LifeSource is a leader in our community on promoting and exemplifying sustainability and ecological awareness.

In addition to our electric truck and our new solar installation LifeSource is involved in many other efforts to promote energy conservation and sustainability, all of which is overseen by a part-time Sustainability Coordinator.

We recently signed on to the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Association, a nonprofit trade association dedicated to helping the organic food trade transition to more sustainable practices and raise the bar across the food industry.

We also started the Close To Home program to feature and promote local products thereby reducing environmental impacts associated with shipping.

We follow strict product selection guidelines that honor our commitments to promote social responsibility and environmental health.

Waste Reduction

LifeSource is always looking for new ways to reduce the amount of waste we send to the landfill or garbage burner:

• We offer bag credits 10¢ for grocery bags and 5¢ for produce or bulk bags or containers for customers that bring their own from home for reuse
• We offer our customers reusable shopping bags for purchase at or below cost
• We reuse scrap paper, receipts, and printed pages as note paper and reuse the blank side of scrap paper in our printers
• We “close the loop” by using all recycled paper goods such as napkins, paper towels and bath tissue
• Our Deli containers and tableware are either compostable or recyclable
• All packing peanuts and bubble wrap are picked up for reuse by a local shipper
• All Deli and Produce vegetable scraps are composted through municipal waste collectors
• We donate usable pulls to local charities
• We donate produce scraps to local composters & chicken farmers
• We use only biodegradable utensils and dishes at our Food Fairs
• We offer reusable mugs and dishes for staff
• We encourage local farmers to reuse waxed paper produce boxes
• Our monthly newsletter in printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper

Recycling

LifeSource employees a part-time recycling coordinator to oversee our comprehensive recycling plan for the waste our store produces. We currently actively recycle:

• Cardboard
• Greyboard
• Mixed paper
• Tin and aluminum
• Plastics 1 7
• Batteries
• Soft plastics
• Deposit & non-deposit glass
• Printer cartridges
• Corks & bottle caps

Through these measures approximately 64% of our total waste is redirected away from landfills.

Energy

• Our store vehicle is an electric truck
• We installed solar collectors on our roof. It’s a 35 kW system that produces 34830 watts of electricity per hour. We expect it to produce 38000 kwh of electricity per year which is enough to power 23 average homes here in Oregon.
• We source all additional electricity from wind energy
• We’ve had energy audit conducted by Energy Trust of Oregon
• We use air screens on coolers that keep more of the cool air in at night
• Installed meters so that we can monitor electricity usage for major appliances
• Main lights are energy efficient fluorescents

As a result of these steps our electricity use has stayed fairly stable over last three years, even with business growth.