Trader Joe’s was one of the first chain grocery stores to begin selling organic food, but their products have not necessarily been eco-friendly. A vast amount of the produce that can be found at Trader Joe’s is needlessly covered in plastic, but that is about to change soon.
The company recently announced that they will be cutting down on their use of plastic, and reduce their consumption of plastic by roughly 4 million pounds each year. More than half of that plastic, 2.5 million pounds, is being cut from the produce department.
Now, many produce items that can be safely sold loose will not contain any packaging. This change will save the company a ton of money, and those savings are reportedly being noticed by customers as well.
At one Trader Joe’s location, a customer said that they found a single head of garlic for $.49, when before the same item was sold in packs of two for $1.39 before. For this item, the loss of packaging came with a 25% reduction in price, and customers say that this has happened all over the produce section.
There were some food items that just needed plastic to be kept fresh, although a statement from Trader Joe’s noted that they were seeking solutions for more eco-friendly packaging for these situations.
“The outcome of our test was not tolerable from a food-waste perspective, so we are in pursuit of alternatives. While we may not always arrive at the right solution the first time, we remain steadfast in our dedication to this important work,” the statement read.
The company also said that they will be phasing out the use of styrofoam trays and looking for a variety of different ways that they can cut down on waste in their stores.
Over 5000 people have downloaded our free ebook “Growth Hacking Tips And Rituals For Optimal Living” CLICK HERE to get your free copy now
Trader Joe’s has been keeping their customers informed about the changes through their website and on their podcast, “Inside Trader Joe’s.”
In the press release, the company explained that:
A fundamental focus of sustainability is maintaining product integrity and preventing food waste. We strive to balance the key role packaging plays in this effort with the overall impact packaging has on the ecosystem, as we approach making any changes. We are also aware that the realistic opportunities for recycling materials, along with differing understandings of what is the “best choice” for sustainability, makes this work complex. While most of the plastic in our packaging has the highest recyclability acceptance rate in the U.S., reducing the amount of plastic packaging in our stores is another important focus of our sustainability.
Trader Joe’s has also taken some other measures recently, in addition to reducing packaging and no longer offering single-use plastic bags. The company has also promised to get rid of Bisphenol A, or BPA, from their packaging.
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A group of young Peruvians has launched a project called ‘Bio Plant’ in order to help the world use less plastic. They have created biodegradable dishes made of banana leaves to reduce environmental pollution caused by excessive disposal of plastic. Every banana leaf plate used instead of a plastic one is one less item polluting our planet!
Chuwa Plant
This innovative product can decompose within 2 months – it’s completely degraded naturally before the 60 days are up. Those commonly used plates and containers made of polystyrene (styrofoam) on the other hand take up to 500 years, causing untold amounts of damage to the flora and fauna of the oceans and wildlife on land.
Chuwa Plant
With the co-financing of the Innóvate Peru Program (through the Bio Challenge contest aimed at supporting the development of innovative solutions focused on the sustainable use of the resources of our biodiversity), they were able to design and manufacture specialized machines – a presser, a shipper, and a die cutter – for the production of the biodegradable dishes. With the new equipment, they are able to manufacture 50,000 dishes monthly.
Josué Soto, the leader of the project, explained how they are working directly with small producers in the Peruvian Amazon, who are provided with a fair price and technical training to take advantage of the losses of banana cultivation.
The Chuwa Plant group has also made these dishes with paper and cardboard cellulose – all of which (including the banana leaf plates) are disposable (single use), resistant to various temperatures, liquids and can be used with any type of food.
Josué Soto said that they do not need to cut down banana trees or pluck their leaves as they break off when pickers remove the clusters of bananas from the tree.
The plates are rectangular in shape, measuring 22 cm x 16 cm x 3 cm (height) and are not carcinogenic because they do not contain styrene, a petroleum derivative that is found in other types of containers.
Bio Plant plates have already been in use in traditional and patron celebrations in various regions of the country. The group plans to enter the natural restaurants and ecological wineries market with their product. “The approximate sale price of our dishes is 100 to 120 soles (US$29.64-35.56) for 100 dishes, depending on the thickness of the sheet, but over time it may be more accessible to all consumers,” said Soto in Spanish.
Source
Hempearth, the Canadian cannabis firm, has designed the world’s first plane made and powered by hemp – the non-psychoactive member of the cannabis family 10 times stronger than steel. Interestingly, everything from the seats, the wings, the plane walls and even the pillows are made from hemp. The plane, with a wingspan of 36 feet, can hold one pilot and four passengers. What’s more? It runs on 100% hemp oil!
Hemp is lighter than traditional aerospace materials (such as aluminium and fiberglass) and therefore requires a lot less fuel to reach a high altitude. Most importantly, hemp is non-toxic, sustainable, requires way less water and land to grow than cotton, and compared to steel or carbon fibre, has almost no environmental impact.
Hempearth CEO Derek Kesek says:
“This plane project is our first experiment with industrial hemp, and we plan to explore many other uses. Once we establish structural testing and information from this project, we will apply it to other forms of construction. This is the kind of future we all want here on Earth. The sky may not be the limit.”
Hempearth is also developing hemp composites in Montreal, which could replace all fiberglass in aviation and other industries — such as construction. It recently turned down Dupont as they “don’t and never will sign or work with fascist companies that are associated with military, The Rockefellers, The Rothchilds and or the Military Industrial Complex”.
“I build things organically and take it one thing at a time,” Kesek adds. “Richard Branson is my biggest inspiration because he is showing that it’s not business as usual any more: if you want something you go get it.”
When the first hemp plane is completed, its first flight is set to take place at The Wright Brother’s Memorial in Kitty Hawk North Carolina – the birthplace of aviation.
Source
The company recently announced that they will be cutting down on their use of plastic, and reduce their consumption of plastic by roughly 4 million pounds each year. More than half of that plastic, 2.5 million pounds, is being cut from the produce department.
Now, many produce items that can be safely sold loose will not contain any packaging. This change will save the company a ton of money, and those savings are reportedly being noticed by customers as well.
At one Trader Joe’s location, a customer said that they found a single head of garlic for $.49, when before the same item was sold in packs of two for $1.39 before. For this item, the loss of packaging came with a 25% reduction in price, and customers say that this has happened all over the produce section.
There were some food items that just needed plastic to be kept fresh, although a statement from Trader Joe’s noted that they were seeking solutions for more eco-friendly packaging for these situations.
“The outcome of our test was not tolerable from a food-waste perspective, so we are in pursuit of alternatives. While we may not always arrive at the right solution the first time, we remain steadfast in our dedication to this important work,” the statement read.
The company also said that they will be phasing out the use of styrofoam trays and looking for a variety of different ways that they can cut down on waste in their stores.
Over 5000 people have downloaded our free ebook “Growth Hacking Tips And Rituals For Optimal Living” CLICK HERE to get your free copy now
Trader Joe’s has been keeping their customers informed about the changes through their website and on their podcast, “Inside Trader Joe’s.”
In the press release, the company explained that:
A fundamental focus of sustainability is maintaining product integrity and preventing food waste. We strive to balance the key role packaging plays in this effort with the overall impact packaging has on the ecosystem, as we approach making any changes. We are also aware that the realistic opportunities for recycling materials, along with differing understandings of what is the “best choice” for sustainability, makes this work complex. While most of the plastic in our packaging has the highest recyclability acceptance rate in the U.S., reducing the amount of plastic packaging in our stores is another important focus of our sustainability.
Trader Joe’s has also taken some other measures recently, in addition to reducing packaging and no longer offering single-use plastic bags. The company has also promised to get rid of Bisphenol A, or BPA, from their packaging.
createSummaryAndThumb("summary4223638520792346370","Trader Joe’s Got Rid of Plastic Packaging And Produce Prices Fell By Up To 25%","https://www.natureknows.org/2019/10/trader-joes-got-rid-of-plastic-packaging-and-produce-prices-fell-by-up-to-25-percent.html","5:42 AM","0","Environment ,Food ,Healthy ,Smart Ideas");
A group of young Peruvians has launched a project called ‘Bio Plant’ in order to help the world use less plastic. They have created biodegradable dishes made of banana leaves to reduce environmental pollution caused by excessive disposal of plastic. Every banana leaf plate used instead of a plastic one is one less item polluting our planet!
This innovative product can decompose within 2 months – it’s completely degraded naturally before the 60 days are up. Those commonly used plates and containers made of polystyrene (styrofoam) on the other hand take up to 500 years, causing untold amounts of damage to the flora and fauna of the oceans and wildlife on land.
With the co-financing of the Innóvate Peru Program (through the Bio Challenge contest aimed at supporting the development of innovative solutions focused on the sustainable use of the resources of our biodiversity), they were able to design and manufacture specialized machines – a presser, a shipper, and a die cutter – for the production of the biodegradable dishes. With the new equipment, they are able to manufacture 50,000 dishes monthly.
Josué Soto, the leader of the project, explained how they are working directly with small producers in the Peruvian Amazon, who are provided with a fair price and technical training to take advantage of the losses of banana cultivation.
The Chuwa Plant group has also made these dishes with paper and cardboard cellulose – all of which (including the banana leaf plates) are disposable (single use), resistant to various temperatures, liquids and can be used with any type of food.
Josué Soto said that they do not need to cut down banana trees or pluck their leaves as they break off when pickers remove the clusters of bananas from the tree.
The plates are rectangular in shape, measuring 22 cm x 16 cm x 3 cm (height) and are not carcinogenic because they do not contain styrene, a petroleum derivative that is found in other types of containers.
Bio Plant plates have already been in use in traditional and patron celebrations in various regions of the country. The group plans to enter the natural restaurants and ecological wineries market with their product. “The approximate sale price of our dishes is 100 to 120 soles (US$29.64-35.56) for 100 dishes, depending on the thickness of the sheet, but over time it may be more accessible to all consumers,” said Soto in Spanish.
Source
Hempearth, the Canadian cannabis firm, has designed the world’s first plane made and powered by hemp – the non-psychoactive member of the cannabis family 10 times stronger than steel. Interestingly, everything from the seats, the wings, the plane walls and even the pillows are made from hemp. The plane, with a wingspan of 36 feet, can hold one pilot and four passengers. What’s more? It runs on 100% hemp oil!
Hemp is lighter than traditional aerospace materials (such as aluminium and fiberglass) and therefore requires a lot less fuel to reach a high altitude. Most importantly, hemp is non-toxic, sustainable, requires way less water and land to grow than cotton, and compared to steel or carbon fibre, has almost no environmental impact.
Hempearth CEO Derek Kesek says:
“This plane project is our first experiment with industrial hemp, and we plan to explore many other uses. Once we establish structural testing and information from this project, we will apply it to other forms of construction. This is the kind of future we all want here on Earth. The sky may not be the limit.”
Hempearth is also developing hemp composites in Montreal, which could replace all fiberglass in aviation and other industries — such as construction. It recently turned down Dupont as they “don’t and never will sign or work with fascist companies that are associated with military, The Rockefellers, The Rothchilds and or the Military Industrial Complex”.
“I build things organically and take it one thing at a time,” Kesek adds. “Richard Branson is my biggest inspiration because he is showing that it’s not business as usual any more: if you want something you go get it.”
When the first hemp plane is completed, its first flight is set to take place at The Wright Brother’s Memorial in Kitty Hawk North Carolina – the birthplace of aviation.
Source
Environment
633 Divers Cleanup 1.5 Tons of Trash From Ocean Floor in Florida, Breaking Guinness World Record
Volunteer divers just pulled 3200 pounds of garbage off the ocean floor of Florida’s Deerfield Beach. Imagine if we had cleanup efforts like this all over the world!
The waters around Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier are a lot cleaner after 633 divers spent just two hours scouring the ocean floor for garbage.
All together they removed an estimated 3200 pounds – more than one and a half tons – of trash.
That included 1,600 pounds of lead fishing weights and 60 pounds of fishing line, diver RJ Harper told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The rest still needs to be sorted and weighed.
It was the 15th cleanup of its kind on this beach, but the first time it had set a record.
Last year’s annual cleanup removed 1,000 pounds of lead weights, 161 pounds of fishing line, 104 pounds of metal, 52 pounds of wood, and 102 pounds of miscellaneous debris, totalling more than 1,400 pounds
The previous world record was set by 614 divers cleaning up trash from the floor of the Red Sea in Egypt.
Source
The waters around Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier are a lot cleaner after 633 divers spent just two hours scouring the ocean floor for garbage.
All together they removed an estimated 3200 pounds – more than one and a half tons – of trash.
That included 1,600 pounds of lead fishing weights and 60 pounds of fishing line, diver RJ Harper told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The rest still needs to be sorted and weighed.
It was the 15th cleanup of its kind on this beach, but the first time it had set a record.
Last year’s annual cleanup removed 1,000 pounds of lead weights, 161 pounds of fishing line, 104 pounds of metal, 52 pounds of wood, and 102 pounds of miscellaneous debris, totalling more than 1,400 pounds
The previous world record was set by 614 divers cleaning up trash from the floor of the Red Sea in Egypt.
Source
