Sustainable is Good | Where design, lifestyle and packaging meet

Whole Foods Market Greens Chicken Packaging

Whole Foods Market (WFM) in the Northeast region has changed the packaging to a much greener option for its in store fresh pre-packaged chicken.  The new packaging eliminates the use of the #6 polystyrene tray in fresh pre-packaged chicken and is leak proof and freezer safe.

It is not known whether the new chicken packaging is being used in other Whole Foods regions. 

The provider of the chicken, BC Natural Chicken LLC supplies chicken to stores east of the Mississippi, primarily focused on the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions according to trade publications.  

Not much is known about the company which is based in Golden Colorado and bought the poultry division of Pennfield Corp for an undisclosed sum in 2003.  The company also sells chicken under the brands Amish Select and Pennfield Farms.  The chicken comes from Fredricksberg, PA.  

The new packaging on the Whole Foods branded fresh chicken is a good step and reduces completely unnecessary excess packaging that has been a standard in the industry for years.  The often white #6 polystyrene trays have become a staple in pre-packaged fresh meat packaging in the US and are always land filled after use. 

While the packaging is a positive step, Whole Foods or BC Natural Chicken are not the first to use this type of packaging in the US. 

As we reported back in March 2008, NY-based Murray's chicken switched to this type of packaging on Earth Day 2008.  The company has been using the more eco-friendly packaging for nearly two years.

Other Whole Foods regions have used this type of packaging for their fresh chicken.  It has been reported Whole Foods in California began selling Petaluma Poultry brand chicken in the no tray packaging last summer.  

Hopefully Whole Foods will provide me with more details on the use of the no tray chicken packaging in their regions - which I will then post.

Naturally Fresh Deodorant at Walmart Stores

Walmart is expanding the numbers of stores that offer Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal. This month, the all-natural products will be available at 648 new Walmart locations throughout the country.

I've been using this deodorant for over a year now and I love it.  I am still on my original stick.  It lasts forever and doesn't contain the awful ingredients most conventional deodorants have in them. 

Naturally Fresh Deodorant has been in select Walmarts for nearly two decades, and this recent increase bring the total number of stores carrying the products to 2,363.

Walmart shoppers will be able to purchase the Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal Fragrance-Free Roll-On.

Unlike most conventional antiperspirants and deodorants, the Roll-On contains no harmful processed aluminum or parabens. It also comes highly recommended by allergists, dermatologists and oncologists.

"We don't believe people should have to choose between price and natural living," said Ted Alflen, CEO and founder of Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal. "Our goal has always been to provide effective products without harmful chemicals and without the burden of hefty price tags. Our expansion with Walmart allows us to reach more people in more areas."

The Naturally Fresh Deodorant Roll-On's all-natural ingredients provide 24-hour, non-staining hypoallergenic protection. It even feels like skin lotion--with its non-greasy, non-sticky formula.  

O'BON Stationary Pencils & Notebooks with a Eco-friendly Twist

O'BON is a company making eco-friendly stationary and related items based in Northern California. 

They've been selling in Australian and Asian markets for several years now and just recently have begun focusing on the US market.

"O’BON is designed specifically around kids, students and environmentally conscious schools, workplaces and individuals," said O'BON's Tom McHale.

"Our line of pencils, pens, erasers, notebooks, binders and folders bring something very different to the table: beautiful, vibrant colors, gorgeous designs, very affordable pricing and a sense of social responsibility as well."

The company makes products including:

•          Pencils made out of recycled newspaper
•          Notebooks made from sugarcane pulp
•          Folders made from recycled paper
•          Binders made from recycled cardboard

I had the chance to try some of their products including their recycled newspaper pencils and sugarcane pulp notebooks.  The products are well made and come in a variety of fun exciting designs.  We tried both their wildlife colored pencils and their regular rainbow design pencils and found them to be perfect replacements for their conventional counterparts.  They'd definitely make ideal more eco-friendly choices for children. 

McHale said, "You will find that O’BON is committed to making only the highest quality products through using the best of materials, and we closely control our manufacturing process to minimize any affect on the environment."

O'BON products are available online at www.myobon.com as well as at retailers across the country.  

2010 White House Easter Egg Roll Features FSC Certified Souvenir Egg with Sustainable Packaging

President Obama's 2010 White House Easter Egg is made from FSC certified hardwood and the set of four are packaged in sustainable packaging made from SFI certified paperboard. 

This year's egg comes in four colors - purple, pink, green, yellow - and includes the stamped signatures of the President and First Lady.

In a continued effort to make the Easter Egg Roll more environmentally friendly, all eggs have again been crafted in the United States from Forest Stewardship Council-certified hardwood.

The packaging has also been designed to minimize waste and environmental impact, helping to create a 'greener' Easter Egg and Easter Egg packaging.

The packaging for the 2010 Easter Egg:

• Made from Sustainability Forest Initiative (SFI) - certified paperboard (SFI paperboard uses no wood fibers from endangered forests)
• The printed carton is easily recyclable when collected and processed in a municipal or community Paperboard Recycling Program
• Features vegetable oil-based inks and a water-based coating

The National Park Foundation (NPF) produces and sells the White House Easter Egg. The egg is given as a souvenir to all children 12 years and younger who attend the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn, which is part of the National Park System.

Its encouraging to see issues like responsible sourcing of wood and sustainable packaging are recognized as important by the White House.

Anyone can view and purchase the souvenir egg online via the National Park Foundation website at: easter.nationalparks.org

The 2010 Easter Egg Roll will take place on Monday, April 5th. The White House Easter Egg Roll is focused on promoting health and wellness with the theme, "Ready, Set, Go!".

Golite Tier 1 Recycled Fabric Use Recognized with Backpacker Magazine Green Award

 

GoLite, a leading producer of technical outdoor apparel and products has been honored with Backpacker magazine Editors’ Choice Award in recognition of their outstanding innovation in design, materials and/or performance.

The Backpacker Editors’ Choice Awards, bestowed annually since 1993, honor the products that Backpacker editors have chosen as the best of the year based on months of trail testing by teams of highly experienced hikers and climbers.

GoLite’s extensive use of Tier 1 recycled fabrics won the “Green Award” and was one of only 15 innovative products honored with a 2010 Backpacker Editors’ Choice Award. 

GoLite has replaced virgin, petro-chemical based materials in all of our main pack fabrics and travel luggage with 50% Tier 1 recycled nylon, and in all of our sleeping bag collections with 100% Tier 1 recycled polyester. The impact reduction for recycled textiles varies, but it has shown to have up to 70% (for nylon) and up to 80% (for polyester) reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while performing on-par with their conventional alternatives.

GoLite’s product director Kevin Joyce said, “We’re honored Backpacker has chosen to recognize our use of Tier 1 recycled fabrics.  Our integration of these fabrics significantly advances our goal of achieving sustainability without sacrificing our commitment to high performance apparel and equipment.”

GoLite and other outdoor product producers like Patagonia and Mountain Equipment Co-Op are using recycled materials in many of their garments and outdoor gear products.  The increased use of recycled textiles by outdoor equipment companies has had a significant impact on reducing waste and use of resources.

GoLite also recently announced the Product Take-Back Program.  As part of the program GoLite will take back and reuse, repurpose, recycle, and/or store for future recycling any GoLite apparel or equipment, regardless of its condition, that the company manufactured since its founding in 1998.  Customers can learn more by visiting their website www.golite.com.

 

 
 

Quiznos New Greener Packaging

Last week popular US-based sub & sandwich shop Quiznos launched its "Eat Toasty, Be Green" campaign by introducing several types of more environmentally responsible packaging - helping to minimize its impact on the environment by attempting to reduce the eco-footprint of its packaging.

All Quiznos stores now feature several new types of packaging, including:

• 100 percent compostable wax-coated paper cups
• Pulp salad bowls made from renewable sugarcane
• Plastic lids made of 30 percent post-consumer-recycled PET bottles
• Napkins made from 100 percent recycled material and fibers (90 percent post-consumer)
• Catering lunch boxes made of 100 percent recycled paperboard (35 percent post-consumer)

The sub chain is also helping its team members embrace its new green shift by beginning to change their uniforms to items made from 100 percent from recycled soda pop bottles.  Each hat saves approximately six bottles from reaching a landfill and each apron saves approximately 25 bottles.

By making its packaging more environmentally responsible, Quiznos claims its taking steps to lessen the impact each of its thousands of independently owned and operated U.S. stores has on the eco-health of the nation.  The company notes the new green changes come at no additional cost to their Franchise Owners.

Quiznos cites recent reports which show 32 percent of the entire domestic waste stream consists of containers and packaging, with 300 pounds of fast food packaging waste generated each year for each person in the U.S. (The 2008 Fast Food Packaging Report)