No. 13: More like traitor joe's?

And more newsletters to read!

Aug 22, 2022

Welcome back! Two of the topics today both come from podcasts (Inside Trader Joe’s + How to Save a Planet), and Green & Salty is a podcast, too!

Trader Joe’s sustainability claims

Let’s dissect the steps Trader Joe’s is taking in terms of climate, stemmed from discovering a podcast episode titled Sustainability from their show, Inside Trader Joe’s, episode 11 (February 4, 2019). It begins with an intro and them saying, “But don’t worry, we’re not gonna get all preachy about it,” despite only acknowledging what they are currently doing! (Which they make it sound better than it actually is.)

Episode transcript

Source: Trader Joe’s sustainability page

First, co-host Matt vaguely explains their switch away to a new CO2-absorbing refrigerant,

Refrigeration is probably one of the bigger uses of energy that we have. So we're actually going away from old refrigerant chemicals to a CO2, a carbon dioxide model that actually pulls carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and uses the CO2, uses that carbon dioxide as the refrigerant, as the coolant. And that's really cool. says co-host Matt.

This brings up the 2016 $2 million settlement with the EPA and Justice Department, as they allegedly violated the Clean Air Act by failing to repair leaks of R-22, a substance that harms the ozone layer when released into the atmosphere (The Chicago Tribune). By leading with this statement they are falsely informing customers that using non-ozone-depleting refrigerators wasn’t required by the EPA and Justice Department, but of their own free will. (Justice.gov)

After rather quickly mentioning the above, they dive into packaging changes like ditching all styrofoam for compostable packaging made from renewable materials. (It is nice they’re listening to their customers at least about packaging.) Sara, the marketing packaging specialist, is invited and talks on this topic for a good chunk of time.

At the time of the recording, they state that 1 million pounds of plastic will be removed from their production, by removing plastic bags from the checkout, instead only providing one free option (paper), and reusable bags for sale (or you can bring your own bags, the action I follow and recommend). Compostable produce bags are also now provided.

Recycling follows, by interviewing Ed, a Trader Joe’s employee, who brought excess plastic and aluminum cans to a recycling plant and made just about $700 for a staff party, which is good for him but clearly points out a flaw in the lack of corporate support in recycling at all of their stores. They then visit an L.A. recycling plant for some reason. The technology seems smart and efficient, but both are largely irrelevant.

$355 million/72 million pounds have been donated to Feed America and 10,000 pounds (due to a power outage) were saved from the landfill in separate instances, which is notable but reads more as a boast and less of an acknowledgment proving their sustainable policies.

Lastly, they mention adding a few more organic food products in February of 2019.

I don’t want to completely discredit all of their work, as some of their implementations are worthy of praise. They do have a few promising claims on their website, like in 2021 they diverted 99.5% of Trader Joe’s products from the landfill, instead selling, donating, and composting them, as well as recycling more than 277 million pounds of materials. Also, Trader Joe’s is a small store with fewer products, which is inherently more effective and efficient.

My thoughts: although they have a few good practices in place, I think we’re still missing a lot of information. Where’s their climate plan (nonexistent)? Do they have a timeline for reducing their carbon emissions, or implementing even more organic foods? Do they have plans to reduce the amount of animal and palm oil products in your stores? All questions we know nothing about because a short podcast episode is as transparent as they get. This is not to say I’m discouraging readers from shopping there, but rather informing and questioning their actions.

Check out their 10% (out of 100) rating and other stores’ ratings here!

Further reading:

How sustainable is Trader Joe’s business model? - The Daily Californian Mentions the high amounts of plastic *still*, imported foods, and more.

"Don't Discount Our Future" Campaign Targets Trader Joe's Cocoa Sourcing and Climate-Damaging Refrigeration - Green America Wow, someone else is saying TJ’s isn’t transparent?!

We Compared Popular Chain Stores Based On How Sustainable They Are—Here’s What We Found - Brightly Coming in last place, the lack of transparency is a serious issue.

Are EVs actually better for the planet?

How to Save a Planet inspired this section, but also a debate I had with a friend! Spoiler alert: the answer is yes, a relief to many who have no other option but to drive, and hope to do it with as few consequences as possible.

Nikolas Hill was a guest and explained his role in a study that proved - despite the energy-intensive manufacturing process - the overall emissions released throughout its life make it a significantly better option. :)

Newsletters to read :)

Climativity newsletter - Positive climate news and action you can take! (Every Friday)

Ecokitchen newsletter - An 8-week guide on cooking sustainably, partnering with vegan chef Priyanka Nalk!

The Rot on Substack - Recommended on my page, it’s a really insightful and informative newsletter on everything composting!

The Sample - A collection of tons of other newsletters - add your favorite topics and they’ll help you find what you’re looking for!

Check out…

Meat has a big carbon footprint. The Inflation Reduction Act ignores it. - Vox “Over two-thirds of the $1.3 billion spent on school food through the USDA Foods program went toward animal products,” “Our food system accounts for 11 percent of US greenhouse gas emissions, but just a little over 5 percent of the IRA’s spending is allocated to changing farming practices…”

Despite climate, war and Covid, is everything actually … getting better? - The Guardian “‘A UN report from 2021 found most governments were “nowhere close to the level of ambition needed to limit climate change to 1.5C and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement,’ though it is possible that a drive to reduce dependence on Russian oil and gas could galvanize efforts to switch to renewables.”

54 Great Sources for Climate Change News - Online Public Health From 2021, but definitely worth reading through and subscribing to some!

These E-Bike Conversion Kits Allow You to Upcycle Your Regular Ride - Brightly

Good climate news <3

City of Sydney to consider ban on fossil fuel advertising to fight climate change, pollution - Although if passed this wouldn’t be resolved overnight, ads like cars and heated swimming pools would be banned, which require fossil fuel sources.

India adds record 7.2 GW solar capacity in Jan-Jun 2022: Mercom India - The sector has reached the highest increase in solar capacity additions!

More efficient, less fuel, and carbon net zero – 7 things you need to know about the 2026 F1 engine regulations - The popular motorsport is implementing more sustainable practices, like 100% renewable fuel by 2026!