Trader Joe’s Wants To Eliminate One Million Pounds Of Plastic From Its Stores

Everyone loves Trader Joe’s — and that’s because it’s well-known for its affordable, quality foods. They’ve also got great selections in organic and vegan foods. Not to mention, you can pick up a few bottles of Two-Buck Chuck from their Wine Shop. For those of you unfamiliar with this alcoholic beacon of hope, this seriously inexpensive wine is actually from Trader Joe’s proprietary Charles Shaw collection.

As one person put it, these cheap-o wines will “probably quench your appetite.” (Let’s just say I agree. I spent many years as a broke college kid.)

But beyond creating an affordable wine everyone can somewhat enjoy (along with weird French onion bites that confuse people), Trader Joe’s is also making strides in eliminating one million pounds of plastic from its stores.

They even hope to exceed that goal.

According to their end-of-2018 press release, they’ve agreed to, in 2019, work on:

• Reducing the number of items sold in plastic packages in our produce section, including apple, pear, and potato bags.
• Replacing any remaining styrofoam trays in our fresh meat section with PET1 trays that are highly recyclable.
• Replacing the current plastic sleeves on our greeting cards with sleeves made of a renewable, compostable material.
• Replacing the current plastic flower bags with bags made of a renewable material.
• Eliminating non-recyclable plastic and foil pouches from our tea packages.

This initiative was born out of a Greenpeace petition targeting Trader Joe’s; it was backed by 91,000 people.

The petition stated, “Corporate plastic pollution is destroying our oceans and wreaking havoc on marine life. The equivalent of one garbage truck worth of plastic enters the oceans every minute.”

“And the plastic doesn’t stay there — many of it ends up on our plates as microplastic in fish and sea salt.”

An guess what? Trader Joe’s actually listened, promising to “better manage our environmental impact.”

Looks like everyone is really pleased with their decision.

This Twitter user has a great point: “I absolutely love seeing companies really listen to their customers.”

After a massive online petition circulated last week, Trader Joes has committed to cutting 1 million pounds of plastic waste in 2019. I absolutely love seeing companies really listen to their customers. https://t.co/r8XcC0udtt

— Steve Westly (@SteveWestly) March 8, 2019

Others agree, mentioning their “strong sense of compassion and social responsibility.”

Other companies, take heed!

We love seeing all the support.

When organizations and people support moves like this, it encourages others to follow suit:

Way to go Trader Joes for making another positive step towards sustainability in our markets! 🌎 #StopPlasticPollution https://t.co/SdktBbUa5L

— Future Frogmen (@FutureFrogmen) March 11, 2019

And yet another great response:

“No intelligent species knowingly destroys their own environment…right? We should hope so! Kudos to Trader Joes for being a leader!”

To celebrate their efforts, let’s look at some of our favorite products.

The roasted garlic hummus is a must-have for any party. Snack on it with their Pita Bite Crackers.

This chocolate pecan pie is to die for. Have you tried it? Heat it up — and voilá! Heaven.

Their skin care line is excellent, too.

Made with quality ingredients and more affordable than other products, it’s a win.

Look at this whipped body butter.

This looks pampering (especially if you pop it into the fridge!).

Veggie or vegan? These high-protein burgers are the best.

And if you want a clean supplement, they’ve got that, too.

No more walking into a supplement shop only to be accosted by scary chemical-filled products.

Their coffee selection at Joe’s is amazing; there are millions of options.

So what’s good? This blog breaks down the best coffees you’ll find at the store.

These organic, gluten-free, vegan hemp seed bars are the way to.

Healthy, nutty, affordable.

Another need-to-have item? The Joe’s almond milk.

Oh, and here’s that Charles Shaw we were talking about. Classy stuff, right?

We applaud you, Trader Joe’s, for setting an example in this industry.

We’ll see you at the store!