Wasted
Going ‘zero waste’ is becoming a priority for grocers
As consumers grow ever more conscious of their food’s ecological footprint, traditional supermarkets are fading out of favor and giving way to farmer’s markets, CSAs, foraging and backyard farms. At the same time, a zero waste grocery movement is gaining momentum among shoppers looking for new ways to enhance their sustainability efforts.
in.gredients: It’s no surprise that the U.S.’s first zero waste grocery store will be in Austin, birthplace of Whole Foods and home to a thriving food swapping community. Opening this fall, in.gredients will be a thoroughly sustainable micro grocery store, entirely free of packaging. Kicking the reusable tote concept up a notch, in.gredients shoppers will bring clean containers from home or will be able to obtain free, compostable ones at the store. In addition, the store will not stock any canned, pre-made or processed foods, making it perhaps the ultimate grocer not only for health nuts but also for dieters.
Supervalu Zero Waste Initiative: Grocery giant Supervalu intends to transition 40 of its stores to zero waste before February 2012, after having launched the initiative at two of its SoCal Albertsons stores last November. The selected stores will attempt to keep 90% of their waste out of landfills by donating food that’s past its fresh-date (but not yet spoiled) to local food banks. Fresh Rescue, the food donation program with which the chain is aligned, accrued 60 million pounds of food from Supervalu stores last year, proving that just because a label says that something is no longer good doesn’t mean that it needs to be trashed. After all, what would freegans eat?
EAT TRASH Campaign to End Food Waste: Trader Joe’s may be well regarded for its friendly staff, but when it comes to its concern for the environment, the chain seems to be missing the mark. After gathering the majority of his meals from Trader Joe’s dumpsters while “living off of America’s waste,” Dive! filmmaker Jeremy Seifert decided to speak up and urge the company to change its ways through the EAT TRASH Campaign to End Food Waste. Those who want to keep enjoying things like Dark Chocolate Almonds with Sea Salt and Turbinado without the guilt are advised to sign the Change.org petition. Or, you could just make your own.