Whole Foods kicks off Be Good to Your Whole Body campaign

AUSTIN, Texas — Whole Foods Market is celebrating Earth Month by focusing on educating consumers on its organic body care guidelines, eco-friendly packaging efforts and the evaluated ingredients in premium body care products through its Be Good to Your Whole Body campaign.

"We've expanded organic standards to body care, we're using greener and promoting greener packaging and we're insisting on even safer ingredients in all body care products," stated Jeremiah McElwee, global Whole Body coordinator at Whole Foods Market. "By setting even higher standards and working closely with manufacturers, we're always increasing the quality, availability and selection of eco-friendly products in the Whole Body department."

In-store lectures and podcasts provide information on Whole Foods' environmentalism efforts within Whole Body. Topics include what to look for on labeling when selecting safer, more natural, eco-friendly alternatives, options for responsible packaging and how it reduces environmental impact, and Whole Foods Market's organic body care guidelines.

Last June, the company introduced its organic body care guidelines to ensure that all cosmetics and personal care products labeled "organic" have at least 95% organic ingredients. Products labeled with made with any organic claims must meet specific USDA organic criteria, and anything listed as "organic" in the ingredient list must be certified to the USDA-standard.

Whole Foods Market's packaging changes take into account that nearly one-third of all municipal solid waste in the United States is packaging. The company is selecting products that utilize post-consumer recycled plastics, and its 365 Everyday Value brand and Whole Foods brand are utilizing and transitioning to nearly 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles for body care and supplements.

Whole Foods Market's quality standards team examines each personal care ingredient in products sold nationally in Whole Body. Currently, Premium Body Care lists more than 300 ingredients as unacceptable.