Meet The Green Team
“The Mission of the Green Team is to step into a bright future for humanity and all living communities by facing the challenges of climate, energy, and ecology through a mindful and innovative approach.”
The Co-op’s Green Team is a group of managers and employees that meet on a monthly basis to plan, advise, and implement eco-friendly practices throughout the Co-op. Part of each team member’s job is to bring ideas from their department to Green Team meetings, and also help communicate what we are currently working on to the community. You can find a bulletin board with updates in the store, and we have lots of posts on our blog about our sustainability efforts.
Right now, the team is focused on implementing three large-impact “Big Picture” projects, including a redesign of our landscaping, increasing solar energy use, and upgrading our refrigeration system to be more efficient. We also have dozens of other eco-friendly initiatives happening all the time throughout the Co-op, and we’re constantly looking for new ideas. Scroll further to read more!
We welcome your ideas and solutions. Please keep in mind that we’re a retail store, so in many cases we’re constrained by health and safety regulations, or what products we’re able to obtain through our distribution system. We promise we’re doing our best, and we’d love to hear from you.
The Big-Picture Projects
Right now: improve biodiversity in our landscaping
Being sustainable isn’t just about reducing our carbon footprint, so we’re creating three small native plant pollinator-friendly garden plots to improve biodiversity on our property. Check out the experimental plots by the fence near the car charging station! We are conducting a public learning experiment, and trying three different soil treatment methods to see what will work best:
- Garden 1: Let’s find out what happens if you just scatter native wildflower seeds on the lawn and don’t mow it.
- Garden 2: We’ll try the traditional method of tilling the soil and amending with Meadowstone Farm’s compost, then adding the same seed mix.
- Garden 3: No-till method. We’ll lay down cardboard and layers of Meadowstone Farm’s compost and build the soil up, instead of turning it over.
In the near future: increase our solar energy production
We are hoping to double our solar production by adding more solar panels to our roof spaces in an effort to offset the cost of electricity. There is an excellent grant opportunity that we will apply for (hopefully) next year, and we are working with engineers and our local energy utility to come up with the best solution. Research is in the works to see how we can make this happen sooner rather than later, but this project will most likely take a few years to complete.
Long-term: energy-efficient refrigeration systems
We are in the first stages of researching ways to switch from our current refrigeration system to a more environmentally friendly alternative. Over the next 10 years we will be taking steps to upgrade our refrigeration systems by looking at safer refrigerants that will have little to no impact on the ozone layer and global warming. One of these is CO2 refrigeration, which would require the construction of additional compressor rooms and revamping all of our current coolers and freezers.
What else are we doing?
Here’s a list of some of the Co-op’s ongoing sustainability practices. Also, be sure to check our blog for the latest sustainability updates!
Energy
- The Co-op has 105 solar panels on our roof, which have generated 161,220 KWh since installation.
- We use a free-air cooling system in some areas of the building
- There are electric car charging stations available in our parking lot
- LED lights have been installed throughout the store
Water
- There is a storewide initiative to monitor and reduce water usage in each department
- We have a free water bottle filling station available in the rear of the store – bring your own container!
Food Waste
- Food scraps are collected throughout the store and sent to Meadowstone Farm for composting
- We offer a public compost collection bin in front of the store
Reduce, Re-use, Recycle
- Paper, cardboard, and plastic are collected and recycled throughout the Co-op
- There is a cork collection bin available in the entry area
- There is an egg carton collection bin in front of the store
- Cardboard boxes are brought to the checkout area
Produce
- Food scraps are sent to compost at Meadowstone farm, or picked up by local farmers for animal feed.
- Pallet wrap & packaging is recycled
- Rejected produce is repurposed or used in deli recipes
- The department purchases from local farms whenever possible, to reduce our carbon footprint
- The department maintains an extensive organic produce section
- Re-usable produce bags are available for purchase
Grocery
- Cardboard boxes are crushed into bales & recycled
- Plastic wrap & packaging is recycled
- Donates food to local pantries
Deli
- Carefully limits food waste
- Plastics are collected and recycled
Bulk
- Bring your own containers and re-use them to reduce packaging waste
- Buy only what you need and reduce food waste
- Paper bags available for customers
- Glass jars & linen bags are available for purchase
Bakery
- Food scraps are sent to compost
- Donates food to local pantriesUses paper bag packaging for some items
Meat & Seafood
- Buys from local farms whenever possible
- Large buckets and containers are cleaned and offered to customers for re-use
- Monitors & reduces water use
Wellness
- Sources eco-friendly products
- Reduces/reuses paper & keeps digital records
Specialty Cheese
- Plastics are collected and recycled
- Thoughtfully places labels for efficient recycling
- Food scraps are sent to compost
Customer Service & Checkout
- We no longer offer plastic bags
- Cardboard boxes used for packing groceries
- Lots of reusable totes are available for purchase!
- Trash bags are re-used
- Processes dairy bottle deposit & return
Co-op Cafe
- Coffee grounds are collected & composted
- Silverware/plates/cups/bowls available
- Recycling Bin is available
Administration
- Recycles and reuses paper ‘
- Works digitally & keeps digital records
- Food scraps are sent to compost
