City Market, Onion River Co-op Celebrates Earth Week

Co-op highlights sustainability efforts, gives away free, reusable tote bags

Burlington, VT – City Market is celebrating Earth Week Monday, April 17 – Sunday, April 23 by partnering with Seventh Generation and Cabot Creamery to give away free, reusable tote bags to highlight and promote the Co-op’s sustainability efforts. For this celebratory week, City Market will not have paper and plastic bags available at the registers, in the hope that customers who receive a free, reusable bag will remember to bring them back on future visits to the Co-op.
 
John Tashiro, City Market’s General Manager says, “I am a firm believer that every action, whether big or small, can make a difference and that lots of actions end up becoming pretty significant. While giving away 15,000 reusable bags is just a one week event, we hope that this and the Co-op’s other sustainability initiatives spur our customers to greater actions.” 
 
As an added bonus, during that same week, City Market will offer some great deals on products from their Earth Week sponsors, including 50% off Seventh Generation 100 fl oz 2X laundry detergent and Cabot Creamery cheese bars for 2/$4.00. There will also be an Earth Week themed giveaway on the Co-op’s Instagram page.
 
City Market actively works toward increasing the store’s environmental sustainability on a regular basis. During 2016, City Market diverted over 83% of its waste to composting or recycling facilities. This equates to recycling 234 tons of material, composting 270 tons and sending 96 tons of mixed solid waste to the landfill. Additionally, water from their Reverse Osmosis machine (free for Co-op Members) helped customers divert 912,224 plastic 20 ounce bottles of water from the landfill. That’s enough plastic bottles to line the path from our front door to the Food Venture Center in Hardwick and back!  The Co-op works with Green Mountain Compost to dispose and breakdown all the compostable materials. 
 
Other sustainability initiatives include promoting alternative transportation for both customers and staff (through the Bicycle Benefits program, ample bike parking, and free bus passes for employees), participation in the FishWise sustainable seafood program, and participation in the EPA’s GreenChill program (a program that promotes greener refrigeration practices to protect the ozone layer).  To learn more about City Market’s sustainability initiatives, please visit our Green Initiatives page.
 
About City Market/Onion River Co-op
The Onion River Co-op is a consumer cooperative, with over 12,000 Members, selling wholesome food and other products while building a vibrant, empowered community and a healthier world, all in a sustainable manner. Located in downtown Burlington, Vermont, City Market provides a large selection of local, organic and conventional foods, and thousands of Vermont-made products. Visit City Market, Onion River Co-op online at www.CityMarket.coop or call 802-861-9700.