What is it?

The Co-operative Food is a British consumer business owned by its members. It is not run by big investors and members get an opportunity to have a say in how the co-operative us run.

What does it do?

Co-operative Food have a particular interest in maintaining the waste that leaves their business and in 2016 96% of total waste was reused, recycled or recovered in their own operations. They also pay attention to their packaging, making sure they minimise the amount used and do not have excess packaging that is not needed. In 2016, they worked with their supplier to pioneer the removal of the heatseal layer from our cooked meat trays, meaning the tray is now a single material and therefore easier and more financially viable to recycle. In addition to this, food that is said to be past its 'best before' date, is not inedible and the Co-operative therefore redistribute their excess food to charities such as FareShare. In addition to that Co-operative have achieved a 40% reduction in their carbon emissions since 2006 and they are coming close again in reducing their energy consumption use by the same amount.

How does it relate to Environmental Citizenship?

Co-operative Food relates to environmental citizenship as it understands the significance waste can have on the environment, and actively attempts to decrease the negative impacts associated with waste in the environment. It has also successfully sourced all their electricity from "green" sources. They generate a vast amount of electricity from renewable energy sources. Recently they build their third wind farm in Bedfordshire and makes up over 5% of The Co-operative Group's electricity needs. The Co-Operative Food contributes to the Sustainable Development Goal that focuses on zero hunger, as they aim to feed those who are economically disadvantaged and also adds to the goal of responsible consumption and production.