Whole Foods to Reduce Waste to Zero
by on 05.16.05
Whole Foods is aiming to reduce its waste to zero. The company is trying to reach this goal by composting its unusable food, floral and food-soiled paper waste. According to Whole Foods, it hasn't been easy, the company officials say they have had to search out the right haulers, composting facilities, and enough space in the stories to pack and store compostables. They hope that composting could reduce the company's waste stream, and improve its bottom line.
Each Whole Foods store generates an average of 13 tons of organic residuals and trash a week. Of this, compostable materials (including food culls and trims, out-of-date food, floral trimmings, wet and waxed cardboard, wet paper, and used paper plates and cups) add up to 60%. Currently, about one-third of Whole Foods stores are composting. These stores are located on the West Coast and in the Southwest and North Atlantic regions.
:: Sustainable Business report.
[by Justin Thomas]
I believe this is the way all supermarkets should go. I wish the big names in the UK would follow this behaviour; the likes of Sainsburys, ASDA and Tesco could severely reduce their waste output.
I remember reading somewhere that Oasis (IIRC) did this with the waste orange peels in their factories: They composted them, used the methane (probably to make electricity) and probably used the resulting compost in their plantations.
Can't remember exactly where I've read that, though.