Sustainability

One of our guiding principles is to operate the Co-op in a way that has the smallest possible environmental impact.  While we are constrained by our small size and modest financial means, we have taken a number of steps toward improved sustainability in our operations and our community: 

 

1. Plastics Recycling.

Eastside Food Co-op was the chosen site for the City of Minneapolis's pilot plastics recycling program, which began in 2008.  When the City's initial funding expired, we elected to continue to fund the program on our own. In August 2009 the Co-op purchased a commercial baler so that we can compress and better manage the mounds of plastic that flow into our parking lot each week.

Click here for more information on our Plastics Recycling Program.

 

2. Participation in Eureka Recycling's Commercial Composting Program.  

Through Eureka's  "Make Dirt Not Waste" program, the Eastside Food Co-op composts almost all of the food and paper waste that the store generates, including the compostable plates and silverware that we use in our deli. The short but growing list of Twin Cities restaurants that participate in the program includes several other Northeast establishments:  Sen Yai Sen Lek, Brasa, the Red Stag Supper Club, and Chowgirls Killer Catering.  For more information, read Eureka Recycling's full report, "Recycling, Composting, and Greenhouse Gases in Minnesota.

Naturally, we also recycle all of our cardboard, as well as all paper, glass, metal cans and aluminum that we use as part of our store operations. After all the compostable and recyclable items are removed, our actual waste is just a residential-size unit (95 gallons) that is picked up three times per week.

There are many ways you can become more involved in local efforts to reduce the waste stream, including:

  • Support businesses that "walk the walk"
  • Champion curbside composting initiatives
  • Build a backyard compost system
  • Make a commitment to reducing your household's carbon footprint by taking the Minnesota Energy Challenge.

 

3. Support for Locally and Sustainably-Produced Foods. 

Consistent with our mission and our Ends policies, our management team has adopted purchasing guidelines that support local, organic and sustainable products. In 2007-2008, local foods accounted for around 30% of EFC's Grocery Department sales, and we are working to increase that number all the time. This commitment to purchasing locally and sustainably-produced goods spans across every department, and we intend eventually to track our progress in every area of the store.

We are engaged in continued discussions with the Local Fair Trade Network, which is working on a domestic designation for fair trade, and works closely with area farmers who employ immigrants for harvesting. We have participated with Equal Exchange to promote Reverse Trick-or-Treating, a program that educates consumers about practices in the chocolate growing and processing industry.

In 2009, EFC  participated in the Eat Local Challenge for the fourth year in a row, hosting an all-local cookout, a member potluck featuring local foods, and an all-local Samplin' Saturday.

 

4. Slowing down our meter.

While we do not yet have the resources to undertake large-scale, alternative energy projects, we monitor our energy use and find practical, affordable ways to reduce our  consumption.  None of them is especially flashy--no solar panels or geothermal heating yet--but taken together they have helped us to be more mindful of our carbon footprint and to better manage our multiple bottom line, even in our 1950s-era, cinder-block building.

 

5.  Greening Up the Avenue.

The Co-op has created a little belt of green on our busy, urban commercial corridor, and maintains both bike parking and a landscaped patio area. In the summer of 2009, under the guidance of native plants specialist and member/owner Ann Mueller, we planted all natives in our landscaping.  We removed all landscaping plastic and landscaping rocks, bringing in topsoil to nourish the plants and providing natural mulch. By spring 2010, we should have thriving natives all around the Co-op!