City Market Celebrates Earth Week

Burlington, VT - City Market is celebrating Earth Week Monday, April 20 – Sunday, April 26 by partnering with Seventh Generation, Ben & Jerry’s, Cabot Creamery, and Vita Coco 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.

“While giving away reusable bags is just a one week event, we hope that this helps more people remember reusable bags when they visit the Co-op.  Besides plastic water bottles, plastic bags are one of the worst offenders for our landfills,” said Pat Burns, General Manager.

As an added bonus, during that same week, City Market will offer some great deals on products from the Earth Week sponsors, including 50% off Seventh Generation hand wash, 60% off Seventh Generation 2 ply 12 roll bath tissue, $1.00 off 500 ml Vita Coco coconut water, and 60% off Cabot Creamery shredded cheese. There will also be an Earth Week themed giveaway on the Co-op’s Facebook page.

City Market actively works toward increasing the store’s environmental sustainability on a regular basis.  Over the past 4 years, the Co-op has reduced the amount of total waste sent to landfills from 31% to 20%. That’s a staggering difference of over 20 tons of garbage each year. Additionally, the Reverse Osmosis water machine (free for Co-op Members) helped customers divert almost 748,000 20 ounce bottles of water. That’s enough plastic bottles to line the path from our front door to the Putney Food Co-op in southern Vermont!  The Co-op also works with Besteyfield Farm in the Intervale to turn the store’s produce compost into chicken feed.

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 10,800 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.

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