Whole Foods Institutes #5 Recycling

Recyclers with good intentions, but no place to go with their yogurt cups and other #5 polypropylene plastics, now have an option.

Starting yesterday, these containers, which are not widely accepted at municipal recycling centers, can be dropped off at select Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFMI) locations in the Midwest, Northeast and Northern California. Whole Foods
Market stores in Florida will join the program in mid-February. 

The Preserve Gimme 5 program, created by recycled products company Preserve, is a partnership with Whole Foods, organic yogurt maker Stonyfield Farm, and Organic Valley, an organic, farmer-owned cooperative.

Polypropylene #5 is a strong, lightweight, food-grade, easy-to-recycle plastic. It’s commonly found in everything from yogurt and other dairy containers to hummus containers and medicine bottles. Yet, few communities have curbside #5 plastic collection.

Preserve said it will limit the environmental footprint of this material by giving it a second life as a new and useful products.

Preserve makes 100% recycled household products, including the Preserve toothbrush, razor, tableware, and the award-winning Preserve Kitchen line.

Stonyfield has had an ongoing relationship with Preserve, since 2000, when the yogurt-maker began providing millions of yogurt cups and scrap plastic from its manufacturing facility to Preserve.

Additionally, the Preserve Gimme 5 program accepts Brita® water pitcher
filters for recycling. Brita® pitcher filters can be deposited in Gimme
5 bins along with other #5 plastic.

For a
list of participating stores, visit the Preserve website below.