The Co-op Food Stores of New Hampshire and Vermont

added 02/22/10

Since 2004, the Co-op Ends Policy has included a statement about our organization’s relationship with the environment. What are our goals for environmental performance? Click here to learn more.

Greening Our Business: The Co-op Strategic Plan for Environmental Sustainability

by Emily Neuman
Sustainability Coordinator

Since 2004, our Co-op Ends Policy has included a statement about our organization’s relationship with the environment. As such, the Co-op management has been challenged to set measurable goals for environmental performance. These goals are expressed in our 2013 Environmental Strategic Plan, which is organized around the following vision:

Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society
Environmental Vision
The Co-op is a thriving business organization that protects and restores the environment. Its staff understands the environmental impacts of Co-op operations. Its shoppers are well-informed about the environmental impacts of their food choices. Through its operations, the Co-op supports a zero-waste food system powered by clean, renewable energy. Values and norms at the Co-op support the realization of this vision.

Line by line, here’s our plan for achieving the vision:

The Co-op is a thriving business organization that protects and restores the environment.
Currently, most of the Co-op’s environmental actions protect the environment: reducing landfill waste, cutting fossil fuel emissions. We’re just beginning to identify ways that a Co-op could restore the environment in the course of its operations. As a first step, in October we began composting. The compost will be used for local agriculture, restoring local soils.

Its staff understands the environmental impacts of Co-op operations.
Since 2007, we’ve placed major emphasis on measuring our impact. We now keep track of our annual carbon footprint, electricity usage, fuel usage, and waste generation. Our Sustainability Team, internal newsletter, and educational drop-ins are important means of putting that information into context for staff.

Its shoppers are well- informed about the environmental impacts of their food choices.
There is an abundance of information available on this topic, but it can be challenging to apply while shopping. To help our members, this year we will pilot an in-aisle program that highlights “well-rounded” products— items that score high in environmental, social, and financial value. This information will also be useful to our merchandisers in the never-ending process of deciding which items to keep and which to let go from our shelves.

Through its operations, the Co-op supports a zero-waste food system …
We’re constantly uncovering new ways to reduce, reuse, or recycle our waste. We won’t be zero waste by 2013, but 2020 is a possibility. In 2009, the Hanover Store diverted approximately 70 percent of all waste (by weight) away from the landfill and toward better uses. In our administrative offices, we may be diverting as much as 90 percent.

… powered by clean, renewable energy.
Our stores rank in the 92nd percentile for energy efficiency as compared to other supermarkets nationally (after accounting for geographic location and operating conditions). Yet there’s more we can do. Audits in 2009 uncovered cost-effective opportunities to reduce the Co-op’s greenhouse gas emissions ten percent by mid 2010 (based on 2007 as our baseline year). In the future we will need to complement energy efficiency investments with green power purchasing.

Values and norms at the Co-op support the realization of this vision.
Since 2008, our commitment to sustainability has been conveyed to new staff during orientation, and in 2009 we began assessing each team member’s contribution during reviews. All employees are expected to participate in waste reduction, recycling, composting, and energy efficiency at work.

Going Forward
Our Co-op exists to benefit our members. And we recognize that fostering a healthy local —and global—environment is essential to meeting that mission. Our Strategic Plan for the Environment is a means to that end. As environmental issues evolve, so will our Plan. But our goal of protecting and restoring the environment in the course of doing business will not waver.

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