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WHOLE FOODS MARKET “SACKS” DISPOSABLE PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS NATIONWIDE, ENCOURAGES REUSABLES
Company Set Goal of Being Plastic Grocery Bag-Free at Checkouts by Earth Day; Declares Today “BYOBag Day”; Gives Away 200 Free Reusable Bags per Store to Celebrate

What: Whole Foods Market announced today its stores will be plastic grocery bag free at the checkouts of Its 270 stores in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. by this Earth Day (April 22, 2008). Between Earth Day and the end of this year alone, the Company estimates it will have kept over 100 million new plastic bags out of the environment.

Whole Foods Market declares today “Bring Your Own Bag Day” at its stores to raise awareness about the positive impact reusing grocery bags can have on the planet. To celebrate, each store will give away free reusable shopping bags to its first 200 shoppers at the checkouts today.

When: Tuesday, January 22nd 2008

Where: At locations nationwide, locally this includes: all 30 Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Marketplace. Stores located in Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas and Utah

Why: By eliminating disposable plastic grocery bags, Whole Foods Market is reiterating its commitment to its Core Value of caring for our communities and our environment.

The world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket is always searching for ways to make positive impacts on our planet, and eliminating plastic grocery bags is just one step in a long and ambitious process

How: Goal is to encourage the reuse of bags—paper, plastic, fabric, etc.—and to make this choice easy for shoppers by offering inexpensive, reusable bags along with a bag reuse refund for each bag brought in. Shoppers can opt to use Whole Foods Market’s exclusive 100% recycled (and recyclable) paper bags or bring any reusable bag.

Shoppers can opt to use Whole Foods Market’s exclusive 100% recycled (and recyclable) paper bags or bring any reusable bag, such as the affordable 99 cent “Better Bag”, which is made from 80% post- consumer recycled plastic bottles.

Who: Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket and the FIRST U.S. supermarket to announce it is doing away with disposable plastic grocery bags at the checkouts entirely

Did you know? –

• Through its Small Change Adds Up Program, Whole Foods Market Rocky Mountain Region donates 10 cents for every bag reused to local schools. To date the Small Change Adds Up Program has raised nearly $5,000 for Colorado schools, ten cents at a time.
• Americans discard 100 billion plastic bags annually and only 0.6 of them are recycled (source: Worldwatch Institute)
• When they are discarded, which is often after one use, plastic bags fill landfills, clog our sewers, pollute our rivers and lakes, threaten our wildlife, and litter our roadsides and communities.
• It can take more than 1,000 years for a plastic bag to break down in a landfill. (source: Worldwatch Institute)
• Roughly 430,000 gallons of crude oil are used to produce 100 million plastic bags, and in the U.S. alone, about 100 billion plastic bags are thrown away each year (and only 0.6 % of them are recycled). (source: Worldwatch Institute)

Visuals: Bag Stock photography available and scheduled photographer visits can be arranged

Interviews: Whole Foods Market is offering interviews with Robin Burton, Whole Foods Market Rocky Mountain Region’s Green Mission Coordinator, by appointment only starting at 9:00am on January 22nd. Please call Jen Chavez-Hartman at 303-449-2108 ext. 22 to arrange.

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