Albertsons Adds 'Eco Picnic' Products to Open Nature Portfolio

Albertsons Cos. has expanded its Open Nature private label brand to include 17 new compostable tableware and bamboo items. Aptly timed for upcoming Earth Day on April 22, the Boise, Idaho-based retailer said the launch marks a continuation of its commitment to sustainability as well as providing its shoppers with clean, better-for-you items.  

The new lineup of “eco picnic” products includes BPA-free plates, bowls, cutlery, straws, cold cups and hot cups. Each item is certified compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), which guarantees products are tested and verified according to scientifically based standards, and all components are made of plant-based material certified compostable in industrial composting facilities.

“The driving belief behind our Open Nature brand is that people want high-quality, minimally processed products that are carefully crafted using thoughtfully chosen materials you can trust,” said Geoff White, president of Albertsons’ Own Brands, in a statement. “That’s why our customers will love these new Open Nature items. They know that a product’s lasting effects extend beyond its performance and value. They care deeply about its impact on the environment.”

The new line was inspired by the initial launch of the Open Nature brand, which was celebrated with the construction of the world’s longest picnic table, which spanned the length of a football field at 305 feet. The table was certified by the Guinness World Records on June 18, 2011, and sections of the table were later donated to parks throughout the U.S.

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“We’re especially proud of our picnic products because they not only bring us back to the roots of our brand, but they also allow people to enjoy nature without having a negative impact on it,” White said.

Other compostable additions to the Open Nature brand include garbage bags, lawn and leaf bags, and food scrap bags, with more compostable products planned for the line in coming months, the retailer said.

Albertsons is also launching an array of bamboo-based items, including facial tissue, washable rayon towels and bath tissue. A popular sustainable resource, bamboo is easily renewable because it grows quickly and matures in just three years, and it takes up less land, uses less water than trees and requires zero pesticides for production. Bamboo also reduces soil erosion and greenhouse gases while capturing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere compared to trees or cotton.

The addition of bamboo and compostable items to Albertsons’ Open Nature brand arrives shortly after the retailer added 100% certified compostable coffee pods to its O Organics line of USDA-certified organic products.

To call out its sustainable items, Albertsons’ packaging features a circular green leaf label to signify compostable items and a similar icon labeled “bamboo” to identify all bamboo-based items.

Albertsons has made significant inroads toward sustainability around its private label brands. The retailer last year refreshed the design of its Open Nature line to reflect high-quality, minimally processed products that support a clean lifestyle. It said it would release more than 240 new Open Nature products this year alongside a line expansion into nonfood categories, including pet, baby and Safer Choice Certified house cleaning products, including recently added biodegradable cleaners, cleaning wipes, dish soaps and granite cleaner.

In addition, O Organics recently launched one of the first private label USDA-certified organic laundry detergents, which are free from chlorine, sulphates, phosphates and petrochemicals.