Supermarket Gets Zero-Waste Designation from EPA.

Imagine how difficult it is for you to go zero-waste at home. Now, think about all the items in a grocery store. Stores have much more of a variety of products, many more areas to consider when trying to reduce their waste.

Finally, a supermarket in the USA receives the Zero-Waste Designation from EPA.

Just announced, the Giant Food Store at  481 West Penn Ave. in Cleona, Pa., is the chain’s first store to attain U.S. Environmental Protection Agency zero-waste status. They still have waste but it’s what they do with the waste that matters. The EPA zero-waste designation signifies that 90% or more of the store’s total waste is being diverted from a landfill or incineration.

“There are a lot of little things we do that get the customers excited and help us drive down waste at the same time,” said Andrea Doygun, manager of the Giant store in Cleona, PA. “For example, we clean the empty frosting containers from the bakery as well as corn crates from produce and put them out for our customers to take them home and reuse them. Every little thing counts.”

Today, I write this article to help the store celebrate this milestone but also to help you.

Many times in the past, I have been asked about my laundry room routine. One main part I like to highlight is the “soaking bucket” I often use. 

• It’s a 3-gallon bucket I acquired from my local Winn Dixie bakery many years ago.
  
• It stays in my laundry room, right next to the washing machine.
  
• When I have an item that needs attention for stain removal or soaking, I drop the item into this bucket, which is dry, and there the items stays until I am ready to deal with it.
  

This bucket is super handy!

When I am ready to address the stain, I take the item out of the bucket, fill the bucket with warm water and add a few tablespoons of my Laundry Booster (aka oxygenated bleach), dropping the item back into the bucket to soak overnight. Usually I will pretreat a stain with a little of my laundry soap and then drop it in.

Why overnight?

Oxygenated bleach works WAAAAY better the longer it can work. Most of us were introduced to oxygenated bleach as a laundry booster. Tossing a few tablespoons into the washing machine is ok, but it really doesn't allow the product to work as well as it could. Much like trading a $20.00 bill for a $5.00 bill. Not the best thing to do, although you still end up with cash. As with many natural products, the longer that ingredients are allowed to work, the better they work. an item can soak in the dissolved oxygenated bleach, the better the stain removal, whitening or brightening effect will be.

Most chain bakeries receive frosting/icing in 3-or-5 gallon buckets. Most will give you them for free and you simply rinse out all the leftover frosting at home. I was happy to see that Giant Food Store is rinsing them out before giving them away. I can tell you from my personal experience that blue icing is a bitch and takes forever to rinse out!  I can only imagine what that blue icing does to the inside of my body when I eat it….uggghhhhh!

So, if you are looking to improve your laundry routine, simplify your stain removal process or give yourself a place to easily soak/whiten fabrics; the bucket is a must.

Pick one up today and tuck it in a convenient place in your laundry room. Mine sits wedged between the washer and the wall, eagerly awaiting dirty stuff.

Happy Laundering!
Angie Ringler
www.wastefreeproducts.com

Full Article at https://www.supermarketnews.com/sustainability/it-s-first-zero-waste-giant-food-stores

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