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