Everyday is Earth Day at your co-op! We operate your grocery store with the health of the planet in mind. Here are some examples:
Local Food
Local products at food co-ops around the country average 21% of total co-op sales, compared with a national grocery store average of just 1.8%. This cuts down on fossil fuel-burning trucks from delivering our food.
Organic Food
Organic farming methods are more sustainable and have been identified as a key way to slow down climate change. 1 out of every 3 products sold at the food co-ops is organic.
Tackling Food Waste
Did you know we hardly throw any food in the dumpster? In a year we donate about 24,000 pounds of edible nutritious food. The rest local farmers pick up for compost or animal feed. Food co-ops divert about twice as much food as similar-sized grocery stores.
Reusable Bags
When you shop with a reusable bag at the co-op we donate to a local charity through our Beans for Bags program. This reusable bag incentive program has been a great success. In just a few short years since it’s inception it’s helped reduce the use of more than 100,000 single-use paper bags and has resulted in donations of more than $5,000 to local charities. Click here for more information about Beans for Bags.
Co-ops Reduce Impact
Food co-ops have been looking for ways to reduce impact for decades—many co-ops were formed by communities that wanted to buy food grown without synthetic chemicals and get dry goods like flour, oats and rice in bulk to reduce packaging waste. Read more about what our fellow co-ops are doing to reduce impact and benefit the environment.