The Co-op’s Green Team’s mission is to identify and implement strategies for reducing the environmental impact of our internal systems and operations. While they focus on waste produced in-house, they also seek to engage with our co-op community to educate, collaborate, and raise awareness around sustainable practices, including waste reduction, closed-loop systems, and environmentally conscious buying practices. Here are some of their Green Picks:  

Ball mason jars are perfect for buying and storing your bulk and dry goods. You can bring in your own containers, too. Just make sure to weigh them before filling them. 

Vejibag organic cotton bags are perfect for purchasing and storing produce. 

Skoy cloths are earth-friendly reusable cleaning cloths which are 100% biodegradable, chlorine-free, unbleached, non-GMO, and made using water-based colors and inks. 

If You Care  products are fair trade, non-GMO, all natural, and made with no animal testing. Their rubber gloves are made from rubber sourced from a responsibly-managed plantation. Their coffee filters, paper snack and sandwich bags, and baking papers are chlorine-free, GMO-free, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, allergen free, made with no animal testing, and compostable. Check out their reusable sponge cloths too! 

To-Go Ware utensils are made of bamboo and are an easy way to utilize an earth-friendly, reusable alternative to plastic forks, knives, and spoons.       

Bee’s Wrap food wrap is made in Vermont from beeswax, organic fabric, and jojoba oil. It’s a reusable and biodegradable alternative to plastic wrap, plastic bags, or tinfoil. 

BioBag pet waste and food scrap bags are made from materials derived from plants, vegetables, and compostable polymers. 

Natural Value bags for food waste or yard waste are a 100% compostable alternative to standard plastic bags. 

NatureZway  cleaning cloths are made of sustainably grown and harvested bamboo. 

Lunchskins recyclable and resealable lunch bags are an easy, affordable alternative to disposable plastic bags.  

Full Circle offers a diverse line of home-care products, including rubber gloves, absorbent cleaning cloths, dish scrubbers, and reusable sandwich bags and lunch sets. Acknowledging that sustainability is a journey, they work with Plastic Bank to become plastic neutral.  

Repurpose utensils and straws are the perfect compostable supplies for a picnic or any meal. They are made from plants using methods that require fewer fossil fuels, lowering their carbon footprint. 

ChicoBag reusable shopping, snack, and sandwich bags provide an alternative to the single-use bag habit, so you save money while reducing waste.     

Klean Kanteen is one of the most recognizable names in reusable bottles, tumblers, mugs, and metal straws. The family-owned company remains committed to social and environmental responsibility while making high quality reusable containers that replace plastic and reduce waste. 

Preserve products, including razors and toothbrushes, have handles made of 100% recycled materials. The toothbrushes, for example, are made from recycled #5 plastic, like yogurt cups. They can be recycled at facilities such as the Additional Recyclables Collection Center in Barre, VT. 

Sunbeam candles are made and delivered to our store using several eco-friendly and sustainable practices, from their solar-powered candle shop to carbon-neutral shipping. 

ICU eyewear is made from reclaimed plastic, recycled metal, and sustainable bamboo, using eco-friendly practices.                 

GladRags reusable cloth menstrual pads are made of cotton and greatly reduce the amount of waste created by the manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and use of traditional pads. 

WooBamboo! toothbrushes are made with organically and sustainably grown and harvested bamboo. They also have biodegradable handles, are naturally antimicrobial, and are packaged in recycled and recyclable materials. 

Radius toothbrushes have dye-free bristles made from vegetable-based materials and handles made from bioplastics, derived from renewable biomass sources, agricultural byproducts, or recycled plastics.