save money Archives - Community Food Co-op

Buy Bulk, Save Money, and Reduce Waste

bulk grocery foods noodles beans popcorn pretzels cinnamon sticks pistachions pencils vegetable oil jars granola raisins

As shoppers become increasingly waste-conscious, buying from the bulk section becomes more popular every year

Welcome to the Bulk Department

The bulk department is all about saving money, reducing waste, and being better stewards of our environment.

The Co-op takes our commitment to sustainability seriously. To ensure we are upholding our commitment we publish an annual report with the Sustainable Food Trade Association. The report, which is available on our website, includes measurable results toward achieving our sustainability goals and helps us learn where we are succeeding and areas in which we can improve.

Co-op shoppers embrace sustainability through enthusiasm for purchasing bulk goods

One of the simplest ways Co-op shoppers embrace sustainability is through enthusiasm for purchasing bulk goods.

Reasons to Buy Bulk

Buying bulk saves money. Bulk foods bypass the extra expenses inherent in individually packaged products. Packaging design, manufacturing, shipping, and production costs are eliminated when foods are shipped in plain, large- quantity containers, and those savings are passed along directly to the consumer.

Buying bulk reduces packaging waste. Bulk quantities eliminate the need for individually packaged items thereby saving an immense quantity of bottles, jars, cans, and paperboard.

Buying bulk reduces food waste. Buy only as much of any product as needed, from one teaspoon of spice up to a 50-pound bag of oats.

Buying bulk increases product freshness. Co-op bulk departments are extremely popular, thereby ensuring product turnover is rapid. Bulk containers are refilled throughout the day simply to keep up with shopper demand.

Bulk Department Selection

The Co-op offers products in our bulk department that can’t be found just anywhere!

Beyond the typical dry goods—flours, rice, grains, pasta, and nuts—the Co-op bulk department also carries bulk honey, tamari, oils, vinegars, maple syrup, agave, nut butters, loose leaf teas, various dried seaweeds, soup mixes, and plenty of tasty snack items like coconut date rolls, cheddar cheese sesame sticks, and dried mango slices.

In the wellness and mercantile departments, you can find bulk cleaning products, laundry detergent, shampoos, lotions, and liquid and bar soaps.

Come explore our bulk selection—you might be pleasantly surprised! If you’re looking for a hard-to-find ingredient, need a little something extra to flavor a dish, want to try a new spice to expand your culinary repertoire, or you just need some shampoo, the bulk section will almost certainly have something for you!

If you can’t find what you’re looking for—please ask!

We love to answer questions about bulk foods and products. If we don’t know the answer to your question we’ll always go out of our way to find an answer for you.

photo of bulk grains, nuts, spices, bar soap in various jars and containers

Buy Bulk! Save Money and Reduce Food and Packaging Waste

As Earth Day 2019 approaches, here's one simple way to celebrate: buy bulk and help reduce unnecessary packaging waste.

The Founding of Earth Day

U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970. As our beautiful planet takes another trip around the sun, our thoughts turn once again toward learning more ways to be good stewards of our homes, our community, and our planet.

Our Commitment to Sustainability

The Co-op takes its commitment to sustainability seriously and to ensure we are upholding our commitment we publish an annual report with the Sustainable Food Trade Association. The report, which is available on our website, includes measurable results toward achieving our sustainability goals and helps us learn where we are succeeding and areas in which we can improve.

Your Commitment to Sustainability

Co-op shoppers have also demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability. You are motivated to bring your own reusable shopping, bulk, and produce bags; you are avid users of public transportation (we are happy to be located adjacent to Bellingham’s two bus depots); you commute by bike; and you embrace purchasing local goods to reduce the negative effects of long-distance transportation and to support our local economy.

One of the simplest ways Co-op shoppers embrace sustainability is through your enthusiasm for purchasing bulk goods.

saving money, reducing waste, and being better stewards of our environment

The bulk department is all about saving money, reducing waste, and being better stewards of our environment.

Reasons to Buy Bulk

Buying bulk reduces packaging waste. Bulk quantities eliminate the need for individually packaged items thereby saving an immense quantity of bottles, jars, cans, and paperboard.

Buying bulk reduces food waste. Buy only as much of any product as needed, from one teaspoon of spice up to a 50-pound bag of oats.

Buying bulk is simple. Purchase a reusable container in the store or bring in your own clean container to refill. Simply remember to weigh your empty container (don't forget to include the lid), record the tare weight, write the 4-digit PLU number on the container, and fill with as little or as much product as you choose.

how to buy bulk soap at grocery store scale label

The Bulk Department Selection (and Beyond)

The Co-op offers products in its bulk department that can’t be found elsewhere.

Beyond the typical dry goods—flours, rice, grains, pasta, and nuts—the Co-op bulk department also carries bulk honey, tamari, oils, vinegars, maple syrup, agave, nut butters, loose leaf teas, various dried seaweeds, an wide array of spices, and plenty of tasty sweets and snack items.

In the household goods and personal care departments, you can find bulk cleaning products, laundry detergent, shampoos, lotions, and liquid and bar soaps.

Visit soon to explore our extensive bulk selection—you might be surprised. If you’re looking for a hard-to-find ingredient for a recipe, need a little something extra to flavor a dish, just want to try a new spice to expand your culinary repertoire, or maybe you just need some shampoo, it’s likely you’ll find what you need at the Co-op.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for—please ask!

We love to answer questions about bulk foods and products. If we don’t know the answer to your question we’ll go out of our way to find an answer for you. Co-op staff are happy to help and love to talk about food, cooking techniques, and favorite flavors.

Bulk Purchases in 2018

How popular is our bulk department? Turnover is rapid, because Co-op shoppers love to buy bulk! That rapid turnover ensures that the bulk products you purchase are fresh.

Oats: 45,039 pounds
Coffee: 46,613 pounds
Thompson Raisins: 7,591 pounds
Almonds (only almonds, including candy covered): 14,083 pounds
Anything containing almonds: 23,543 pounds
Quinoa: 4,613 pounds
Organic Black Peppercorns: 255 pounds

Bulk Foods—Variety, Affordability, Quality

by Tim Flores, Downtown bulk department head

ingredients bulk foods popcorn pistachios jars m&m

Save money and reduce food and package waste when you buy bulk.

I love to work in the bulk food department for a variety of reasons.

I am passionate about quality whole foods, waste reduction, and shopping efficiently to save money.

Here in the bulk department, we’re all about savings and lessening our impact on the environment.

Buying bulk can help you save money and reduce food and package waste. Buying only what you need, at a good value, and reusing your packages cuts out the little inefficient costs that otherwise can start to add up to extra expense.

Another benefit of shopping bulk is product freshness. The Co-op bulk departments are very popular and that means product turnover is rapid. Bulk containers are refilled throughout the day just to keep up with demand.

Shopping bulk is simple. Our bulk departments offer reusable containers that can be refilled repeatedly. Even better, we love it when you bring in your own clean containers to refill. Just remember to weigh your empty container and record the tare weight, write the 4-digit PLU number on the container, and fill with as little or as much food as you want.

I am endlessly amazed at the quality of whole foods and spices the bulk department gets from around the world. At the Community Food Co-op, we are ever aware of what it takes to get all these amazing dried goods to our store, and we try to source the freshest, most ethically produced, and best organic goods available on the market. With this in mind, we always seek good prices to pass along to our community of shoppers. When you shop bulk, you are buying foods that are generally cheaper than the identical pre-packaged product on the shelf.

You can find things in the Co-op's bulk department that you just can’t find anywhere else.

Beyond the usual dry goods such as flours, rice, grains, and nuts, the Co-op bulk department also carries bulk honey, tamari, oils, vinegars, maple syrup, agave, nut butters, loose leaf teas, various dried seaweeds, and plenty of amazing sweets and snack items.

Visit to see what is available in our extensive bulk spice section—you might be surprised. If you’re looking for a hard to find ingredient for a recipe, need that little something extra to flavor a dish just so, or if you’re curious and just want to try new spices to grow your culinary repertoire, it’s likely we have what you need.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for—ask!

The Co-op specializes in customer service. There is always someone available in our stores who is happy to help. Bulk department managers (Tim–Downtown store and Michael–Cordata store) are great resources to find what is in stock or what might be available to order. We love to answer questions, and if we don’t know the answer to your question we’ll go out of our way to find an answer for you!

If your household eats a lot of certain staple foods, spices, teas, or coffees, you might consider placing a special order. Co-op member-owners can special order bulk products in case sizes for a 15 percent discount off the shelf price. Simply go to the service desk, ask what case sizes are available, pre-pay for your order, and return to pick it up when it arrives fresh from our suppliers. Case sizes range from as little as 1 pound for spices, up to 50 pounds for oats (one of our most popular bulk items), but the most common case size for bulk products is 25 pounds.

Bellingham and Whatcom County are amazing places to live and work, and the Co-op is proud to serve our community with two big and beautiful stores. While our stores serve different sides of town, and the layout of each store is different, we love to work together to make our product selection as linear as possible and provide a great selection in both bulk departments. But, if you can’t find what you need when shopping at either of our stores, check in with staff as it may be available at the other store.

Please come in often to discover what’s new in bulk.

I personally love to talk all things food, and I enjoy the opportunity to talk with you about cooking techniques, favorite flavors, or any odd question you might have about bulk foods or organic foods in general. So the next time you’re shopping, I invite you to stop by to chat and to discover what’s new in bulk.