Seen the Signs? Check Out EcoPak Containers
added 08/27/08
EcoPak containers are recyclable at the Co-op! Just return them—clean and dry—to the registers in either food store. EcoPak containers are a unique product made from recycled beverage bottles. Our recycler has agreed to accept EcoPak brand containers as long as we do not mix in any other types. How can you recognize an EcoPak container? Step 1: Is the container made of clear plastic? Step 2: Is the lid attached to the body? Step 3: Was the container packed by the Co-op’s Prepared Foods, Deli, or Bulk departments? If you answered “yes” to all three questions, there’s a 99 percent chance that the container is EcoPak. Step 4: Read the fine print: The small and medium-size EcoPak containers have a logo on the lid that says “ EcoPak 50 percent+ recycled.”
The largest size container (used to pack Co-op salads) does not have the EcoPak logo on its lid. If the large container says “EasyPak” on the bottom, you can recycle it. The company that produces EcoPak is called EasyPak. They have not updated the mold that they use to make their largest containers, so the large containers do not have the EcoPak logo on them. Please be sure to remove all food residues from the EcoPak containers before you return them to the Co-op. Thanks!
Changing of the Guard: Meet Bob Hayes and Bruce Follett
After a long and distinguished career in the grocery business hallmarked by many years at the Co-op, Bob Hayes (right) retired near the end of 2008. Bob was the store manager of the Lebanon Co-op, which means every day he carried a huge amount of responsibility across his shoulders. In his work as Lebanon food store manager, Bob was known for being smart, matter-of-fact, and fair, and for displaying a bulldog demeanor that belied a gentle and soft-spoken temperament. His replacement, Bruce Follett (left), is another hard-working guy who has been at the Co-op for a long time too—carrying with him a set of highly efficient skills and a way with people that makes him a natural for the job. Bruce has spent the last several months learning the ropes from Bob, and the Co-op will spend the next several years realizing how lucky we have been to have them both here. Thank you, Bob, and congratulations, Bruce. No doubt the big job of Lebanon store manager is passing from one set of very capable hands to another.
Food Cooperatives: Organic Before Organic Was Cool
Organic. What a loaded word these days. Along with the word green, the word organic can sound like a marketing strategy more than anything. But cooperatives were organic long before organic was cool, and we’re big believers that organic production delivers delicious food and promotes sustainable agriculture—two things that are important to both food producers and consumers. The modern story of organic farming in America began in the 1960s, a time of social re-examination. In agriculture, the movement was led by “back to the land” types who set out to build their own houses, grow their own food, and live life at the pace of the seasons. Many of these people had grown up in urban settings and had little experience in these things. That lack of tradition, combined with the philosophy that “natural is better,” contributed to the development of organic farming methods. Try the difference for yourself! Check out our Wild About Organic promotion, where you can find special prices on organic products all over our stores.
