Moscow Food Co-op

Moscow Food Co-op defines 'local' as products from Idaho, Washington, or within 250 miles of the store, and works with more than 150 local food and goods producers in the Pacific Northwest. The grocery department emphasizes sustainably-sourced items, and the bulk department stocks local and organic products. The co-op runs an active composting program with Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute, using two commercial composting machines. It also recycles single-use plastic film through the NexTrex program, which converts collected plastics into composite building materials. A reusable to-go box program at the deli reduces single-use container waste, and a silverware lending program eliminates disposable plastic utensils. A 2018 store remodel replaced retail refrigeration systems and upgraded fluorescent lighting to LED, cutting electricity usage by nearly 5%. A staff and volunteer sustainability committee monitors key metrics and publishes an annual sustainability report.