Community Food Co-op

Voted Bellingham's best grocery store. Full-service deli, hot bar, salad bar featuring organic, local, and natural foods. Everyone can shop, anyone can join. Co+op, stronger together.

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      • Community Food Co-op, Downtown Store, 1220 North Forest Street at Holly StreetDowntown Store
        1220 North Forest Street at Holly Street
        Bellingham, Washington
        7 am - 9 pm
        360-734-8158
      • Cordata Co-Op exteriorCordata Store
        315 Westerly Road at Cordata Parkway
        Bellingham, Washington
        7 am - 9 pm
        360-734-8158
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You are here: Home / Archives for award

We Won a Climate Award!

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

April 2018
climate collaborative

Melissa Elkins (center), Co-op Sustainability Coordinator, accepted the Outstanding Company award at the 2018 Climate Collaborative Awards. Also pictured (from left) is Lara Dickinson, Climate Collaborative Co-Founder, and Robynn Shrader, National Co+op Grocers CEO. Photo courtesy of New Hope Network.

We’re all familiar with the tried-and-true award season saying—it’s an honor just to be nominated. Well, sure, that’s true. But it’s even better to have your work recognized by winning!

Melissa is steering the Co-op toward increasingly impressive accomplishments in its sustainability programs

In that spirit, we want to share appreciation for the hard work of Melissa Elkins, the Co-op’s Sustainability Coordinator. Melissa is steering the Co-op toward increasingly impressive accomplishments in its sustainability programs and this award is just the most recent acknowledgement of that work.

The Co-op was awarded “Outstanding Company" for improving energy efficiency in a retail grocery setting and fostering resilient, regenerative farming communities at the inaugural National Co+op Grocers (NCG) Climate Collaborative Awards.

NCG noted the following factors in the Co-op’s award:

  • "offsetting 102% of their electricity use with their own 126 solar panel array and renewable energy certificates
  • diverting 90% of their waste from the landfill
  • investing in efficient lighting and refrigeration systems has earned their co-op the only 2017 EPA EnergyStar Certificate issued to a grocery store west of the Rockies and puts them among the top 30 retailers in the country in utilization of renewable energy.

"If that weren’t enough, they also invest profits back into their community in many ways, including an innovative Farm Fund supporting local sustainable farming projects.”

Congratulations to Melissa and to the entire Co-op staff who work daily to implement innovative sustainability strategies in our co-op. Make every day Earth Day!

Our 2018 Sustainability Snapshot is available online or in print at the service desk. Following are a few highlights!

2018 sustainability snapshot

Waste Reduction Highlights

supermarket energy star certification

Energy Efficiency Highlights

energy efficient grocery store

Keeping it Local

puget sound food hub sales
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HOT OFF THE PRESS| SUSTAINABILITY| THE CO-OP DIFFERENCE award| climate| giving back| local| sustainability| sustainable| the co-op difference| the coop difference

We’re Sustainability Stars!

melissa elkins coefficent sustainability star

Co-op Sustainability Coordinator, Melissa Elkins, leads the award-winning sustainability efforts at the Co-op and keeps us all on track and striving to continually improve.

Learn more about Sustainability at the Co-op and read our Impact Report and Sustainability Goals for 2017.

The Co-op has been named a Sustainability Star by National Co+op Grocers (NCG) for excellence in our sustainability efforts.

The award recognizes food co-ops that demonstrate outstanding leadership by making a positive impact on social, environmental, and local economic issues.

sustainability star co-effcient

At its annual meeting, NCG honored Community Food Co-op for our role in creating positive sustainability impacts in 2016.

The Co-op eliminated GMO ingredients from our bakery and deli production departments, became the only Energy Star certified grocery stores west of the Rockies, and did a complete audit of our waste stream, among other initiatives in 2016.

Like all Sustainability Star award winners, we participate in Co+efficient, NCG’s sustainability program that helps co-op grocery stores measure their impacts, drive improvements, and share the story of their important work with community members and other co-ops. This marks the second year that NCG has highlighted co-ops by awarding Sustainability Star honors.

The Community Food Co-op is one of ten co-ops nationwide recognized for its 2016 performance.

The sustainability initiatives that the Co-op chooses to endeavor don’t increase sales but they are an integral part of our business structure because we feel it is the best way to show respect to our community and environment.

The cooperative sector has long been an innovator in sustainability. Earning Sustainability Star recognition shows that the Co-op is leading the way, not only by excelling in our sustainability pursuits, but by sharing the details and result of our efforts for the benefit of co-ops and communities around the country.

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HOT OFF THE PRESS| SUSTAINABILITY award| sustainability

We Won Gold, Again!

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

bellingham alive farmstrong brewing company magazine

Everyone at the Co-op is basking in the golden glow of once again winning Best Grocery Store and Best Health Food Shop in Bellingham Alive! magazine’s annual Best of the Northwest reader poll.

At the Co-op we take pride in the fact that local isn’t just a tagline and sustainability isn’t just a talking point. It is simply the way we do business with care and conscience.

We sincerely appreciate your votes, support, and recognition of the Co-op—Whatcom County’s only community-owned grocery store.

Our member-owners help us achieve the high standards we set for quality products, superior customer service, community giving, support of local farms and small businesses, providing an exemplary workplace, and, of course, fresh, delicious, organic, made-from-scratch food and baked goods prepared daily in the Co-op kitchens.

We are your Co-op. You own it. So, congratulations … you also won GOLD!

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SUSTAINABILITY| THE CO-OP DIFFERENCE award| bellingham alive| best grocery store| best health food shop| best of the northwest| gold

Categories

  • BAKERY
  • BULK
  • DELI & CATERING
  • EQUITY, DIVERSITY, & INCLUSION
  • FARM FUND
  • FLORAL & GARDEN
  • GROCERY
  • HOLIDAY
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  • NUTRITION
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  • SUSTAINABILITY
  • THE CO-OP DIFFERENCE
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  • WINE, BEER, & SPIRITS

2022 Community Shopping Day Donations

Every year, the Co-op Member Affairs Committee (MAC) and Board of Directors selects community organizations to be the monthly Community Shopping Days (CSD) recipient. CSD recipients receive 2% of the Co-op’s total sales on the third Saturday of their designated month, and all register donations made during the month. Now [...]
graphic of the earth with text "make everyday earth day"

Earth Day at the Co-op

This Earth Day, we’re sharing some of our favorite sustainable products and actions to help you be gentler on the Earth today and everyday.

a Black female farmer in an African gold and pink dress holds a hoe and smiles

Black History Month: Celebrating Black Innovators in Agriculture

This Black History Month we’re celebrating Black innovators in sustainable agriculture. Learn about the contributions made by key players.

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DOWNTOWN STORE & DELI • map • 360-734-8158 • 7 am – 9 pm
meat and deli counter: 7 am – 7 pm
made-to-order counter: 7 am – 6 pm
salad/hot bar: 7 am – 6 pm

CORDATA STORE & DELI • map • 360-734-8158 • 7 am – 9 pm
meat and deli counter: 7 am – 7 pm
made-to-order counter: 7 am – 6 pm
salad/hot bar: 7 am – 7 pm

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