22nd Jan 2008 - 00:00
Abstract
Whole Foods Market, the leading natural and organic foods supermarket, has unveiled that from today, they will stop using disposable grocery bags at the checkouts in all of its stores in the USA, Canada and the UK, with the goal to be plastic bag-free by Earth Day – 22 April.
The company will be giving away over 50,000 reusable shopping bags to customers at their checkouts this morning to celebrate today's announcement.
They aim to keep 100 million new plastic grocery bags out of the environment between Earth day and the end of this year alone.
Lisa Mastny, editor of the Worldwatch Institute report Oceans in Peril explains the advantages of today's announcement, "Doing away with plastic grocery bags won't just help protect marine life, it's a key move in shifting us away from a 'consume-and-dispose' mentality.
"Disposable bags can linger in the environment for more than 1,000 years and are the major debris item found on the seabed, especially near the coast."
The company currently has 270 stores in the USA, Canada and the UK.
Weblink:
www.wholefoodsmarket.co.uk