Sustainable packaging: Fresh & Easy gives away bags, lightweights bottles

-- Packaging Digest, 4/15/2010 12:10:56 PM

In celebration of Earth Day, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market today announced it is bringing back its popular reusable bag giveaway, which will run this year for a full week from April 14th through April 22nd for customers who spend $20 or more. Customers can find the special Earth Day coupon for the free canvas bag on Fresh & Easy's Facebook fan page www.facebook.com/freshandeasy.

The bag giveaway is part of a broader initiative Fresh & Easy is rolling out to increase the use of reusable bags by customers. The company has taken several steps in its stores, including: adding signage reminding customers to use their bags, merchandising reusable bags closer to checkouts and giving away free magnets to customers, reminding them to not forget their reusable bags at home. To ensure reusable bags are available to all customers, stores offer several different bag options, including one for only 99-cents.

Fresh & Easy also announced it has reduced the amount of plastic in its 24-pack fresh&easy Pure water bottles. The new Pure bottles are designed to use 50% less plastic compared to the average plastic 1/2 liter bottle. The bottle is easy to handle and is designed with a contoured shape to offer a perfect combination of function, design, and environmental consideration.

"Fresh & Easy's commitment to the environment is not just about reducing our carbon footprint, but also about saving money that we pass along to our customers," said Roberto Munoz, Fresh & Easy Director of Neighborhood Affairs. "From concrete floors, to sky lights, to building LEED certified stores, everything we do is intended to keep our prices low, while also helping the environment."

On average, Fresh & Easy stores use 30% less energy than a typical supermarket, which helps customers save money - and also helps the environment. Fresh & Easy uses LED lighting in external signs and freezer cases, offers customer recycling in every store, and uses advanced refrigeration and freezer units to cut back on energy usage. The company also recycles or reuses all of its display packaging, sending the majority back through its distribution center.

Fresh & Easy currently operates more than 150 stores in California, Arizona and Nevada.

SOURCE: Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market

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