I get bored easily. I am really impatient and fickle. I need different things to occupy me, to keep me motivated and keep me moving. I am not sure if it is a trait to be proud of but at least I can say I understand myself. This trait of mine reflects in pretty much everything I do on a day-to-day basis like I rarely visit the same grocery store 2 consecutive weeks. With more than 5 grocery stores in the 5-mile radius around home, I get to pick a store a different store each weekend to buy the same stuff and some exotic new products for the days when I feel experimental. So this week, the store of choice was Whole Foods. It has been more than a couple of months since I shopped there and I noticed some differences. Some changes, definitely for the good that left me smiling.

Whole Foods gave me a 10 cent discount for each shopping bag I brought from home to carry out our purchase. What a nice incentive! Well I admit 10 cents is nothing given the price of products at Whole Foods compared to other stores but it is a nice gesture to encourage and motivate people to carry their own shopping bags and reduce use of plastic and paper bags. It has been more than year since I resolved to take my own cloth tote bags for shopping and avoid use of plastic and paper bags. But it is so easy to forget them. I started storing bags in my car but then there are numerous instances when I forget the bags in the car and too lazy to make a trip back to the car to pick up the bags emerge out the store laden with plastic/paper bags. Whole Foods incentive may be the thing that will make me rush back to the car and pick up those shopping bags before checking out! Way to go Whole Foods.

As I was heading back to the car with my shopping bags filled, I decided to take a look at my bill and surprises there! Whole Foods prints its receipt on both sides thereby using lesser paper! Wow is the only word I have. There are numerous instances when I see the paper that goes as waste on bills and receipts and it is quite strange that no one ever thought about this small measure before. Reusing, recycling help a lot but reducing is the key and I was happy that my receipt was not miles long and was printed on both sides.

In one shopping trip, Whole Foods made me consicous of the environment and sent out a message for environmental care, conservation and protection loud and clear. As I walked back to my car to load up the groceries, I resolved that I will carry my bags regularly in future whenever I hit the shops and encourage Whole Foods more.

A good marketing strategy for Whole Foods in addition to environmental conservation! I hope other stores in Houston join the bandwagon.

Here is wishing you a greener 2009 and remember to carry shopping bags and avoid plastics as much as possible.