Local. Regenerative. Diversity, equity and inclusion. Community. These words are associated strongly with both co-ops and the “world of sustainability.” Sustainability is a natural fit with co-op culture, and increasingly, co-ops are formalizing this long-standing ethos into organized programs with goals, measurement and reporting.
In business, thinking surrounding sustainability is organized into three components:
- Environmental integrity
- Concern for the community and social equity
- Economic success for all involved
We summarize this triple bottom line as “planet, people, prosperity.” This marks a paradigmatic shift from traditional business, where the bottom line is focused exclusively on economic success. While co-ops have long embraced this mindset of operating for the benefit of members and the community, today businesses across all industries have begun to realize that a strong sustainability focus is a sound business practice.
Common sustainability outcomes include:
- Reducing operating expenses
- Improving staff productivity and lowering turnover rates
- Increasing customer loyalty and positive brand association
- Minimizing risk (regulatory risk, public relations risk, etc.)
In terms of energy alone, grocery stores consume more energy per square foot than any other building type, second only to food service (restaurants). A typical grocery store’s profit margin and energy spending each amount to roughly 1% of total sales. Because of this, the U.S. EPA estimates that each dollar in energy savings is equivalent to increasing sales by $59. A sustainability program can help your co-op identify and take advantage of opportunities like these to become more efficient.
NCG has resources to support sustainability programs at your co-op. Co+efficient is a sustainability program just for NCG co-ops that provides a common framework for addressing impact. Co+efficient includes a set of shared co-op metrics along with an online portal with dashboards for displaying your metrics. It also includes dozens of custom resources and tools for co-ops, like a Green Team guide; a waste audit guide; zero waste resources; diversity, equity and inclusion resources; plastic reduction case studies; and much more.
Check the sustainability resources section of our website for more tools to begin and support an effective sustainability program at your co-op.
