It’s summer at Seward Co-op, and we’re thinking about positive environmental impacts and our mission to sustain a healthy community. Single-use plastic has a negative impact on our environment, and some communities – particularly Black and brown and low-income – disproportionately experience the impacts of pollution and environmental degradation. In recent years, plastic packaging waste has been a topic of concern for many co-op owners. In response, we have used our voice to promote #PlasticFreeJuly. Since the inception of #PlasticFreeJuly in 2011, thousands have pledged to participate in a multitude of ways. This is one way to help mitigate the multitude of plastic waste that plagues both people and the planet.  

#PlasticFreeJuly calls on consumers to eliminate or drastically reduce plastic consumption for the month of July. As many are already aware, more than half of the world’s waste is generated by 20 companies, with no end of plastic production in sight. So, while many co-op shoppers have some agency in chipping away at the plastic problem, it is not likely that we are going to recycle (or even refuse or reuse) ourselves out of this mess. The solution is going to require complex systemic change. This does not mean we give up, rather let’s dig in and educate ourselves on the complexities that surround plastic consumption. Within our communities, there is always more we can do together to combat plastic waste in our lives and contribute to a more equitable community.

Socioeconomic and Racial Impacts of Pollution

Being environmentalists means we must also fight racism because environmentalism and race are intrinsically linked. Environmental racism is the disproportionate burden of environmental hazards placed on people of color. According to the Climate Reality Project, “this oppression is often achieved systemically, through policies and practices that effectively place low-income and communities of color in close proximity to polluting facilities like power stations, plastics plants, and methane gas pipelines or to infrastructure like major highways.” The American Lung Association also found that “poorer people and some racial and ethnic groups are among those who often face higher exposure to pollutants and who may experience greater responses to such pollution.”

Pollution from microplastics in water supplies, poor air quality due to incinerators, and petroleum lines – a key ingredient in plastic – run through and runoff into many BIPOC communities, disproportionally impacting them at a much higher rate than primarily white and/or affluent communities. By working together to reduce our plastic waste, we can help lighten the impact on communities that already experience the burden of everyday racism.

What Seward Co-Op Does and What You Can Do
Waste diversion

In 2022 we diverted 79% of the co-op’s total waste away from landfills. This is a percentage Seward Co-op staff is always striving to increase. To do so, we work internally to educate, train, and quiz staff on recycling, composting, and other ways to minimize our waste stream. We rigorously monitor our waste stream in order to keep track of outputs, and we actively adapt our practices when we identify areas for improvement. The best way you can help the co-op increase this waste-diversion percentage is by ensuring you deposit waste in the proper receptacles while at our stores, in addition to at your home. You can also call on elected and community leaders to advocate for more sustainable alternatives to plastic.

Re-use options

Seward Co-op emphasizes re-use options and in many departments provides choices for customers looking to reduce their single-use plastic consumption. Below are some of the things we’ve done in the last few years:

• Eliminated non-recyclable black plastic in our deli packaging
• Encouraged reusable containers for bulk foods
• Encouraged customers to bring their own shopping bags
• In addition to providing reusable plates and silverware for in-store dining at the Hot and Salad Bars, we’ve introduced reusable Deli containers, which are good for hundreds of uses before they’re recycled. This offers a to-go option that cuts down on single-use containers.
• Compostable paper can be requested at our Meat Department, and we encourage storage in a reusable container once you get home to avoid drips

Composting

Seward Co-op has bins for compost at our stores, in addition to recycling and waste bins. Compostable waste is a whopping 30% of our waste diversion!

One of the great things about composting is the ease with which it can be done at home. If you’re not familiar with the smaller green bins set out on garbage day, they are our local organics recycling (composting) option. The City of Minneapolis offers organics recycling at no additional cost, you just have to sign up! After that, it’s all about learning what is compostable, and what’s not.

Though Seward Co-op has faced challenges balancing changes due to the pandemic and challenges around truly compostable packaging, we continue to make progress to sustain a healthy community that has positive environmental impacts.

We must be honest with ourselves that #PlasticFreeJuly will not alone solve the problem of plastic waste, but it’s one more important step in the right direction to lessen our environmental impact and to promote environmental justice for all.