Whole Foods Market switching to new forest-friendly recycled bags

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When it comes to going green, Whole Foods says it has it in the bag.

Under an agreement between Whole Foods Market and the Forest Stewardship Council, recycled paper used to make the grocer’s shopping bags will be tracked both coming and going. Starting in May, Whole Foods will be the first national grocer to offer paper shopping bags that are certified by the council as made of 100% post-consumer recycled material, the company announced today in a statement.

Paper used to make Whole Foods’ new bags will be made of previously recycled paper fibers such as corrugated boxes that were already used for food products, the company said.

While many stores offer recycled paper bags, Whole Foods is the first to form an alliance with the Forest Stewardship Council, an international nonprofit group that certifies the environmental-friendliness of recycled products and promotes forest conservation.

In other words, you not only have to worry about making the right paper-versus-plastic choice, you have to worry about how green your recycled paper is.

The new recycled bags won’t change Whole Foods’ policy of offering a refund of 5 or 10 cents (depending on the store) to customers receipts’ for those who bring their own bags, and the grocer still encourages people to choose reusable canvas or burlap over paper or plastic, the company said.

-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles