It would make sense that a store which has ridden the organic movement wave to a peak of commercial success would be making sustainability part of its culture, and Whole Foods Market has certainly done so in the past couple of years.

The store is far from perfect when it comes to certain ethical aspects or how they deal with companies in their supply chain, particularly small farmers, BUT, I have the ability to say that their move to ban plastic bags is undeniably wholesome. And might add, it’s about time.

Whole Foods Market is no longer offering plastic grocery bags at the checkouts in its two stores in Austin, Texas. The company states that the move in Austin, where the supermarket is headquartered, is the first step to ban plastic bags companywide by early next year.

Apparently plastic bag manufacturers are quite upset at the audacity of such an endeavor. The Progressive Bag Alliance, a non-profit association of plastic bag manufacturers promoting environmentally responsible plastic bag use, issued a statement saying “that any plan to replace plastic bags with paper bags will yield negative impacts on the environment.” Pardon?

I tried to find these jokers but their site seems to have disappeared. You can read their press release here where they ask Whole Foods to reconsider. Their argument is that plastic is better than paper. Um, reusable tote anyone? The whole play reminds me of a certain movie…what do y’all think?

Via EL

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(FranchisePick.com)  Franchise Expo South 2008 is coming to Miami… bringing with it wide and wild variety of business ownership opportunities.

If you’re looking for a franchise opportunity, thinking about franchising your business, or just interested in learning more about franchise opportunities, visiting one of the three major franchise expos is a worthwhile experience. The next one (the smallest) Franchise Expo South is coming up in Miami, followed by the IFE (the largest) April 11-13 in Washington, DC and the West Coast Franchise Expo November 7-9, 2008 in Los Angeles.

The following organizations are exhibiting at the Franchise Expo South 2008 (as of 1/3/2008)

ACTION INTERNATIONAL GET INFO, AUTO-LAB FRANCHISE MANAGEMENT CORPORATION , BILLBOARD CONNECTION , BUSINESS ADVISERS INTERNATIONAL (BAI), CACTUS CAR WASH FRANCHISE , CITY WIDE MAINTENANCE FRANCHISE CO. , CLEARBRA , CONTOURS EXPRESS, DAILY GRIND COFFEE HOUSE & CAFÉ , ELEMENTS THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE , EMBROIDME , EXPRESS PERSONNEL SERVICES , FACES , FANTASTIC SAMS HAIR SALONS , FASTRACKIDS INTERNATIONAL LTD , FITNESS TOGETHER HOLDINGS INC. , FOOT SOLUTIONS , GREAT CLIPS, INC. , GRINS 2 GO , HOLLYWOOD TANS , HOMEWATCH INTERNATIONAL, INC., HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTERS, JAN-PRO , INSTANT IMPRINTS , , KID TO KID , LADY OF AMERICA , LIBERTY TAX SERVICE , MAILBOXES ETC. , MASSAGE ENVY , MAUI WOWI , PIRTEK USA , PLANET BEACH FRANCHISING CORPORATION , PLAY N TRADE , QUIZNO’S SUB ,RE-BATH, LLC , RIGHT AT HOME, INC. , ROBEKS , RONI DEUTCH TAX CENTERS , SIGN-A-RAMA , SMOOTHIE FACTORY , SNELLING STAFFING SERVICES , SPORT CLIPS , THE ALTERNATIVE BOARD (TAB) , THE BAD ASS COFFEE COMPANY OF HAWAII , THE LEASE COACH , THE UPS STORE , VERLO MATTRESS FACTORY STORES , WIRELESS TOYZ , WOOF GANG BAKERY

3 DAY CLOSETS, 7-ELEVEN, ACCUDIAGNOSTICS, ALLOY WHEEL/ REPAIR SPECIALISTS, AMAZINFLATES, AMAZING ATHLETES INC., ANAGO CLEANING SYSTEMS, ARBY’S RESTAURANT GROUP, INC., ARCUBE FRANCHISING INC., ATHLETIC NATION - MEN’S PERSONAL TRAINING GYM, AUTO APPRAISAL NETWOR, BAHAMA BUCKS, BAR LOUIE DEVELOPMENT, BEAT THE BOOKSTORE, BENETRENDS, INC., BIG BOY RESTAURANTS INTERNATIONAL LLC, BOJANGLE’S RESTAURANTS INC., BOSTON’S THE GOURMET PIZZA, BUFFALO WILD WINGS

C&N PUBLISHING, INC., CABINET LIQUIDATORS, CARTRIDGE WORLD, CENTRAL BARK DOGGY DAY CARE, CHARLEY’S GRILLED SUBS, CHESTER’S INTERNATIONAL, LLC, CHOICE HOTELS, CKE RESTAURANTS, INC., COLOR WORLD HOUSEPAINTING, INC., COLORCHEF INTERNATIONAL, COMFORCARE SENIOR SERVICES, INC., COMMERCIAL DIRECT, CREPEMAKER, INC., CRESTCOM INTERNATIONAL, LTD., CRYE*LEIKE FRANCHISES, INC., CULI-VITA, CYBERTARY, DAGWOOD’S OF SOUTH FLORIDA, LLC, DÉCOR & YOU, DECORATING ELVES FRANCHISE, DENNY’S INC., DIGITAL VIDEO DISPENSER (GVISION), DINAMIX, DONATOS PIZZERIA, LLC, DR. VINYL & THE DOCTORS TOUCH

E. NOPI, ELIZA J, EMPRESARIOS MAGAZINE, EUROPEAN WAX CENTER, FAST-FIX JEWELRY AND WATCH REPAIRS, FLIP FLOP SHOPS FRANCHISE COMPANY, FORCEFIELD HURRICANE, FOTOQUICK FRANCHISE, FOTOZINES, FROOTS SMOOTHIES, GARLIC JIM’S FAMOUS GOURMET PIZZA, GLAMOUR SECRETS, GODDARD SYSTEMS, GOUZON DEVELOPMENT, LLC, GREAT WRAPS!, GUIDANT FINANCIAL GROUP, HAIR LOSS PREVENTION CENTERS, HAND AND STONE MASSAGE SPA, HOMEVESTORS OF AMERICA, INC., HUFFMAN BUILDERS, HURRICANE GRILL AND WINGS

IDENT-A-KID SERVICES OF AMERICA, INSTANT TAX SERVICE, JANI-KING INTERNATIONAL, JUICEBLENDZ INTERNATIONAL, JUSTIX, KAZBOR’S GRILLE, KEEP FLIPPIN’ GYMNASTICS FRANCHISE LLC, KIDOKINETICS, KNOCKOUTS HAIRCUTS FOR MEN, L.A. SUNSET TAN, LASERNATION FRANCHISING CORP., LENNY’S SUB SHOP, LIGHTSPA INC., MAGGIEMOO’S INTERNATIONAL, MAGIC JOHNSON TRAVEL GROUP, MARBLE SLAB CREAMERY, MARCO ALDANY, MARCO’S PIZZA, MASSAGE HEIGHTS, MAX MUSCLE SPORTS NUTRITION, MC REAL ESTATE, MEDIFAST WEIGHT CONTROL CENTERS, MEMORY SECRET, MIAMI SUBS CORPORATION, MIGHTY DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM, MINUTEMAN PRESS INTERNATIONAL, MORDECAI CLAIMS SERVICE, MR. PRETZELS, MRS. FIELDS, MURPHY BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL CORPORATION

NANNY POPPINZ FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, NATURE’S TABLE FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, NATURHOUSE, NECK & NECK FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, NEED A MAID? CORPORATION, NEW YORK PIZZERIA FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, NEXCEN FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, NOBLE ROMAN’S PIZZA FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, NORWALK - THE FURNITURE IDEA FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, NUMERALIA; THE BEST WAY TO MATH LEARNING! FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, OFFICE PRIDE COMMERCIAL CLEANING SERVICES FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, OXXO CARE CLEANERS FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, PET SUPPLIES PLUS FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, PINCH A PENNY, INC. FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, PITA PIT, INC. FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, PIZZA PATRON FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, PLAN AHEAD EVENTS FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY

POSTAL ANNEX+ FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, POSTAL CONNECTIONS OF AMERICA FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, POSTNET INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, REDBRICK PIZZA FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, REGIS CORPORATION, RELIANT HOME CARE, RENT-A-WRECK OF AMERICA, INC., ROMP N’ ROLL, ROMPIN’ ROVERS TEAM USA, ROTELLI PIZZA AND PASTA, SAFE SHIP, INC. , SHARKEY’S CUTS FOR KIDS , SIGNS NOW FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, SOUPER BRANDS INC., SOUTH BEACH TANNING COMPANY, SPA LADI-DA!, SPATOPIA, SPEEDSTATION FRANCHISE SYSTEMS LLC, SUBWAY FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY, SYLVAN LEARNING SYSTEMS, INC.

NOT ENOUGH? HERE ARE SOME MORE:

TASTI D-LITE LLC

TASTINGS- A WINE EXPERIENCE

TCBY

T-CELLULAR

THAT COOL YOGURT PLACE

THE ATHLETE’S FOOT

THE CEREAL BOWL

THE CHILD I.D. PROGRAM INC.

THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

THE PREMIER PAGES

THE TACO MAKER

TRICK SHOTS BILLARDS

TRIMMERS HOLIDAY DÉCOR FRANCHISING, CORP.

TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ

UNCLE VITO’S NY PIZZA

UNI.K.WAX FRANCHISING CO.

VIRGINIA BARBEQUE COMPANY

VOCELLI PIZZA

VTS FRANCHISING, LLC

WELLINGTON PET CARE

WINDOW FASHIONS ON WHEELS

WINESTYLES, INC.

WINGSTOP RESTAURANTS, INC.

WIRELESS ZONE

WOOLBRIGHT DEVELOPMENT, INC.

WORLDWIDE WIRELESS

YC ZONE

YOUNGBIZ

Franchise Expo South Dates, Hours and Location

Show Dates: Friday, January 11, Saturday, January 12, Sunday, January 13, 2008
Venue: Miami Beach Convention Center, Hall C, 1901 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, Tel: (305) 673-7311

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Top New Franchise: Who’s hot. Who’s not.

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HAVE YOU BEEN TO FRANCHISE EXPO SOUTH? WHAT DID YOU THINK?

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