Our Zero Waste Flash Mob is tomorrow, Tuesday May 7th at 6pm at QFC in University Village. Thanks very much to EcoCollective and Seattle Zero Waste for joining forces with us for this event. We’ll bring our own bags for produce and bulk foods, which include cookies, Ellenos yogurt and mochi!
If you cannot join us in person, please join our digital campaign!
We are writing to QFC to thank them for the options they are already providing, and urging them to pick up the pace in making more zero waste changes. You can read about Kroger (parent company)’s Zero Hunger Zero Waste goals here. They have been focusing on eliminating operational and food waste from their production facilities and stores.
Please contact QFC in the following ways:
- Submit customer comments online. Select either “Store experience” or “policy inquiry.” If you have a receipt from a QFC shop, please enter some info from it so they can see you are really a customer. If you are not a customer, let them know why you prefer stores with more zero waste options.
- Call Kroger (their parent company) directly: 1-800-KRO-GERS (1-800-576-4377)
- Leave a comment below to let us know you’ve contacted them!
Here is a suggested text for your comments:
Thank you for offering packaging-free bulk items and produce in your store. I had [describe your experience, good or bad] buying [products] at your store while trying to avoid purchasing new packaging.
As you know, it is not only unnecessary but also harmful to our environment to produce and use plastic and paper packaging. Recycling is not enough of an answer – these materials are not always recycled and burden our waste disposal systems regardless of which bin we use. We must refuse and reduce our use of packaging in the first place. While we congratulate you on the great strides you have made towards the goal of zero operational waste to landfill by 2020 and fully support your zero food waste initiatives, too, we urge you to consider food packaging as well.
For the health of our society and planet, I urge you to increase your bulk and package-free offerings and make it easier for customers to bring their own containers. Cashiers should be trained in subtracting the labeled tare weight of personal containers, deli items should be wrapped in compostable paper, and unnecessary stickers should also be phased out. Milk and dairy should be sold in reusable glass containers (with deposit). Cardboard cereal boxes serve no purpose aside from marketing and should be discontinued. As a large company, you have the power to influence suppliers’ packaging practices, and we urge you to use that power.
Thank you for all you have done so far, and we hope you will join forces with others in the Puget Sound area and around the world to continue accelerating the pace of these important changes.