Publix works toward making environmentally responsible choices in its packaging, working to lessen waste in their stores. Here are a few examples of how Publix has made that effort over the years. 

Bakery 
The bakery department made changes to its product labeling, and to the amount of paper used in packaging for items like muffins. By consolidating the date, price and product description onto a single label, about 35 million separate labels per year are eliminated. Reducing the amount of paper used in bakery muffin cups by 23 percent, around 13,000 pounds of paper are saved per year. 

Deli 
In the deli, switching to a stronger, lighter plastic slider bag has meant plastic usage has gone down by more than 327,000 pounds per year. And by installing cutlery stations at each deli counter, Publix has removed the need for plastic-wrapped cutlery sets. This change has saved an estimated 35,600 pounds of plastic per year. 

Meat/Seafood 
Changing shipping processes has helped sustainability in the seafood department. By switching to returnable plastic totes for shipments, more than 190,000 polystyrene foam containers and hard-to-recycle cardboard has been eliminated. 

Other Improvements 
By replacing foam coffee cups with paper cups in Publix break rooms and cafeterias, more than 61,700 pounds of foam has been saved per year. Reducing the amount of material in reusable wine bags has also saved around 28,000 pounds of plastic per year.