If you're a fan of Trader Joe's, then you're probably either the eco-minded type who likes natural foods, the pseudo-eco-minded type who likes pretending to like natural foods, or the broke eco-minded type who likes natural foods that are really cheap. Walk into a Trader Joe's in any city, and you'll find the leisurely paced tropical chain bustling with yuppies, hipsters and veganistas trolling for dates and/or organic eats at bargain prices. I survived for nearly a year in Los Angeles thanks to their unbelievably affordable (and tasty) frozen meatballs and the mushroom alfredo, not to mention the insanely drinkable Two Buck Chuck.
But if those cheap eats seemed a little too good to be true, maybe it's because they were. The magazine Sustainable Industries is arguing that the environmental claims the chain makes may be as dubious as that chilled-out surfer dude in the Hawaiian shirt trying to chat you up at the checkout.
