WILLIAMSVILLE, NY - Reusability is a hot trend in 2021, and consumers are looking for the most sustainable options on the market. Tops Friendly Markets is finding creative solutions to making the produce aisle as environmentally friendly as possible and announced its latest initiative earlier this week. The company has partnered with TagBack^® by Bedford to implement the company’s produce tag and tie upcycling program.

“As we continue to expand our sustainability efforts, incorporating a program like TagBack simply made sense,” said Jeff Cady, Director of Produce and Floral for Tops Friendly Markets. “We have launched the program at 12 locations across our footprint and are hopeful that we’ll continue to expand throughout 2021.”

Through the program, customers can simply collect their produce twist ties, tags, and labels and deposit them in the designated box on their next shopping trip knowing they’re making a difference.

When the tags and ties are returned to the Bedford facility, the company sorts and recycles them in-house through its exclusive equipment. Better yet, these tags then have a second life, as they are diverted from landfills and are upcycled into other products.

“Within the produce industry, most sustainability goals don’t match the capabilities of the American recycling system due to varying local recycling parameters,” said Jay Milbrandt, President of Bedford Industries. “At Bedford, we have spent years searching and perfecting the best recycling equipment to reuse our own waste and target a zero-landfill goal. Now, with TagBack, we want to make our recycling systems available to growers and their retail partners.”

Click here to view the full list of participating locations in the company press release.

As more sustainable solutions hit the retail landscape, keep an eye out for ANUK’s latest reports.

Tops Friendly Markets