By Aldona Bird
“Zero waste” and “low impact” are hitting the nation in an eco-friendly storm. Initiatives are coming to town, via businesses and community members.
The zero waste international movement has the goal of stopping all together-trash generation from personal and commercial use. Local efforts in Morgantown joined in the movement.
“It’s kind of remarkable how little of our waste ends up in the trash,” said Josh Eid-Ries, business development and sustainability manager at Mountain People’s Co-op.
To limit the nonprofit’s contribution to landfills, employees see to it that produce past its prime ends up in a compost bucket rather than in the dumpster.
“We compost pretty much everything we can,” Eid-Ries said, adding co-op members pick up the compost for use in their gardens.
Instead of using paper towels, the staff opts for washable cloth rags. Staffers also use silverware for meals, and the co-op offers biodegradable utensils for cafe customers.
Instead of discarding cardboard boxes received as packaging for cans and other goods, Eid-Ries and other employees leave them by the register as an option for customers to carry out purchases.
“We don’t buy or use plastic bags,” Eid-Ries said. “We stick to paper when needed.”
While they do have paper shopping bags for customer convenience, most shoppers bring their own bags or opt to reuse a box. With an average of about 640 customers per week, less than 10 percent choose a paper shopping bag.
The co-op does offer plastic container options for bulk shopping, such as hard plastic clamshells and plastic baggies. Unlike the free small paper bags also available for customers to fill with herbs, dried goods, flours, nuts, granolas and more, the plastic bags and boxes cost a few cents each.
Eid-Ries said the cost for the plastics is higher for the co-op, and additionally the small fee causes some customers to consider whether another option would be better.
In addition to single-use paper bags, the co-op sells a variety of glass jars, canvas bags and other items customers can purchase and reuse to minimize their own waste.
Shoppers can also refill their own containers with laundry soap, honey, maple syrup, tamari, molasses and coffee beans, which can be freshly ground.
Eid-Ries said when co-op staff considers new products to bring in or current products to phase out they consider, “quality of the product, but also packaging.”
While many products stocked at the co-op are wrapped in plastic, there are also options for customers who want to limit the plastic that passes through their lives.
Co-op customer and community member Barbara Walker uses the bulk goods when shopping for herself.
“I go to the co-op about once a month,” Walker said. “I fill up all my jars.”
She keeps canvas bags hanging by her door with jars and containers for bulk goods inside. She purchases rice, beans, herbs and spices, laundry soap, coffee and other items from bulk, putting them into her personal containers.
“I make my own toothpaste and deodorant,” Walker said, adding that she buys the ingredients for both at the co-op.
Walker said she appreciates the co-op carrying items such as reusable straws, bamboo toothbrushes and waxed cloth wraps (to substitute for plastic wrap at home).
Her journey to low waste started years ago and took habit changes. She said to transition from single-use bags she would buy a new canvas bag if she went shopping and forgot to bring a bag with her. Now she has plenty of bags to keep by her door and in her car.
When Walker forgot her travel mug, she said she would not allow herself to buy coffee in a single-use cup. It didn’t take long for her to always take a travel mug along with her.
“It’s just a matter of practicing and getting into the habits,” Walker said.
For customers who aren’t engaging in a zero-waste lifestyle, the co-op tries to walk the line between opting for less packaging and customer convenience.
Stephanie Swaim, owner of artisan and vintage gift shop Hoot and Howl, bags items in paper bags and tissue paper in consideration of customers, even though she would prefer not to use single-use items.
“You have to create an experience,” Swaim said of retail. Customers who purchase a gift often want it pre-wrapped. Others enjoy the luxury associated with carrying their purchases in a branded bag.
Because Swaim hopes customers will reuse the bags, she opted not to add a sticker or stamp with her store name on the bags, instead using the color scheme as branding — all-natural craft paper bags and natural cardboard jewelry boxes with green 100 percent post consumer fiber tissue paper.
To cut down on waste she also does not have a printer for receipts, instead offering to text or email sales confirmations.
While Swaim wants to create a special shopping experience for every customer, if she notices a shopper with a tote or other large bag, “I’ll always ask if they want a bag for their purchase,” Swaim said.
“If people just put a little bit of time into learning about the impact of their habits, they would be willing to make small changes and those small changes add up,” Walker said.
