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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The Blue Java is a variety of banana that has a taste and consistency that are strikingly similar to vanilla ice cream. It is also known as ice cream banana in Hawaii, Cenizo in Central America and Hawaiian banana in Fiji.
It has a sweet aroma and an aqua blue peel when unripe. When ripe, these bananas are greenish or pale yellow, and the inside is whitish yellow. It originates from South East Asia, and unlike other banana varieties, it can keep growing in temperatures as low as 20F / -7c.
Bananas are low in fat, but energy dense, so 100 grams of banana provide about 0.3g of fat, 22.8g of carbs, and 89 calories. They are abundant in potassium, that supports proper muscles contraction, and nerve cell response, and regulates heart pressure.
Blue Java bananas contain a fair amount of fiber, as well as several antioxidants that strengthen the immune system. They are also high in vitamin B6 and C, magnesium, copper, manganese, and protein.
The high pectin and resistant starch content moderate blood sugar levels after meals and suppress appetite by slowing the emptying of your stomach. These fruits also rank low to medium on the glycemic index (GI).
The high amounts of vitamin B6 help the body to synthesize its own serotonin, meaning that the consumption of these bananas significantly improves mood. A smoothie or delicious banana ice cream with 2-3 Blue Java bananas will provide over 75% of your RDA of vitamin B6.
The resistant starch also escapes digestion and ends up in the large intestine where it becomes food for the beneficial bacteria in the gut.
This banana variety has wide, thick, and strong leaves, which can be used instead of aluminum foil, and parchment paper for cooking, as well as for The Blue Java Banana has wide, strong, and thick leaves like any other banana variety. These leaves can also be used for baking, boiling, steaming, grilling, and drying.
You can replace ice cream with these bananas, or add it to various recipes for an added vanilla flavor, like smoothies, banana cakes, oatmeal cookies, pancakes, and more.
Therefore, if you decide to grow a Blue Java banana here, and reap the benefits of these delicious fruits, you should know the following facts:
-- It the U.S. it is suitable for growing in the USDA’s zones 9b through 11, although some farmers grow from zones 8 through 11, which are part of the hardiness zones
-- It takes about 9 months from the time the first leaves appear for the fruits to mature if you plant a pseudostem
-- Bananas love mushy conditions and warm, rich soil, so you should water the banana tree frequently
-- They also require a lot of fertilizing, so you will need to use an NPK fertilizer with nutrients in the ratio of 3:1:6 to nurture it. You will need to spray a cup of fertilizer around the roots a month for a one-foot tall plant.
-- Also, you need to prune the secondary shoots around each rhizome, but leave at least one shoot around the plant to improve photosynthesis
-- Bananas require sunlight to germinate, but it is best for the banana tree to be partially to fully exposed to sunlight
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.
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Opossums attract and then kill thousands of ticks per acre, per week, making them one of our best allies in stopping the spread of Lyme disease, researchers say.
A study compared squirrels, mice and opossums, which all eat ticks, and found opossums were the most effective exterminators.
Ticks favor opossums twice as much as the other rodents, the researchers, from Syracuse University, found.
Fortunately, for humans, possums are also the most effective at killing the disease-carrying pests.
Opossums kill almost every tick that occupies them, the study found. A single opossum kills over 5500 ticks per week.
“Opossums are extraordinarily good groomers it turns out – we never would have thought that ahead of time – but they kill the vast majority – more than 95% percent of the ticks that try to feed on them,” disease ecologist Rick Ostfeld explained.
“So these opossums are walking around the forest floor, hoovering up ticks right and left, killing over 90% of these things, and so they are really protecting our health.”
Worldwide, more than 1.3 million people die each year of infectious diseases transmitted by a vector, such as a mosquito, sand fly or tick, according to the World Health Organization.
Vector-borne diseases also inflict heavy tolls on crops, livestock and wildlife, the study’s authors wrote.
Source
A study compared squirrels, mice and opossums, which all eat ticks, and found opossums were the most effective exterminators.
Ticks favor opossums twice as much as the other rodents, the researchers, from Syracuse University, found.
Fortunately, for humans, possums are also the most effective at killing the disease-carrying pests.
Opossums kill almost every tick that occupies them, the study found. A single opossum kills over 5500 ticks per week.
“Opossums are extraordinarily good groomers it turns out – we never would have thought that ahead of time – but they kill the vast majority – more than 95% percent of the ticks that try to feed on them,” disease ecologist Rick Ostfeld explained.
“So these opossums are walking around the forest floor, hoovering up ticks right and left, killing over 90% of these things, and so they are really protecting our health.”
Worldwide, more than 1.3 million people die each year of infectious diseases transmitted by a vector, such as a mosquito, sand fly or tick, according to the World Health Organization.
Vector-borne diseases also inflict heavy tolls on crops, livestock and wildlife, the study’s authors wrote.
Source
The Blue Java is a variety of banana that has a taste and consistency that are strikingly similar to vanilla ice cream. It is also known as ice cream banana in Hawaii, Cenizo in Central America and Hawaiian banana in Fiji.
It has a sweet aroma and an aqua blue peel when unripe. When ripe, these bananas are greenish or pale yellow, and the inside is whitish yellow. It originates from South East Asia, and unlike other banana varieties, it can keep growing in temperatures as low as 20F / -7c.
Bananas are low in fat, but energy dense, so 100 grams of banana provide about 0.3g of fat, 22.8g of carbs, and 89 calories. They are abundant in potassium, that supports proper muscles contraction, and nerve cell response, and regulates heart pressure.
Blue Java bananas contain a fair amount of fiber, as well as several antioxidants that strengthen the immune system. They are also high in vitamin B6 and C, magnesium, copper, manganese, and protein.
The high pectin and resistant starch content moderate blood sugar levels after meals and suppress appetite by slowing the emptying of your stomach. These fruits also rank low to medium on the glycemic index (GI).
The high amounts of vitamin B6 help the body to synthesize its own serotonin, meaning that the consumption of these bananas significantly improves mood. A smoothie or delicious banana ice cream with 2-3 Blue Java bananas will provide over 75% of your RDA of vitamin B6.
The resistant starch also escapes digestion and ends up in the large intestine where it becomes food for the beneficial bacteria in the gut.
This banana variety has wide, thick, and strong leaves, which can be used instead of aluminum foil, and parchment paper for cooking, as well as for The Blue Java Banana has wide, strong, and thick leaves like any other banana variety. These leaves can also be used for baking, boiling, steaming, grilling, and drying.
You can replace ice cream with these bananas, or add it to various recipes for an added vanilla flavor, like smoothies, banana cakes, oatmeal cookies, pancakes, and more.
Therefore, if you decide to grow a Blue Java banana here, and reap the benefits of these delicious fruits, you should know the following facts:
-- It the U.S. it is suitable for growing in the USDA’s zones 9b through 11, although some farmers grow from zones 8 through 11, which are part of the hardiness zones
-- It takes about 9 months from the time the first leaves appear for the fruits to mature if you plant a pseudostem
-- Bananas love mushy conditions and warm, rich soil, so you should water the banana tree frequently
-- They also require a lot of fertilizing, so you will need to use an NPK fertilizer with nutrients in the ratio of 3:1:6 to nurture it. You will need to spray a cup of fertilizer around the roots a month for a one-foot tall plant.
-- Also, you need to prune the secondary shoots around each rhizome, but leave at least one shoot around the plant to improve photosynthesis
-- Bananas require sunlight to germinate, but it is best for the banana tree to be partially to fully exposed to sunlight
Source
This Thai supermarket chain is now wrapping its fruits and veggies in an abundant biodegradable, renewable resource — banana leaves.
A supermarket chain in Chiangmai, Thailand, is doing its part to stem the tide of single-use plastics flooding into the ocean.
While most supermarkets bundle their strawberries in plastic boxes, their corn in plastic shrink wrap and their mushrooms in plastic produce bags, this grocer has come up with an innovative, eco-friendly solution.
Banana leaves are a plentiful and nearly free resource, except for the cost of gathering them.
They’ve been used for millennia as plates and food wrappers and are still used as stylish serving dishes today in Indian and Filipino restaurants.
Banana leaves are said to lend a special flavor to a dish and can even be used to steam foods like Vietnamese sausage.
Not only do the leaves make for a lovely presentation, but it is believed that an enzyme on the leaf, which is released into the food, aids in digestion.
So instead of contaminating our produce with hormone-disrupting BPA, we could actually be making it more nutritious.
Now the benefits of the banana leaf are being expanded beyond fine dining and into the grocery store. They’re large, flexible and waterproof, making for sturdy packaging.
Researchers in Sri Lanka have also perfected a technique for curing banana leaves so they can be kept for more than a month under refrigerated conditions without any change in color or quality.
Source
A supermarket chain in Chiangmai, Thailand, is doing its part to stem the tide of single-use plastics flooding into the ocean.
While most supermarkets bundle their strawberries in plastic boxes, their corn in plastic shrink wrap and their mushrooms in plastic produce bags, this grocer has come up with an innovative, eco-friendly solution.
Banana leaves are a plentiful and nearly free resource, except for the cost of gathering them.
They’ve been used for millennia as plates and food wrappers and are still used as stylish serving dishes today in Indian and Filipino restaurants.
Banana leaves are said to lend a special flavor to a dish and can even be used to steam foods like Vietnamese sausage.
Not only do the leaves make for a lovely presentation, but it is believed that an enzyme on the leaf, which is released into the food, aids in digestion.
So instead of contaminating our produce with hormone-disrupting BPA, we could actually be making it more nutritious.
Now the benefits of the banana leaf are being expanded beyond fine dining and into the grocery store. They’re large, flexible and waterproof, making for sturdy packaging.
Researchers in Sri Lanka have also perfected a technique for curing banana leaves so they can be kept for more than a month under refrigerated conditions without any change in color or quality.
Source
