The votes are in! The Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) is pleased to announce its Top 10 Most Innovative Products from the 2013 edition of Grocery Innovations Canada, its annual trade show and conference. Canadian grocers and industry delegates in attendance voted on the innovative products after having the opportunity to test and review hundreds of new finds for the upcoming year.
“Every year we blown away by the quality of product that makes it out to the show and this year was no exception,” said Tom Barlow, President and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers. “From customizable frosting to shopping bags to windshield washing fluids, the areas of innovation are endless.”
Products on display at Grocery Innovations Canada were evaluated based on three criteria: most unique, most buzz-worthy and best consumer response.
HARRISBURG – An area lawmaker wants Pennsylvania shoppers to BYOB (bring your own bag) or pay a fee.
“Two cents is a small price to pay for a cleaner, more vibrant planet,” Leach said, who set up an easel with facts about plastic bags and a bag-recycling box outside his Capitol office. “However, our goal is not to collect the fee, but to encourage shoppers to make sustainable choices at the checkout counter.”
“Most shopping trips take a half-hour to complete, but the bag stays around for 1,000 to 5,000 years,” Leach said. “Not everything we do is about instant momentary convenience. We have to give some thought to the planet.”
The Los Angeles City Council gave final approval Tuesday to an ordinance that makes
Los Angeles the most populous city in the nation to ban single-use plastic bags.
Activists said a plastic bag ban would lead to cleaner beaches, storm drains, rivers and other public spaces that tend to become the final resting places for the non-biodegradable bags.
California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the nation’s first statewide ban on single-use plastic bags Tuesday.
The measure, first proposed by Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of Los Angeles, would prohibit single-use plastic bags at grocery stores and large pharmacies in 2015 and at convenience stores in 2016.
It includes $2 million in loans to help manufacturers shift to producing reusable bags and lets grocers charge 10 cents each for paper and reusable bags.
The bill had sparked one of the most contentious debates in the last weeks of the legislative session, with aggressive lobbying by environmentalists and bag manufacturers.
About 100 local jurisdictions in California already have adopted similar bans, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.