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.

Through our relationship with Leftovers, we were able to divert 127,021 kg of food to people and agencies in need in 2022. From there, food that wasn't suitable for human consumption was given to farmers for animal feed. In 2022, 209,961 kg of food was donated through the LOOP program. Finally in 2022, 110,597 kg was composted through our friends and Composit Winnipeg.

That's a staggering 447,579 kg of unsold food kept OUT of the landfill in one year!

Additionally, because of this program, 966,450 kg of Co2 was diverted. That is equivalent to 15,980 trees planted or 41,833 trash bags recycled from the landfill. 

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.