Recycling in the Store!

by Kelsi Swanson, Merchandising Manager

Hudson tosses boxes from the warehouse for customers to reuse at the front of the store.

We hope many of our customers and members have already seen them, but we now have recycling options at the front of the store. In addition to our new box bin, where shoppers can get a box to pack up their groceries, we are also offering electronic, battery, and plastic bag recycling receptacles. Items that can be recycled include both rechargeable and non-rechargeable dry cell batteries, clean used plastic bags, cell phones, MP3 players, PDA's, ink-jet cartridges, and other hand held electronic devices.

Here at Open Harvest, we have always made it a priority to go as "green" as possible, and we have been continuing to implement this throughout our store expansion. During the expansion process we were able to recycle all of our old coolers, and order refurbished newer coolers to use now.

The managers of multiple departments in the store have made a dedicated effort to offer recycled, recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable containers for customer use. For example, Lee, our Deli Manger, has recently changed and improved many of the containers used in the deli. Of all the new packaging that has been added in the deli world, there is only one item that is a #6 (the salad plates). The new soup cups are recyclable and reusable, and they're a very nice container and lid combo. The new 16 oz. cups, used for smoothies, are made from corn based plastic. These are both recyclable (#7) and they are compostable/biodegradable.

Customers that dine in the store can place containers in bus tubs by the tables to be recycled by our staff. Our kitchen, grocery, and office departments utilize recycle containers to recycle tons of paper, plastic, glass, cardboard, and aluminum every year. We built recycling containers behind our store, and other business in the plaza joined in to recycle with us. This year marked our ten years of membership with Wastecap Nebraska, an organization dedicated to waste reduction and recycling.

There are many other examples of these efforts throughout the store, and we plan to bring more news of them to you in future articles. We also plan to, and do, continue our search for eco friendly and sustainable materials in our everyday store use.