sustainability Archives | Community Food Co-op

Sustainability Snapshot

At the Community Food Co-op we recognize that our responsibilities go beyond the products on our shelves.

We are committed to transparency in annually auditing our sustainability efforts with support from the Sustainable Food Trade Association.

The 2019 Sustainability Snapshot highlights just a few of our achievements from the most recent calendar year.

This year's full report to the Sustainable Food Trade Association will be available on our website soon.

Sustainability reporting is an important tool used by the Co-op’s member-owners, staff, management, and Board of Directors to reflect on the ecological, economic, and social impacts of our business, and to set informed goals and correct course as we enact the changes that will lead us toward a more sustainable future.

Sharing results from our sustainability tracking informs Co-op staff and shoppers on ways we can work even harder to improve our already strong environmental business practices.

Following are just a few highlights. See the entire snapshot online.

graphic of alternative energy savings 96 percent renewable energy certificates solar power generation and epa green power ranking

graphic showing sales of washington state products $9.43 million in 2018 and local reinvestment of salary, wages, donations and sponsorships $8.22 million in 2018

graphic of seed fund donations to local organizations $24824 and farm fund donations $61670

Learn more about sustainability at the Co-op and see the entire snapshot online.

Recycling Tips From Your Co-op

by Melissa Elkins, Sustainability Coordinator

April 2019

colorful illustration of earth that says celebrate earth day on april 22

In honor of Earth Day, we are sharing recycling tips from your co-op.

It's important to us to share the best way for you to responsibly dispose of the items you purchase at our stores, so you can reduce the waste stream at your home.

Learn more about Sanitary Service Company's curbside recycling and FoodPlus! collection.

Learn more about sustainability at the Co-op.

The Community Food Co-op is an industry leader when it comes to waste diversion. We recycle, compost, donate, or reuse over 90 percent of what the grocery industry considers waste, which qualifies us a Zero Waste business. We even started recycling old membership cards and gift cards when you turn them in!

We recycle, compost, donate, or reuse over 90 percent of what the grocery industry considers waste

We are also committed to helping you reduce, reuse, and recycle at home. To that end, we strive to offer our housemade bakery and deli items in packaging that is either recyclable or commercially compostable.

Below is a quick guide on how best to dispose of the goodies you bring home from the Co-op.

Plus a few recycling opportunities in our stores for household materials that aren’t collected curbside.

Fun fact: In response to a shopper’s suggestion, we recently started collecting manual toothbrushes and empty toothpaste tubes for recycling. That’s just part of The Co-op Difference!

We love how our Co-op community pushes us to continue improving the services we provide.

Thanks for your suggestions!

Co-op items recyclable in your blue curbside recycling bin:*

photo of plastic takeout deli containers that can be recycled curbside

Co-op items recyclable in blue curbside recycling bin:*

All two-piece plastic deli and bakery containers, rinsed
Clamshell containers, rinsed and lids separated from base
Plastic sample cups
Plastic cold beverage cups (in September 2019 the Co-op started offering plastic cups only by request)
Glass jars and lids
Take-and-Bake entrée packaging

*Similar items from other businesses may not be recyclable or compostable.

Co-op items compostable in your curbside FoodPlus! toter:*

All Co+op branded paper-based packaging,including shopping bags
Coffee bags (marked compostable, with tie removed)
Coffee and soup cup lids
Straws
To-go utensils
Cake boxes, must remove plastic “window” film
Freezer paper (for items ordered from the meat case)
Gift card sleeves

*Similar items from other businesses may not be recyclable or compostable.

Household recyclables accepted in our stores:

photo of items that are collected in our stores makeup packaging, cfl bulbs, toner cartridges, batteries, toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, miscellaneous plastics

Makeup packaging (anything without a recycle symbol that is not accepted curbside)
CFL light bulbs
Household toner cartridges
Plastics: clean and dry plastic film, bubble wrap, and bags including reusable uninsulated shopping bags
Household batteries
Manual toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes (drop these off with wellness staff)

Co-op items destined for the landfill:

photo of items from the co-op that need to be throw away as garbage

Foam trays from the meat department
To-go coffee box (the outer box can be recycled with cardboard, but the foil packet inside must go to the landfill)
Various foil and plastic film wrapping (mostly used for grab-and-go sandwiches)

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 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.

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.

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

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

We Won a Climate Award!

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

April 2018

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!

Waste Reduction Highlights

Energy Efficiency Highlights

Keeping it Local

Vendor Profile: Lundberg Family Farms

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

October 2017

Though the Olympic Peninsula seems to have little in common with the Andes, it is where quinoa destined for Lundberg Family Farms is being grown in our state. Additional farms are in California, Oregon, and Idaho. Many sites are still experimental, as are growing methods. Most of the quinoa grown for Lundberg uses a low-impact dryland farming technique, relying on the moisture provided directly by rainfall and humidity. Aha! Maybe that’s why it makes sense to grow quinoa on the Olympic Peninsula. Photos courtesy of Lundberg Family Farms.

We were already big fans of Lundberg Family Farms and its delicious sustainably farmed rice and whole grain products, but now we have yet another reason to love Lundberg Family Farms—QUINOA! To be precise, quinoa grown in the U.S. and even in Washington state.

T his ancient grain was domesticated 3,000 to 4,000 years ago in Peru and Bolivia where it has long been a staple in peoples’ diets. Yet, a mere 10 years ago had you asked someone in the U.S. about quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) they would have likely answered you with a blank stare. Since then, the appetite for quinoa has exploded in the U.S., and for good reason, as explained in the below photo caption.

Not only is quinoa a complete source of protein that contains all nine essential amino acids—making it a favorite among vegans and vegetarians—it is also delicious and cooks up fluffy and soft in 15 minutes, making it super convenient and a favorite among almost everyone who eats food—vegans and omnivores alike!

In 2013, recognizing that importing quinoa from the southern hemisphere to feed the growing U.S. demand was not the most ecologically sustainable situation, Lundberg started growing trial crops in the U.S. By 2016, Lundberg’s quinoa production topped 1.5 million pounds, harvested by 15 farmers on 800 acres.

Our love for quinoa aside, why else do we love Lundberg Family Farms?

It is currently run by the third and fourth generations of the Lundberg family and, since the farm was established in 1937, the family has always been committed to improving and protecting the environment.

Lundberg treats the soil, air, and water as important resources, respecting the delicate balance of nature.

In its rice fields, Lundberg pursues a program of ecological stewardship that includes: returning rice straw to the soil after harvest (instead of burning) to enrich the soil and protect the air and the environment, providing habitat for animals including migrating waterfowl that rest in flooded fields during the winter, practicing water-conserving irrigation, never growing genetically engineered rice varieties, using only natural pest control systems and generating and purchasing green power for its handling and processing facilities.

What’s not to love?

Look for Lundberg Family Farms products in our grocery and bulk departments and include more organic whole grains in your diet—for your good health and the health of the planet.

LEARN MORE

Like the Co-op, Lundberg Family Farms is committed to transparency in its sustainability practices and is a member of the Sustainable Food Trade Association (SFTA). It reports annually on the same 11 action categories that we report on and sets goals for continual improvement in each area. You can read the SFTA reports for Lundberg and
the Co-op on our respective websites.

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.

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.

2016 Community Food Co-op Impact Report

by Melissa Elkins, Sustainability Program Coordinator

April 2017

Sharing the results from our sustainability tracking informs Co-op staff and shoppers on ways we can work even harder to improve our already strong environmental business practices.

To that end, we have updated the format of our abridged annual sustainability report! You can read it online.

Or, dig into details in the full report on the Sustainability at the Co-op page.

man holding plant 2016 community food co-op impact report

Sustainability In Action

by Melissa Elkins, Sustainability Coordinator

Co-op staff contributes to our sustainability commitment by using alternative transportation to commute to work. Emissions from workforce commuting decreased despite an increase in staff—28 percent of total commuting miles were attributed to alternative transportation.

Go Co-op!

The Co-op Difference. We’ve been talking a lot about it, and will continue to do so because it is what truly differentiates us from other grocery stores.

It’s our commitment to a triple bottom line that accounts for people, profits, and planet.

Our commitment to give back to our community, with donations and free community-building events like our annual summer party. Our commitment to community education through our Healthy Connections cooking and wellness classes and The Real Food Show elementary school assembly program. Our commitment to support local, sustainable agriculture in our community via the Co-op’s Farm Fund. Our commitment to our 10-year strategic plan goals that keep us on track. And, our commitment to sustainability.

The Co-op joined the Sustainable Food Trade Association (SFTA) in 2012. In doing so we are required to report annually on our sustainable business practices in 11 action categories. Our first full report covered the 2013 business year, and now that we have completed two more reports we are excited to share the measurable progress of our commitment to sustainability with you.

Sharing these results informs Co-op staff and shoppers on ways to work even harder to improve our already strong environmental business practices.

It takes all of us to make these changes. Much of our progress is driven by our shoppers’ conscious purchasing choices, like the fact that paper shopping bag use by Co-op shoppers averages only .13 bags per customer. Not sure how you all do that, but keep it up.

Learn More About the Co-op's Sustainability

If you really want to dig in and see how the Co-op has committed to sustainability read more, including our reports to the SFTA.

B the Change

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

Learn more about certified B Corporations and how they use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.

The Co-op is happy for the opportunity to work with like-minded businesses that believe we can all do good, while doing well. Now we have a reliable mechanism to identify these businesses thanks to Certified
B Corporations—a global movement of people using business as a force for good.™

Certified B Corporations—a global movement of people using business as a force for good

The Co-op is happy for the opportunity to work with like-minded businesses that believe we can all do good, while doing well. Now we have a reliable mechanism to identify these businesses thanks to Certified B Corporations—a global movement of people using business as a force for good.™

Certified B Corporations meet the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

They aspire to B the Change and use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.

There are more than 1,500 Certified B Corporations in over 120 industries and 40 countries with one unifying goal—to redefine success in business.

Many of the products carried in our stores are from Certified B Corporations and when you choose to purchase products from these companies, you, too, can B the Change!

You can support B Corporations by looking for the Certified B Corporation seal on products throughout our stores—familiar names like Dr. Bronner’s, Seventh Generation, Runa, Klean Kanteen, and so many more, and including a few of our favorite recently B Corp certified local businesses.

Thank you for B-ing the Change by shopping at the Co-op!

Do we have local B Corp companies? Totally!

Moon Valley Organics in Deming, started in 1998, has stayed true to its passion of living ethically and sustainably. Moon Valley’s body care products are developed with the intention to nourish and heal your body, mind, and spirit, as well as to care for the Earth. The products contain sustainable, organic material, and packing is chosen that does the least harm and is recyclable and renewable. Moon Valley is growing to include national distribution while maintaining their connections with local businesses like the Co-op.

Aslan Brewing Company in Bellingham is a sustainable microbrewery and restaurant exclusively brewing 100 percent USDA Certified Organic beer. Community outreach is of one Aslan’s key pillars. By staying connected with local nonprofits and community organizations, Aslan bolsters its contribution to social and environmental well-being. The brewpub is a community hub and frequently hosts fundraisers and events for local campaigns and organizations, making it more than just a beer-centric eatery.

brenthaven, b corp, certified b corporation, seattle, zero impact

Brenthaven, now headquartered in Seattle but established (and much beloved) in Bellingham, has a mission to achieve Zero Impact™ on the environment without compromising the quality and integrity of its products. The business accomplishes this in three ways:
• crafting products that last a lifetime, and standing behind them with a lifetime guarantee
• reducing impacts by a change in packaging strategy that eliminated the use of over 100,000 boxes per year
• offsetting its carbon footprint through investments in carbon credits and donations to green charities

What Other B Corp stuff do we carry?

Grocery
Alter Eco, Beanfields, Dang Foods, Essential Living Foods, Guayaki, Happy Family Brands, King Arthur Flour, Manitoba Harvest, Organic India, Plum Organics, Runa, Tanka

Supplements and body care
Dr. Bronner’s, Dr. Hauschka, EO Products, Essential Living Foods, Garden of Life, Manitoba Harvest, Moon Valley Organics, New Chapter, Nubian Heritage, Organic India, Preserve, Seventh Generation, The Honest Company, Topricin, W.S. Badger

Frozen and Refrigerated
Hilary’s Eat Well, Tofurky

Household Products
Chico Bags, Ecover, Klean Kanteen, Method, Preserve, Seventh Generation, The Honest Company, World Centric

Find more B Corp products throughout the store by looking for the B Corp logo.

The Co-op Recognized as a U.S. Green Power Leader

by Co-op News staff

top 30 retail epa green power partner transparent icon

Learn more about the Top Partner Rankings.

We might be small, but we are mighty! The Co-op is proud to announce that we are included in the EPA Green Power Partnership Top 30 Retail list. The list represents the largest green power users nationwide among retail partners within the Green Power Partnership.

We are happy to congratulate our fellow co-ops that also made the list—Frontier Natural Products Co-op and Outpost Natural Foods—and B Corp Certified New Seasons Market. Just for a little perspective, also on the list are businesses such as Kohl’s, Starbucks, and Wal-Mart. No big deal!

The combined green power usage of the top 30 organizations amounts to nearly 3.3 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually, which is equivalent to the electricity use of nearly 300,000 average American homes each year.

In 2016 the Co-op’s green power will come from a mix of PSE Green Power Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) and 3Degrees Inc., PSE’s Green Power program outreach partner. All our RECs from 3Degrees are Green-e certified and are generated in the Pacific Northwest. Along with the solar energy we expect to generate in 2016, our offsets are projected to cover 102 percent of our electricity use for the year.

Yep, just another way that our Co-op Rocks!

by Melissa Elkins, Sustainability Coordinator

April 2019

Below is a quick guide on how best to dispose of the goodies you bring home from the Co-op.

Co-op items recyclable in your blue curbside recycling bin:*

Co-op items compostable in your curbside FoodPlus! toter:*

Household recyclables accepted in our stores:

Co-op items destined for the landfill:

The Founding of Earth Day

Our Commitment to Sustainability

Your Commitment to Sustainability

Reasons to Buy Bulk

The Bulk Department Selection (and Beyond)

Bulk Purchases in 2018

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

April 2018

Waste Reduction Highlights

Energy Efficiency Highlights

Keeping it Local

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

October 2017

LEARN MORE

by Melissa Elkins, Sustainability Program Coordinator

April 2017

by Melissa Elkins, Sustainability Coordinator

The Co-op Difference. We’ve been talking a lot about it, and will continue to do so because it is what truly differentiates us from other grocery stores.

Learn More About the Co-op's Sustainability

by Laura Steiger, Outreach Team

Do we have local B Corp companies? Totally!

What Other B Corp stuff do we carry?

by Co-op News staff

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