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Too much packaging at Trader Joe's? Local organizers hold anti-plastic demonstration in Mountain View

The protest targeted Trader Joe's, which owns its packaging

350 Silicon Valley hosted a plastic-free protest and peaceful demonstration over the weekend in Mountain View. Photo courtesy 350 Silicon Valley.

Local grassroots organization 350 Silicon Valley held a demonstration at the Centennial Plaza in Mountain View on Saturday, July 23, calling on Trader Joe's to reduce its single-use plastic packaging.

"Shoppers arrived with laundry jugs, chip bags, clamshell berry containers, soda bottles, polystyrene food containers, oil bottles, various plastic pouches, bags and plastic film — all unwanted by-products of shopping at Trader Joe’s," the organization said in a statement after the event. "Nearly all of this is trash that ends up in local landfills or incinerators — or worse, in local creeks, the Bay, and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean."

350 Silicon Valley member Luna Wei said that while all grocery stores are responsible for reducing excessive single-use plastic packaging, "it is visible stepping into the produce section at Trader Joe's that there is a particularly egregious amount of single-use plastic packaging for produce."

Wei said Trader Joe’s owns the entire vertical of its product and packaging, which means the company has the ability to offer plastic-free options. 350 Silicon Valley and five other 350-affiliated groups in Seattle, New York, Florida, Colorado and Boston also hosted take-backs targeting Trader Joe's.

According to event organizers, protesters were joined by Mountain View Council member Pat Showalter and Nicholas Hargis, a representative of U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Palo Alto).

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"The group held signs and spoke on the impacts of the wasteful culture of plastic packaging and its connection to health, the environment and our urgent need to decarbonize California and the planet," the statement said. "The event was part of a national day of action, organized by Beyond Plastics, which holds that banning single-use plastic is the only way out of the plastics problem."

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Too much packaging at Trader Joe's? Local organizers hold anti-plastic demonstration in Mountain View

The protest targeted Trader Joe's, which owns its packaging

by Malea Martin / Mountain View Voice

Uploaded: Tue, Jul 26, 2022, 11:31 am

Local grassroots organization 350 Silicon Valley held a demonstration at the Centennial Plaza in Mountain View on Saturday, July 23, calling on Trader Joe's to reduce its single-use plastic packaging.

"Shoppers arrived with laundry jugs, chip bags, clamshell berry containers, soda bottles, polystyrene food containers, oil bottles, various plastic pouches, bags and plastic film — all unwanted by-products of shopping at Trader Joe’s," the organization said in a statement after the event. "Nearly all of this is trash that ends up in local landfills or incinerators — or worse, in local creeks, the Bay, and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean."

350 Silicon Valley member Luna Wei said that while all grocery stores are responsible for reducing excessive single-use plastic packaging, "it is visible stepping into the produce section at Trader Joe's that there is a particularly egregious amount of single-use plastic packaging for produce."

Wei said Trader Joe’s owns the entire vertical of its product and packaging, which means the company has the ability to offer plastic-free options. 350 Silicon Valley and five other 350-affiliated groups in Seattle, New York, Florida, Colorado and Boston also hosted take-backs targeting Trader Joe's.

According to event organizers, protesters were joined by Mountain View Council member Pat Showalter and Nicholas Hargis, a representative of U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Palo Alto).

"The group held signs and spoke on the impacts of the wasteful culture of plastic packaging and its connection to health, the environment and our urgent need to decarbonize California and the planet," the statement said. "The event was part of a national day of action, organized by Beyond Plastics, which holds that banning single-use plastic is the only way out of the plastics problem."

Comments

PEG
Registered user
North Whisman
on Jul 26, 2022 at 2:38 pm
PEG, North Whisman
Registered user
on Jul 26, 2022 at 2:38 pm

I am concerned that their mushrooms are packaged in black plastic containers which are not allowed in Mountain View's recycling. Why can't they be in a paper carton instead of any plastic container?


ivg
Registered user
Another Mountain View Neighborhood
on Jul 26, 2022 at 9:52 pm
ivg, Another Mountain View Neighborhood
Registered user
on Jul 26, 2022 at 9:52 pm

If you think Trader Joe's is bad, check out Ranch 99.


LongResident
Registered user
another community
on Jul 27, 2022 at 11:18 am
LongResident, another community
Registered user
on Jul 27, 2022 at 11:18 am

Safeway produce sections are 20 times as big as Trader Joe. That's where all the plastic gets bought. I refrain from TJ purchases in plastic because you can't check out the produce behind the package. Don't most people? They don't move as much produce as other stuff. Part of the activity in that area is prepared things ready to eat as in a Deli.


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