SORRT: What
Grocery Stores can do to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
These days, consumers shop for more than just food at grocery stores. They are shopping with a conscience and they are shopping for an environmentally friendly store. Consumers are looking for grocery stores which recycle and offer their customers opportunities to recycle.
Grocery stores offer many opportunities to reduce and recycle waste. The two types of waste that make up the majority of grocery store waste—corrugated cardboard and food waste, according to a study commissioned by the Food Marketing Institute—are easily recyclable. Grocery stores will find that by recycling these two items, they will save considerably on disposal fees.
Grocery stores can help manufacturers to limit the amount of packaging they use, and to package products in recyclable, and recycled, containers. By requesting less packaging- or even refusing to purchase over-packaged products or products in non-recyclable containers--grocery stores can make a significant difference in the quantity of municipal packaging waste.
Before instituting a recycling program, establish support from the grocery store's CEO. Then select a recycling coordinator, or create a recycling committee, to initiate and monitor the program.
Reduce Waste
Work with suppliers and producers to reduce packaging. You can communicate to suppliers and producers your desire to offer products that are packaged in materials that are recycled and recyclable, and are not over-packaged.
Offer foods in bulk. Bulk foods encourage customers to buy the exact quantity of food they want, thus reducing food waste generated by packages which are either too small or too large.
Implement a number of practices with respect to bags:
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Teach cashiers to double-bag groceries only when necessary or when requested. Most paper bags are designed for heavy loads and have burst strengths which easily handle a typical load of groceries.
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Teach cashiers to ask customers if they want a bag for one- or two-item purchases.
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Encourage customers to reuse bags; offer a rebate for customers who choose to reuse.
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Offer durable cloth or mesh bags for sale to customers.
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Buy and label shopping bags (paper or plastic) with both pre- and post-consumer recycled content.
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Encourage customers to reuse grocery bags as garbage bags, recycling containers and composting bags.
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Offer customers the opportunity to recycle plastic grocery and produce bags by returning them to the store.
Reuse, When Possible
Avoid disposable aprons and hats for employees who handle food. Your store can purchase durable cloth hats and plastic or cloth aprons with the store's logo.
Repair and reuse shipping pallets. Require your suppliers to take their pallets back for reuse.
Reuse produce crates, boxes, baskets and pails. Wooden produce crates, waxed corrugated containers, wire baskets and plastic pails all may be reused by produce distributors.
Recycle to Lower Disposal Costs and It’s the Law
Bale and recycle corrugated cardboard boxes and mixed paper. Check with your recycling contractor to see if waxed cardboard boxes can be recycled, many recycling facilities now accept waxed-coated items for recycling.
Recycle aluminum and bi-metal cans and foil products, plastic bottles and containers, glass bottles and jars and mixed paper in your employee lounge. Place recycling bins for mixed paper by each cash register and next to each vending machine for commingled materials. If you can't find a company to haul the recyclables away, an employee might volunteer to take them to a recycling center.
In the office, recycle all office paper, including unwanted mail and extra or outdated circulars.
Recycle scrap metal items. Contact a scrap metal recycler and self-haul to a scrap metal processor.
Donate dated foods to a food bank. Many grocery stores are able to set aside edible but unsalable food for collection by an organization that provides food for those in need.
Recycle yard trimmings, where applicable, by grasscycling and composting.
Compost food waste by separating uncooked produce, wood pallets and other organics from regular waste. If you separate compostable waste from garbage and keep it free of contaminants such as shrink wrap, your waste collection company might agree to take it to a recycler which will turn the food waste into compost, a rich soil amendment.
Promote your recycling program to customers and employees. Many consumers make an effort to frequent businesses which practice sound environmental policies.
Buy Recycled Products
Close the recycling loop by purchasing recycled-content products. The most widely available recycled products that grocery stores use are recycled paper bags, office paper, hand towels and toilet tissue.
When ordering goods and products which are offered for sale to customers, choose items that are made from recycled materials or fibers. Highlight these products for consumers, to educate them and make them aware that these recycled products are available.
What are other local grocery stores doing to reduce, reuse and recycle
We'd like to add your grocery store to our list of recyclers, so let us know how you're doing! If you have a concern or issue you wish to discuss or a success story you want to share, please contact the SORRT (Smart Organizations Reduce and Recycle Tons) Program as noted below.
For more information:
Please contact the Montgomery County SORRT (Smart Organizations Reduce and Recycle Tons) Program at 3-1-1 (out-of-County: 240-777-0311, TTY: 240-773-3556).
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