At Weaver Street Market, our commitment to sustainability begins long before our products reach the shelves. We believe true environmental stewardship starts at the source, which is why we prioritize local partnerships to drastically reduce the carbon emissions and energy use associated with long-distance shipping. By sourcing food grown and produced locally—and by crafting our own prepared foods and fresh bakery items locally at our Food House in Hillsborough—we support a low-impact food system that minimizes transit waste while strengthening the community’s economy.
Beyond our emphasis on local sourcing, our aisles are carefully curated to champion farming practices that heal the earth rather than deplete it. We proudly offer a robust selection of certified organic, regenerative, and environmentally-friendly products that prioritize healthy soil, water conservation, and biodiversity. This holistic approach to ecological responsibility naturally extends to how those goods are packaged and carried home. The waste-reduction initiatives detailed below represent our dedication to carrying that sustainable ethos from the farm, through our stores, and all the way to your kitchen counter.
Weaver Street Market continues to celebrate Plastic Free July with the return of our reusable coffee cup program!
Co-op owners and shoppers can collectively make a big difference with the choices they make as they shop, and we’re excited to offer another way to reduce waste from paper cups and plastic lids with our ceramic mugs returning to the coffee bar for in-store customers. Priced at just $1.89 for a fresh cup or refill, enjoy the perks of reusability!
Enjoy a new discount on drip coffee for customers who want to do their part while on the go. Bring your own travel mug and save 10% off regular drip coffee prices!
Returnable utensils reduce waste
We now offer only stainless steel utensils for both dining in-store AND takeout use. You can return the utensils when you visit us again – but if you can’t return them, that’s okay! You can keep or donate the utensils. Even with some utensil loss, we have saved money with this program!
Thank you for helping to reduce waste! We are one of eight co-ops offering reusable utensils for takeout!
Dried fruit in compostable bags
We are excited to try compostable bags from Elevate Packaging part of the growing effort to replace petro-plastic with materials of equal performance, but free of micro-plastics pollution. Sturdy & lightweight, these bags are a far better single-use option than plastic cartons – AND they’re home-compostable!
Reduce waste one cup at a time
When thirsty while visiting our stores, please choose a washable cup at our water stations.
Washable cups mean less waste in our community!
Ready meals package upgrade
Have you noticed our new Ready Meals tray? These fiberboard trays are commercially compostable, with only a thin plastic top sheet to trash! Replacing our old polypropylene trays will greatly reduce our plastic waste. Enjoy the same dinners you love, with less plastic!
Think4Earth Bread Bags
You can have a fresh loaf from our Bread case, without disposable bags! We now sell reusable fabric bread bags!
These sturdy, convenient bags are fully machine washable, and available in LOAF or BAGUETTE sizes. They hold plenty of bread, but empty they scrunch down small, to fit easily in your purse or shopping bag.
It’s simple!
Step 1 – Buy a bag (available at the Bakery Counter) & wash it
Step 2 – Bring your bag when you shop. Now you won’t need a paper OR plastic disposable bag — your hearth loaf goes directly in the reusable bag!
Works with whole OR sliced bread — just hand your bag to the Bakery staff when we slice your bread.
You can reduce packaging waste every time you shop – AND, the bag is made from 100% recycled plastic! (Each bag recycles 12 plastic bottles!
Proudly designed in Australia, Think4Earth Bread Bags are crafted from 100% recycled rPET plastic and use vegan-friendly processes. Each bag recycles 12 plastic bottles! They are machine washable making them perfect for everyday use. Learn more about the Think4Earth Bread Bags here.
Eliminating single-use plastic bags!
We encourage all shoppers to bring their own bags when they shop.
Customers who do not carry their own bag have the option to purchase a reusable “Weaver Bag” for $2.49 or an insulated bag for $3.99, or to use a “Bring it Back Sack” made of heavy-duty recycled plastic sturdy enough to be re-used up to 125 times. New sacks can be purchased for 20 cents, or customers can pick up a free sack from a stash of returned bags.
Rescuing usable food
Part of the grocery business is having food that’s not sellable, but still good to eat. We donate edible food to organizations like Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, FeedWell Fridges, Snow Approach, and local food pantries.
Produce scraps and food that’s not human-edible can still feed animals! We donate to a pig sanctuary, local farms, and neighbors with pigs, goats, chickens – or guinea pigs!
Lastly, we compost. Some of our coffee grounds can help grow local flowers, and our compost can serve people with gardens. Whatever is not scooped up by community members is sent to Brooks, to be transformed into nutritive compost that you can buy locally!