Environmental Sustainability

As a cooperative, our success is closely linked to the well-being of the communities in which we operate. Our values, as well as those of our members, guide our actions and reflect our commitment to the greater good. We take our responsibility to be good stewards in our communities seriously. 

We also know that sustainability is more than a buzzword. It’s a forward-thinking approach that drives our decision making. We consider social, economic and environmental impacts when we ask the question: What can we do to meet the needs of the present that will allow people to meet their needs long into the future?

Food Waste Reduction

We knew we had good food going to landfill and we are happy to have found local partners to help build a solution where we simultaneously divert food away from landfill and build more sustainable communities. Learn more.

Since partnering with Leftovers Foundation in 2021, Red River Co-op has helped divert over 1.8 million pounds of food from landfill. In 2025 alone, 421,993 pounds of food were rescued from our food stores in Winnipeg and Selkirk and redirected to people and community organizations in need.

Food that is not suitable for human consumption is also put to good use through our partnership with Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. From July to October 2025, our Southdale Food Store donated 7,544.60 pounds of produce to help feed wildlife rescues and permanent resident animals in their care.

That's a staggering 429,537lbs of unsold food kept OUT of the landfill in one year!

Compost Winnipeg 

In addition to our Food Waste efforts, we've also partnered with Compost Winnipeg since 2022 to help keep food waste out of landfill and turn it into a more sustainable solution. In 2025, 502,431 pounds of food waste from our five city food stores was diverted from landfill and composted. That impact is equivalent to preventing 456 tonnes of CO2 emissions, the same as an average passenger vehicle travelling approximately 1.8 million kilometres.

Car Wash

The car wash chemicals used at Red River Co-op car washes are biodegradable and free from phosphates and hydrochloric acid.

EV Charging Stations

Co-ops across Western Canada are working together and leading the charge in connecting the West, installing chargers in towns and cities on the Prairies along the Trans-Canada Highway. These chargers will be located at existing Co-op locations, including food stores and gas bars, and will form the Co-op Connect EV Charging Network.

Even though gas bars are a large part of our business, we see this as opportunity to both reduce our environmental impact and to seize the moment by investing in the transition to a low-carbon economy. 

Visit our gas bar page to find the locations of our Co-op Connect EV Charging Network.