Protecting the environment is the right thing to do, and that’s why we are committed to fulfil our part. Every day, we take steps to minimize our footprint on the environment we live in and serve, and to preserve it for future generations. As our business grows, we are constantly looking for new ways to further improve our sustainability. We believe together we can all make one green step at a time to a healthier planet. Explore our small efforts towards a big difference.
LED lighting
We’ve retrofitted our flag-ship store in Maple and replaced all outdated refrigeration lights with high-efficiency LED lights. The upgrade saves approximately 23.87 kW of demand and more than 114,000 kWh annually — that’s more than 55% reduction in annual electricity consumption. And more importantly, the new LED technology contributes to reducing our carbon footprint.
Recycling
As part of our green initiatives we commit to recycling as much of waste material as possible. We work with a local waste management firm to recycle all our cardboard, polyethylene, mixed plastics as well as food waste, including frying oil. We take our organic waste recycling to another level by partnering with local farmers who create cattle feed with food waste such as vegetable trimmings.
Many forms of our in-store containers and packages are fully recyclable. Packages including paper bread bags, aluminum trays, microwaveable take-out containers, clamshells, as well as our plastic shopping bags, are all made of recyclable materials. To maximize our green efforts in the Kitchen, we reuse pails through a supplier-run recycling program.
Efficient transportation
We load our trucks to the maximum by packing as many items as possible on each trip, increasing efficiency of our truck space use. This eliminates the need for multiple daily trips back and forth between our stores. We limit our between-the-stores deliveries to once a day, thus increasing fuel savings and lowering fuel emissions.
Reusable bags
Since introducing Yummy Market’s reusable canvas shopping bags in 2008, we’ve sold more than 20,000 to date. In 2013, we had also added a collapsible shopping box to the lineup (pictured on the left). Depending on the grocery shopping needs, each bag offers great versatility and convenience.
Increasingly, our customers are opting for environmentally friendly bags, foregoing plastic or paper alternatives. Now more than ever, there is a need for making everyday sustainable choices for a greener tomorrow. We’ve got this in a canvas bag.