You can find organic produce, juice, healthy cereal, delicious cookies, cheese, and milk. There are baked goods and dried fruits and nuts which are out of this world. If you ever need cleaning products which are environment-friendly, you’ll find heaps in here. And should you need fresh flowers, just pick your favorite ones by the door.
Whole Foods Market
This chain has become one of the top green grocery store available in North America and UK. It also has a very large selection of fresh things. You can find organic produce, milk, eggs, whole grain bread, grass-fed meat, various vegetarian products, organic pet food, flowers, and natural health remedies without having to worry about quality and freshness.
Shopping in this place is a bliss. The stores are clean and bright, and the workers there are more than happy to help you. Also, you can get eco-friendly cleaning items here, and they’re all of great quality.
The only downside of this grocery store is that the products are more expensive. However, high-quality items are mostly pricey because of the extra packages they bring, so from a health standpoint, the higher cost is worth it. The edible, expensive products taste a lot better, too.
So those are grocery chains which are shifting towards a better, environmentally friendly future. And remember, if you don’t have these stores around you, it doesn’t mean that you can’t do the Earth a favor.
You can be a wise, eco-conscious grocery shopper by buying in bulk, getting fair trade products, not using plastic, and choose products that have eco-friendly packaging. For better understanding, read this article.
Source(s)
https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grocery-chain-waitrose
https://delishably.com/food-industry/The-Five-Best-Grocery-Stores-for-Earth-Friendly-Products
https://progressivegrocer.com/grocers-make-sustainable-visions-reality
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