Compost Now Monthly Report
We get an impact report sent to us each month. Some of the information we get each month is compost created, potential of compost and number of garden growers. Compost now reports gives us awareness of what we waste and how much of it. We can hold ourselves accountable by reading these reports, set goals for more improvement and change behaviors accordingly.
Free Shelf for Staff
We have what we call a free shelf for our staff members of the coop. Damaged packaging, out of dates, bruised produce and mispicks are placed on the shelves for staff members to take home or enjoy while at work. This is smart way to tackle food waste reduction and prevent editable food being thrown in the trash. This maximizes the value of our resources, encourages a culture of waste reduction, and supports food access to individuals who might struggle to afford healthy groceries.
Partnerships With Community Organizations & Non-Fits (Durham Community Fridges/Local Food Pantry’s)
Partnering with Community Fridges is a powerful way to reduce food waste while supporting local communities. These fridges collect surplus edible food—from individuals, grocery stores, restaurants, and farms—and make it available to anyone who needs it, keeping it out of landfills. They give a second life to food that may be nearing its “best by” date or has minor imperfections but is still safe and nutritious. This model promotes a circular food system by keeping resources within the community, reducing waste, and encouraging sharing. Provides environmental benefits, community fridges raise awareness about food insecurity and inspire more thoughtful consumption and donation practices.
Bulk Department
Shopping in bulk helps reduce food waste by encouraging people to plan better and be more mindful of what they buy and use. Tracking your food waste—like with a monthly report—shows how much you’ve kept out of landfills, which raises awareness and helps you notice wasteful habits. Seeing this info regularly can motivate you to improve, set goals, and make changes like buying less, storing food better, or using leftovers. It also feels good to know your efforts, like composting, are helping the environment and supporting local farms, which makes it easier to stick with these habits.
The program with the produce department is initiated by the Farmer & Poet. They provide their own compost bin which the produce department fills from culling and shrink which they convert into compost which they use to grow produce which eventually we would be able to sell at the co-op. I thought it was a really neat idea.