New Leaf will take single-use water bottles off shelves
A local community market is turning a new leaf with an environmentally sustainable initiative.
New Leaf Community Market will celebrate Earth Day with the discontinuation of the sale of all single-use water bottles of 1 liter or less. The discontinuation encompasses a range of materials these bottles are made from, to include glass, plastic, fiber and aluminum bottles.
“The environmental impacts of some of those containers can be as much as, if not more than plastic,” said Athena Petty senior sustainability manager at New Leaf. “Plastic is not good, but what we really want is reducing single-use waste, period.”
Customers of New Leaf will still be able to purchase large water containers. Customers also have the option to bring their own bulk water containers and purchase water that way. The grocer will continue to offer single-use water bottles from the brand Pathwater, which packages its water in reusable aluminum bottles.
New Leaf decided to stick with Pathwater single-serving bottles because the packaging is designed to be refillable, Petty said. The bottle is sturdier than most plastic bottles that get weakened by the sun or begin to fall apart once they are handled and refilled.
“Really the focus is let’s get customers to start thinking about the kind of detriment single use water is itself,” Petty said.
The discontinuation is part of an effort to mitigate environmental pollution from single-use water bottles. Oceana, an organization dedicated to the preservations of the world’s oceans, estimates that 17.6 billion pounds of plastic pollutes the ocean each year. With a commitment to reusable bottles, Petty estimates New Leaf can remove nearly 70,000 singleuse bottles from the ocean every year.
However, the store’s longterm focus extends beyond just water packaging. The discontinuation of singleuse water bottles is the just the first phase of a threepart packaging plan, according to Petty.
New Leaf hopes to identify alternatives that are more environmentally friendly. It also wants to place an emphasis on recyclability and reusable resources for customers.
Packaging is one important element of our sustainability strategy with the company. We are seeking environmentally preferable packaging across the store,” Petty said. “Were really looking to push that conversation from single use to reuse.”
The push for reuse even extends beyond food packaging for the local grocer. Customers who are a part of New Leaf’s Neighbor Rewards program already receive 10 bonus reward point when they shop with a reusable bag. From April 14-25, that bonus will jump to 50 points to further incentivize shoppers to think sustainably.
Neighbor Rewards shoppers also have the option to go paperless. The grocer offers online e-receipts, as well. E-receipts are just another way for the store and its shoppers to lower their carbon footprints, according to Associate Brand Manager Lindsay Gizdich.
“Carbon paper is not recyclable,” Gizdich said. “That’s a big one we could all easily do that isn’t really a change to our daily lives.”