Whole Foods implements sustainable packaging guidelines
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
More than 2,100 body-care and supplement suppliers have updated their packaging to meet new Whole Foods "green" mandates, firm announces Sept. 8. All new body-care and supplement suppliers will need to adhere to the new packaging guidelines before their products can be sold on store shelves, firm says. Grocer announced in September 2009 that suppliers would have one year to reduce plastic in product packaging, switch to glass when possible, use recycled packaging materials when appropriate and feature the highest percentage of post-consumer recycled (PCR) content available. Whole Foods' expects its own Whole Body line of personal-care products to be packaged in 100% PCR by late 2010. "At Whole Foods Market, we're committed to reducing, reusing and recycling waste on all levels of business, and we're thrilled to be leading the green packaging charge with our store-brand products," Jeremiah McElwee, global Whole Body coordinator for Whole Foods Market says. In June of this year, McElwee announced in a letter to vendors that come June 1, 2011, personal-care products carrying the word "organic" on their labels must be certified under either the National Organic Program or "NSF/ANSI 305" to be carried by Whole Foods stores (1"The Rose Sheet" June 14, 2010)