Mystery Surrounds New Whole Foods Reusable Bag

Whole Foods A Better Bag (photo: www.made-in-china.com)

When I started this story last month, I never expected a standard interview request with a designer to turn into a bureaucratic two-step that took us to China and back.

Austin-based Whole Foods Market officially phased out the use of plastic shopping bags on Earth Day last week. 

In December Whole Foods announced their intention to eliminate plastic bags and unveiled their new reusable bag called “A Better Bag.”  Following that announcement we reached out to the bag’s designer to learn more about the design and concept behind this colorful new bag. 

The response we received may be an indication of just how important reusable bags are becoming for Whole Foods. 

The colorful bags are quickly becoming the primary reusable bag the company sells, and their customers are embracing them thanks to their bright fun design, durability, low price and unique look and feel.

Perhaps an indicator of their popularity is the fact they are even selling on eBay.

A Better Bag was designed internally by Whole Foods staff who work on the company’s branded products.  The bag’s graphic design depicts blues and greens and a fresh cut apple.  Sustainable is Good attempted to obtain information on the bag’s artwork for this story.  However the bag’s designer was unable to answer any questions, citing a strict non-disclosure policy Whole Foods maintains with its employees.

Sustainable is Good contacted the Whole Foods corporate office in March for information on the bag for our story.  Initially we were turned down, being told the company doesn’t speak to “trade publications.”  After some follow up we were then informed a “rare exception” was made at the approval of the director of PR for Whole Foods – the company would participate in our story.

We submitted several questions to the company on the design and concept of the bag and also sought information on consumer reactions. 

Then began a back and forth process that in the PR world can only be described as odd.  Weeks passed with no information, then “availability” issues cropped up and more time passed; finally the company’s participation in the story came to an end last week over supply concerns. 

In an email a Whole Foods spokeswoman told Sustainable is Good, “We won’t be able to help on this story due to the reasons that I described earlier. As we had discussed, we were making an exception with your website as we know you do great work.  However, since we don’t know when our supply issues will be resolved, our team has opted to not go through with the story.”

Throughout the more than one month process to obtain basic information on the new bag, it was never clear exactly what any of the issues raised had to do with the design and concept of the bag.   It is also not known why the director agreed to participate in the story with these apparently severe supply issues looming.

Following this angle, Sustainable is Good spoke to regional sources who indicated they were unaware of any supply issues affecting the availability of the bags in their regions.

Where is the bag made and what makes it unique?

We were also able to establish where the bags are made and obtain information on what makes these bags unique within the reusable bag world.

The bags are made in the busy city of Shenzhen in China’s Guangdong province.  The city is booming with companies making reusable bags and nearly everything else imaginable for the U.S. market.  We also learned the reusable bag industry in China is riddled with misinformation over environmental claims and there is intense competition over U.S contracts.   

Based on publicly available trade information we were able to establish Charrmy Industries Co., Limited appears to be involved in the production of the Whole Foods bags.  In fact, the company’s web site proudly displays images of the bag.

What makes the Whole Foods bag different is the original artwork, design and high quality materials. 

Most of the Whole Foods bag is made from 100% post-consumer rPET (plastic bottles) material.  The tag that comes with the bag states 80% of the bag is made from rPET.   rPET material is quickly becoming the choice for high quality reusable bags destined for the U.S. market, because of its post-consumer recycled properties and its durability.

The Whole Foods Better Bag goes a step further by adding an outer layer of Oriented Polypropylene (OPP) film.  This material provides its unique look and texture as well as the ability to print high quality colorful artwork.  OPP is an excellent material for printing – for example the popular book Cradle to Cradle by the MBDC co-founders is made of OPP as are ReProduct greeting cards.   

By adding the outer OPP layer Whole Foods was able to take a reusable bag and make it fun and exciting for customers.

Aren't reusable bags for the greater good?

All of these points are interesting, innovative and exciting.  So why then did Whole Foods agree to participate in the story, and then over a month later back out?  Wouldn’t the company want to share its creative design work and innovative bag with its customers?   

The piece that Whole Foods is missing here is consumer interest; people are actually quite concerned with things like this.  People see these fun new bags in the stores, they see the store aggressively pushing them it’s not hard to see how interest is generated. Plus it’s a known fact eco-conscious consumers value design and innovation.

Reusable bags are designed to reduce waste and better the planet for everyone.  With that idea in mind you would think Whole Foods would be open about their new bag design and do anything they could to promote it and encourage others to follow in their footsteps and create their own. 

After all if more people embrace and use reusable bags and have access to bags that are fun and fashionable, then it stands to reason an increasingly significant dent can be made in the reduction of plastic bag waste, right? 

Is this more about protecting the design of a reusable bag than encouraging more people to use them?  That’s a fair question.

Comments

[Robert Foster]

Fascinating story - I'm not surprised Whole Foods would try to keep this under rap though - probably because they are afraid their design would be copied by the Chinese. When China is involved it gets interesting - I do business over there.

That said we're talking about something that should help us all so I agree this is the type of thing you share, not hide. great job with the story though.

[Alexander]

This is incredible. I am outraged. I shop a Whole Foods specifically because I know they take care in securing fish and meats from practices that are humane... and now this. I've been to China and seen these kinds of factories and they are anything but humane. I'm disgusted and feel utterly betrayed!

[Cynthia Barnes]

I just got this story in my google reader today and my stomach dropped a mile. We had to return so many of my daughter's toys with lead paint and now this! I can't believe that a company like whole foods would be so insensitive. I'm really scared to trust any of these companies anymore. I thought Whole Foods was different.

[BirdBarista]

I'd be interested in knowing more about the manufacturing process, in particular if the plant(s) producing the bags has a good environmental record. The benefits of producing a green product seem dampened if the producer pollutes like crazy. In general, I feel conflicted about any product from China, as it feels like I'm contributing to a super-heated economy that is ahead of itself as far as environmental regulations are concerned. I'm sure other consumers must feel the same way.

Meanwhile, I'll bring my own canvas bags to Whole Foods.

[Will]

Well I mean my understanding is that none of these Chinese plants have a great record for either the environment or labor... I mean China builds a new coal plant every 7 minutes, so we know for a fact these bags are fueling global warming.

[Diane]

China is Ok! Why does everyone pick on China? China isn't the problem they are just catering to all the ridiculous needs of Americans!!!!

[Adam C.]

Great timing there is a story in today's New York Times on Child labor violations in Guangdong province in Shenzhen and Dongguan maybe people will start to wake up!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/world/asia/01china.html

[Amanda]

This article is a bit alarmist. I understand the frustration of being left hanging after getting special exception for an interview. However, assuming that Whole Foods is doing something shady isn't finding the most likely explanation. It's jumping to an exciting conclusion. The real reason is probably much more mundane.

It's not uncommon for corporations to refuse to disclose information about an ongoing project. If they're having a supply issue, it could mean that they're altering the design, the manufacturing process, or have to switch to a different vendor: all valid reasons to indefinitely keep that information confidential.

[Mark Charles]

Give me a break Whole Foods. Why wouldn't you want to showcase the good work your people are doing? As a shopper at your stores I'd like to know why you won't talk about this? Whats to hide its a reusable bag for god sake and a cool looking on at that????? I'm a graphic designer who does work for companies as well and I love to show off my designs and work. I just think this whole thing is stupid and your actions raise more questions.

[Adrian]

Thanks for the info….I am trying to put together a list of what celebs are doing to help the environment. Ed Begley Jr. is having a sweepstakes where he flys you to Hollywood and gives you tips on how to go green ( http://www.earthlab.com/life/livingwithed/ ) Pretty crazy stuff. Obviously there are many others. Drop me a link if you have any on the top of your head. Thanks again for the info!

[Rob]

The article is not quite so alarmist as some of the comments. The bags clearly state 'Made in China' (as does just about everything you'd buy for $.99 in America). If Charrmy is the manufacturer of the bags and they're publishing the information on their site, though, then they are likely in breach of a contract w/ Whole Foods, which tends to try to maintain a strong competitive edge with their suppliers. That alone may be the cause for the delay and refusal of story.

Many Whole Foods stores I'm aware of also provide 'Made in America', all-natural canvas bags for about 1300% more if you're concerned with the environmental impact of Chinese manufactured goods. Or you could be personally responsible and make your own bags out of old disposable plastic bags, t-shirts, and other materials.

[Marc]

Excellent work tracking down the story behind the bag.

Whole Foods use of recycled material in their bag and their efforts to encourage reusable bags is commendable. But I'm not so crazy about the glorification of the reusable bag -- i.e., buy your way to sustainability.

What I'd like to see is some sort of 'gathering of unused bags.' Some people probably have a few bags in closets from trade shows, conferences or other events that they aren't using (even with my extensive collection of canvas bags with geeky or incomprehensible slogans, I have a few extra). So I wonder if there is a way to get them out of storage and into regular use. I also wonder if there are leftover bags from big trade shows that could be put to use.

[Steve Silver]

Reuseable Bags are great but we think that Whole Foods may have missed the boat here. We are plastic recyclers and we do not feel that Whole Foods "A Better Bag" is recylable. We are introducing a new product to the market called The Better Bag. It is a reusable bag made with recycled material and is fully recyclable. Whole Foods "A Better Bag" is actually a co-mingled product. Co-mingled plastics are difficult or impossible to recycle. We think that when the Whole Foods bags become worn out that they will just be thrown away. What a shame! Please visit our new website WWW.THEBETTERBAG.COM to learn more about reuseable bags.

[Karol]

I think Whole Foods is probably in the same situation anyone else is in - to find a manufacturer for products in high quantities at a reasonable price always lands you in another country. I did a search tonight because I'm interested in these bags -- and I have to tell you -- it's not easy to find a recycled bag -- all my searches put me right back in China. And when I searched for the U.S. only, I ended up on sites that imprint the bags, but still import them from China or elsewhere. I use Whole Foods bags and think they are great - and if they can't be recycled further, I guess I'll rethink that -- but for now, it's better than regular plastic and I'll keep looking for the latest and greatest to keep up!