Breaking free from plastic

We are seeing for ourselves the devastating effect that plastic pollution is having on our island’s seas and shorelines. Our islands need to have their natural environmental beauty protected and preserved.

As an ethical and responsible retailer, we have committed to playing our part in cutting out single-use plastics. Along with Co-op Group in the UK, we’ve pledged to remove any unnecessary plastic which cannot be reused or recycled.

For instance, our recent own-brand range of Easter eggs contained no plastic packaging, making them 100% recyclable. But this is just one part of what we do. At your Co-op, we are also continuously working hard to:

• Work with our local suppliers to find new ways to package and transport their produce
• Where possible, using recycled plastic in packaging rather than ‘virgin plastic’
• Looking to introduce customers to consider bringing their own reusable bags rather than single-use carrier bags or Bags for Life
• Launched reusable bag bins into all our Grand Marché stores for anyone who might forget their bag and need to use one

Building towards a greener future

We have set ourselves a high standard in our developments. Our recent and future projects have been created with sustainability in mind. We have invested greater thought and consideration into the design and features of the Co-op’s new store than ever before, to ensure that the Society continues its vision to build stores that are sustainable and equipped for the future.

Our energy-saving and environmentally friendly credentials in our stores include fittings with ‘A-graded’ refrigeration units which are some of the most efficient available, energy monitoring systems and heat exchangers installed to make our buildings as energy efficient as possible and using baskets and trolleys made from recycled goods. 

All our future developments will remain focused on delivering modern, energy efficient and eco-conscious stores for our community.

Making our planet our priority

We think our island is beautiful, and we wish to keep it that way.

Everything we do makes an impact on our environment. It is why we actively encourage our colleagues to help make a real difference in our community. Whether it is changing how they get to work by offering cycle racks, helping to plant trees, cleaning beaches or putting in recycling points in our stores, we believe that we can all play our part to protect our planet.

Our vision going forward is to improve on what we are already doing. We want to see the complete end of single use plastic bags in our stores. We want to see more EV points available at our locations. We want to know that our operations are reducing emissions and pollution rather than adding to it.

We know that there are big changes needed ahead. But with the help of our islanders, we believe that co-operation can make the real changes happen.

What we can do together

We hope that you will join us as a Society to make us a more sustainable and eco-conscious organisation. Please consider joining us by:

• Thinking about the transport you use to visit our stores
• Bring your own reusable carrier bags to rid the need of plastic Bags for Life
• Consider choosing local produce over imported goods where possible
• Help us to spread the word to others so we can make systemic change
• Share your ideas and feedback with us on what we can be doing better 

Together, we can make positive changes and exciting progress in our pledge for cleaner and greener islands.