Shop to benefit The Humanitas Ministry of the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship, our December SEED recipient. Two percent of the Co-op's total sales from this day will be donated. Round up your purchase at the register any day in December to benefit The Humanitas Ministry of the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship.
2% Saturday Community Shopping Day
Shop to benefit Community to Community (C2C), our November SEED recipient. Two percent of the Co-op's total sales from this day will be donated. Round up your purchase at the register any day in November to benefit Community to Community (C2C).
2% Saturday Community Shopping Day
Shop to benefit Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center, our October SEED recipient. Two percent of the Co-op's total sales from this day will be donated. Round up your purchase at the register any day in October to benefit Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center.
2% Saturday Community Shopping Day
Shop to benefit Whatcom Peace & Justice Center, our September SEED recipient. Two percent of the Co-op's total sales from this day will be donated. Round up your purchase at the register any day in September to benefit Whatcom Peace & Justice Center.
2% Saturday Community Shopping Day
Shop to benefit Whatcom Food Network, our August SEED recipient. Two percent of the Co-op's total sales from this day will be donated. Round up your purchase at the register any day in August to benefit Whatcom Food Network.
2% Saturday Community Shopping Day
Shop to benefit Brigid Collins Family Support Center, our July SEED recipient. Two percent of the Co-op's total sales from this day will be donated. Round up your purchase at the register any day in July to benefit Brigid Collins Family Support Center.
2% Saturday Community Shopping Day
Shop to benefit Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth (BAAY), our June SEED recipient. Two percent of the Co-op's total sales from this day will be donated. Round up your purchase at the register any day in June to benefit Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth (BAAY).
2% Saturday Community Shopping Day
Shop to benefit ReUse Works, our May SEED recipient. Two percent of the Co-op's total sales from this day will be donated. Round up your purchase at the register any day in May to benefit ReUse Works.
2% Saturday Community Shopping Day
Shop to benefit Communities in Schools of Whatcom County, our April SEED recipient. Two percent of the Co-op's total sales from this day will be donated. Round up your purchase at the register any day in April to benefit Communities in Schools of Whatcom County.
We Won a Climate Award!
by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

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!