Doing our part for a healthy planet is part of the way we do things every day at the Co-op. We buy organic food that isn’t grown with synthetic chemicals and local food that doesn’t have to travel far. As we grow we’re thinking of new ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Here are some of the actions we’re taking now:
• Beans for Bags: Our reusable bag incentive program (started May 2015) has measured nearly 50,000 times in which shoppers have used a reusable tote. We donate the money we would have spent on paper bags to local non-profits.
• Food Waste: Nothing goes in the dumpster! We donate anything that’s still edible to the Clatsop Community Action Regional Food Bank. In a year we’ve donated more than 26,000 pounds of fresh food. Produce and deli scraps go to local farmers for compost or animal feed. Benefits include feeding hungry families and reducing waste from landfills prevents production of greenhouse gasses.