
Last week, I had the opportunity to talk to Lee Kane, the Eco Czar for Whole Foods Market's North Atlantic Region. I learned all about the various green initiatives going on at Whole Foods and how hard they work to be a truly sustainable grocery store.
What does an Eco Czar do?
"Anything that has to do with the environment falls under my umbrella," explained Lee. The Eco Czar also supervises the Green Team for individual stores.
Four regions have Eco Czars. Lee was the first Whole Foods Market Eco Czar, which he has been since 2003.
Green initiatives at Whole Foods Market
Waste reduction is a huge one. "We work very hard to get to zero waste," Lee told me. They currently divert 80% of their waste by composting and recycling. Additionally, they work to use as much sustainable and responsible packaging as possible. For instance, the salad bar containers are made of bulrush, a renewable resource harvested annually in the wild. ... read more