Green Spotlight:  Notes from Nancy Grant

Can a food co-op add sustainable ideas to its daily operations? Sure, the co-op encourages food producers to take the best care possible of their land and natural resources. But what about other opportunities for a “greener” approach?

At Valley Natural Foods the hunt is on to find ways to take better care of the environment right here in the store.

The first good idea: Replace the paper towel dispensers in the restrooms with electric hand dryers to cut down on paper waste. The second good idea: Encourage office staffers to use e-mail and other computer technology as often as possible, then print documents on paper only when absolutely necessary. Throughout the co-op, the idea is to use a little less paper, please.

Simple steps like these are part of a much larger effort to put the sustainability concepts in the co-op’s FRESH values statement into daily practice. Each greener choice must also make solid financial success, to support a healthy financial bottom line for co-op member-owners. In every department, managers and employees are making new, greener ideas part of the work day. The co-op recently published its first online Green Report describing these new approaches.

Watch for more ideas about energy efficient lighting, recycling programs, energy-wise choices for food storage and preparation (in the co-op’s kitchen and yours!) in upcoming issues of Healthy Updates.

Energy journalist and blogger Nancy S. Grant is a member of the Cooperative Communicators Association.

This past year, Valley Natural Foods partnered with Dakota County Technical College and the Salvation Army to encourage shoppers to use reusable bags. Through the donation of our Green Stamp Program, DCTC purchased reusable bags for the Salvation Army food shelf in Dakota County. They report that 80% of food shelf recipients are now using those bags.

Have you considered bagging your groceries into a reusable bag? We are interested to better understand your shopping habits in this area. Please take the following Online Survey to help us complete this project.