Comments on: Whole Foods Using Non-Recyclables

By: Composting Update :: Now with EATware Biodegradable Food Containers at Go Green Charleston || Local Environmental News, Information, and Advocacy

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:16:33 +0000

[...] blogged about Whole Foods serving most of its goodies in containers made from plastic #5, which is not recyclable locally. [...]

By: Heidi

Heidi — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 03:58:40 +0000

Does Whole Foods allow containers we bring in, and do they reduce the “tare weight”?

I’m more concerned about the bulk foods I want to buy than take-out. I’m just not sure how to go about getting the tare weight.. do you use this option?

Thanks, ~Heidi

By: Rose Paul

Rose Paul — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:30:12 +0000

Why can I not use my own storage type containers for take out there and other places?
People should get a credit for attempting to save the earth rather than be told that they cannot tare the weight of home brought containers or the containers are not sterile…I mean it is a container that I am taking home to eat the food in. Why should they care if it is sterile or not?

Earth Fare lets me bring in my own containers for their soup.
May Whole Foods should get with Earth Fare’s program.

By: Matthew Gregg

Matthew Gregg — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 01:56:58 +0000

Why does Whole Foods have to use any throw away material, recyclable or not, for it’s deli? Other “Earth Friendly” grocers in the area use washable plates, glasses and utensils and recyclable material in the containers for food “to go” from their deli.

My last visit to the Whole Foods deli I noticed that they had a sign on the recycling container that said “do not throw items that contain food”. I mean come on….

By: Chad Norman

Chad Norman — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 23:34:04 +0000

Thanks for sharing D. That’s great that your small town was so progressive - do you have a link for the program or local government? It’s still pretty rare to find a program that takes plastics 3-7, and I’d love to call them up and see how they did it.

I wonder if they could do it simply because they were small. Scale seems to add problems like incorrect use of the drop sites. Just yesterday I saw a huge plastic crate stuffed with old hoses, mops, and garbage left in the parking lot off of Whipple Road. What are people thinking?…these sites aren’t open air garbage cans!

The good news is that we’ve heard from both Charleston and Dorchester counties that plans are in the works to recycle more plastic. I honestly believe that curbside pickup of corrugated cardboard would make a bigger impact, but I’ll take what I can get!

By: D Moore

D Moore — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 22:32:21 +0000

It would nice to see #5’s and other materials more readily recyclable. A recent “immigrant” from rural Wisconsin, it’s hard for me to understand to low rate of reculing and recycleables here in the Charleston area. The small town of 15,000 people had the ability to recycle all materials except #6 (styrofoam) and it saved the city/taxpayers a bundle every year of landfills. I suspect the differences are in scale or in the costs being payed to landfill being more in WI vs SC.

Perhaps working on both fronts is a better option, pressing Whole Foods and pressing our elected representatives.