I really don't trust Whole Foods. A lot of the food there isn't organic, they sell bottled water (and lots of it), they contribute greatly to urban sprawl - basically, most of their reputation is from greenwashing. They're simply the lesser of the evils, not part of the solution.

What a hater

I agree with Ross. They have made quite a few impressive steps in the right direction, but they are basically the OG greenwashers. They do it better than anyone else, though.

Even if you don't trust Whole Foods, you have to admit they do carry a large selection of organic/fair trade/local things that are often easily accessible, unless you grow your own everything. On this one, I much rather shop at Whole Foods rather than some obviously anti-green grocer.

I think standards are a definite must. I really hate shopping for shampoo or lotion, only to have to come home and research the ingredients to be sure it met my standards. This happened to me last week after shopping at Whole Foods. I also wish Whole Foods would move into my area. I drive 30 minutes once every 2 months, just to stock up.

I'd be interested to know how Whole Foods cosmetic standards match up to Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep cosmetic database. There are still a bunch of items in that database with very poor scores, which can still be found on the shelves at Whole Foods. Hopefully what they are doing here will remedy some of that.

I agree with the previous comment that Whole Foods don't always practice what they preach, and the sale of bottled water is indefensible. At least they have the filling (filter) stations in the stores, but having water shipped to the store is just wrong.

Also, their pet food sold under the 365 brand still contains by-products according to the label. This is just shocking.

That said, they are making ten-fold more effort where other stores can't be bothered so they will still get my business.

DRIVING to wholefoods would pretty much erase the benefits of shopping there, planet wise. too many suvs there. wanker status shoppers. you can get stuff cheaper and in bulk online. driving to get organic carrots is naive.

Ron: And the carrots you get online are delivered to your doorstep how, exactly? Oh, right, in a huge diesel truck...

personal care stuff, not carrots. i get all my stuff delivered on the ups truck that comes to my apt anyway, cheaper than wholefoods too.
if you have to drive to get organic carrots, they are not worth getting.

Warning: this comment is pro-Whole Foods. I know it's popular to hate them. If only everyone, everywhere, had an affordable, community owned co-op grocery store right around the corner! Or could afford to have all their products UPSed directly to their door! But since that's not reality, I prefer to shop somewhere that at least has standards even if they're not perfect. If you want food that's sourced from smaller, local producers, or from producers that have to pay exorbitant organic certification fees, and if you want to buy that food from a company that pays its employees a living wage, pays premium prices for LEED certified construction materials, gives you money back if you reuse a bag . . . well, there are costs associated with those benefits. If you want cheaper food, shop at Walmart. And of course you will find non-organic products for sale at a Whole Foods. I've never seen a Whole Foods claim to sell only organic - certified organic retailers are certified to handle and store organic food properly, not exclusively. I think maybe you are confusing organic with naturally processed - two terms with very different meanings. And as far as body care goes, for many products there are not natural alternatives available. There are no really effective natural lathering agents, for example - you can buy Burt's Bee's shampoo with no Sodium Laureth Sulfate, but it sure is hard to get it through your hair. If you were to match all body care products up to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep cosmetic database, you would eliminate virtually every body care product on the marketplace today. If you'd like an example, check their rating of Dr. Bronner's Liquid Soap, which they flag as dangerous because it contains peppermint oil. I applaud their efforts, and they are a very useful resource, but I am simply not going to worry about essential oil of peppermint! If you're looking for products that are absolutely pure and natural (and remember, they won't necessarily be certified organic), then commit yourself to paying around $20-$30 per product. Extracting and distilling oils like rose and lavender and tea tree, especially from sustainable sources, is not cheap! Finally, remember that you can only move towards perfection, never achieve it. Give retailers your feedback on the products they make or stock; use your money to support companies that you feel are headed in the right direction; and be the change you want to see.

I would shop at Whole Paycheck Market if it wasn't so darn expensive.

Oops. I meant expensive.

JOSIE I THINK YOU NEED TO RESEARCH NATURAL BODY CARE STUFF MORE
THERE ARE PLENTY OF NATURALS OUT THERE EVEN ONES THAT FOAM
NO OFFENSE MEANT
ALSO BEING NATURAL DOES NOT MAKE PEPPERMINT OIL SAFE. SASAFRASS (HOW TO SPELL?) ROOT GIVES CANCER BUT IT IS NATURAL.

Whoaaa, what's with all the animosity towards Whole Foods? While I am sure they aren't perfect, they are light years ahead of all other major grocery chains. I swear, some peoples' lives aren't complete unless they have something to hate.

Back on topic, this is great news. I have a very sensitive scalp and it is appalling how many "green" hair products have SLS or some similar derivative that just kills my scalp.

It's incredibly easy to play the cynic.

Whole Foods is an easy target because they actually stand for something. By creating strict quality standards for their products, and continually trying to raise the bar on how business is done in this country, they attract a lot of attention. No company is perfect, but some out there deserve credit for making the best decisions they can, and striving to improve where possible.

Being a consumer in this country is about options - you can choose to buy online, to shop locally, or to purchase products shipped from all over the globe. That's your perogative.

My opinion is that Whole Foods was at the forefront of this movement that's recently become so high profile, and deserves credit for bringing awareness and options to the marketplace. And they've never claimed to be all organic, although they were the first certified organic retailer in the U.S.

I also find it interesting that so many people consider Whole Foods too expensive to shop at - no doubt they carry a wide variety of high quality products that come with a higher price tag, but since when is food supposed to be dirt cheap? Oh yeah, since our government started subsidizing the crops that make junk food so prevalent, and so cheap in this country. What would happen if the government subsidized fruits and vegetables instead?

I believe if you want high quality, nutritious food, you should be willing to pay a little more for it. Plus, if you shop the WF 365 brand, the price is comparable, and oftentimes less expensive than elsewhere.

I actually love Whole Foods. Very happy they are moving in this direction. I've always found their products to be of the highest integrity.

My guess is that the animosity comes from competitors to the company. Instead of whining on blogs, improve your stores.