November 2010

Green Spotlight:  Notes from Nancy GrantCan 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