Happy Earth Day! 🌎 Today, let’s celebrate the incredible planet we call home and reflect on the actions we can take to protect it for generations to come.
Hummingbird Container Re-Use
Since 2003, Hummingbird Wholesale has managed a successful container reuse program. Co-owner Charlie Tilt wanted to use an alternative system to recycling that would save more energy and be gentler on the environment.
When you shop our stores you will notice that we collect a deposit for Hummingbird products that are in jars. When you return the clean container to us you get your deposit back and we return them to Hummingbird to be sanitized and used again. Learn more about their program and the savings it is realizing for the company while helping reduce waste.
Women’s History Month: Black Mountain Beauty
We are celebrating Women’s History Month by calling attention to some of our local vendors that are women owned!
Black Mountain Beauty
Owner: Marnie Jackson
Meet Black Mountain Beauty, a women-owned and women-powered Marin company, makers of organic, non-gmo, no cruelty, vegan and plastic free bath products for your whole family! They care about the future of our oceans!
“I am a farmer out in beautiful West Marin County in Northern California. I love to create products from the bounty of my farm. I am a Fiber Farmer first and create soft, cozy clothing from my Wensleydale sheep and Angora rabbits.
We live close to the beautiful Pacific Ocean beaches which I love to visit. Unfortunately, there is more and more plastic pollution on these beaches every day. So, in an effort to reduce my own use of plastic, I began creating all-natural Shampoo and Conditioner bars that need no plastic packaging. These have been selling like crazy to people who like chemical-free products and also care about plastic pollution in our oceans.
I am branching out to new, everyday personal products that can be made with biodegradable packaging or no packaging at all. Hope you enjoy it.” – Marnie Jackson
They are on a mission to create a zero waste beauty line. There are too many single use plastic containers floating around in the Ocean. Black Mountain Beauty is trying to reduce waste by creating, simple, organic, cruelty-free beauty products in biodegradable or refillable packaging. After spending many a weekend picking up plastic garbage on local ocean beaches, Black Mountain Beauty wanted to make a change in the world by doing their best to eliminate plastic waste.
We love what they do!
We’ve put together raffle baskets that feature this great women owned business along with several others. Stop by the Berkeley or El Cerrito Stores to enter.
Thank you Black Mountain Beauty!
Our Bulk Packaging is Compostable!
We are still packaging everything in our Bulk Departments so that you may purchase the products you like without the plastic! The Natural Grocery Company is committed to using packaging that protects your food and does not contribute to more plastic waste. We use NatureFlex TM to pack all our Bulk Items. Our resilient workers at The Annex prepare these items for sale in our facility. Items are then transferred to our stores as needed. Thank you for your continued support!
Zero Waste
Is it really possible to live without waste!?
We know that going Zero Waste can seem unattainable in today’s packaged world.
So, we’re listing eight ways to give it a try – why not give it a go?
1. Document your weekly waste – make a list, photograph it, whatever you need to do to understand your actual output.
2. Sort it – food packaging, household products, toiletries, etc. Slowly change one thing a week to reduce the waste in your largest category.
3. Do some research to find out what you can buy in bulk and where you can get necessary refills. Our store offers many bulk items including water!
4. Switch out your waste bins – create a small landfill bin and a large recycling bin. This will help set the stage for the right mindset.
5. Manage what comes into your home – What can you refuse? Receipts, business cards, leaflets etc. Consume less.
6. What can you reuse? The blank side of a paper can become drawing paper for your kids, as your shower is heating up, put a bucket underneath and use it to water your plants, the list goes on. If you have clever methods of reuse, please share them with us!
7. Choose compostable or reusable packaging and containers – e.g. our produce bags and to-go wares are biodegradable and can go straight into your food waste (compost) bin. You can find tin and glass containers at both our markets. Using your own containers and jars is a great way to limit the use of plastic bags for storage and packed meals.
8. What products can you make at home? Things like hummus are easy to make at home. It takes a little foresight to plan for the time. Decide what things are easy and enjoyable to make yourself and work it into your weekly schedule. In addition to cutting down on waste, you’ll probably save money!
Please share your Zero Waste tips with us on Twitter @natygroceryco or Instagram @naturalgroceryco with the hashtag #zerowaste