Friend,

Whole Foods can set a bold example and reduce harmful plastic waste by eliminating single-use plastic packaging from its stores.

Without decisive action, especially from major corporations such as Whole Foods, the amount of plastic waste polluting our communities and environment is set to increase dramatically in the coming years.

Currently, Whole Foods is not living up to its reputation as a sustainable, environmentally conscious company -- due in large part to its continued use of wasteful single-use plastic packaging. So we're mobilizing thousands of citizen advocates like you to call on Whole Foods to move beyond plastic. Will you add your name today?

Tell Whole Foods: Take single-use plastic packaging off store shelves.

Thank you,

Faye Park
President

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: U.S. PIRG <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, Nov 30, 2020
Subject: Tell Whole Foods: Take single-use plastic packaging off your shelves
To: Friend <[email protected]>

Friend,

Plastic waste is piling up at a record pace in our parks, streets and oceans. We're on track to put more than 53 million metric tons of plastic into our oceans and waterways each year by 2030.1

It's time to turn the tide on the plastic pollution crisis. And companies that use a lot of single-use plastic, such as supermarket chains, can play a big role.

We can and must expect better from grocery chains like Whole Foods. We're calling on Whole Foods to eliminate single-use plastic packaging items from its stores. Will you join us, Friend?

A recent report gave Whole Foods an "F" on reducing plastic waste. Why? The company has failed to embrace reusable packaging and recycled content, and it hasn't been transparent about the packaging materials it uses or taken responsibility for the plastic waste its packaging becomes. That puts Whole Foods behind even Walmart and Kroger when it comes to leadership on reducing plastic pollution.2

Such a disappointing grade is certainly surprising for Whole Foods. At one point, the grocer was a prominent leader on cutting out unnecessary plastic, from eliminating plastic bags at checkout in 2008 to removing plastic straws from its stores in 2019.3

But now, without making moves to eliminate single-use plastics from its shelves, Whole Foods is not living up to its reputation as a sustainable, environmentally conscious company.

The good news is Whole Foods can make a huge impact on this issue if it acts right now and sets an example on plastic waste reduction that others in the industry can follow.

That's where you come in. Add your name to our call for Whole Foods to eliminate single-use plastic packaging.

There's no denying our plastic waste crisis is a daunting one. Over the next decade, the total volume of plastic in the world's waterways could reach 53 trillion tons.4

But as bad as plastic pollution has gotten, there remain concrete, achievable solutions we can enact to move our country beyond plastic and toward a zero-waste economy.

U.S. PIRG knows what it takes to get decision-makers to take action on plastic pollution, and our national network has won efforts in cities and states across the country to reduce waste, including pro-recycling laws and bans on some of the worst single-use items such as plastic bags and polystyrene foam containers.

Now, we're turning our focus to include the corporations that produce and use all this plastic in the first place. With your support, we can convince major companies such as Whole Foods to stop contributing to the problem and become a part of the solution.

Tell Whole Foods: Take single-use plastic packaging off store shelves today.

Thank you,

Faye Park
President

1. Chris Ciaccia, "53 trillion tons of plastic in Earth's waterways by 2030, researchers warn," Fox News, September 20, 2020.
2. "Whole Foods, UNFI earn F's in plastic pollution report," Sustainable Foods News, June 17, 2020.
3. "Whole Foods Market to Further Reduce Plastics Across all Stores," Whole Foods Market, May 20, 2020.
4. Chris Ciaccia, "53 trillion tons of plastic in Earth's waterways by 2030, researchers warn," Fox News, September 20, 2020.