We work hard to prioritize eco-friendly materials and sustainable practices at our Willy Street Co-op stores.
Environmental Impact Metrics
See below for Fiscal Year 2024 (ending June 30, 2024). We are beginning to add metrics for FY25 as we get them.
Focus Area | FY24 Amount | FY25 Amount | Notes | Why Are We Tracking This? |
Electricity use, in kilowatt hours | 2,850,090 | Coming soon | Reducing electricity use (including through using LED lights, energy-efficient equipment, etc.) means less energy from coal-fired power plants as well as a lower energy bill. | |
Natural gas use, in BTUs | 53,637 | Coming soon | Natural gas is mostly methane, a greenhouse gas, and is extracted via drilling and fracking. | |
Water use, in gallons; includes bulk water sales | 3,444,483 | Coming soon | More efficient use of water for business uses keeps more fresh water for other uses. | |
Refrigerant use, in pounds | 365 | 739 | Willy East had a major short-term refrigerant leak in FY25. | Traditional refrigerants harm the Earth’s ozone layer and can contribute to global warming. |
Solar power generated at Co-op sites, in kilowatt hours | 26,910 | Coming soon | We want to increase the amount of electricity we get from solar power rather than coal-fired power plants. (This amount does not include energy generated from the O’Brien Solar Fields.) | |
Local product sales | $22,086,997 | Coming soon | More local food means less transportation for the food, less reliance on Big Food, and more money in our local economy. More information at willystreet.coop/local. | |
Certified organic sales in Bulk, Meat & Produce departments | $1,631,807 | Coming soon | More organic food means fewer pesticides, and better land and water stewardship. | |
Compost, in pounds | 260,540 | 142,988 | We believe the reduction in compost amount is largely due to ending on-site juicing at our stores. | The most sustainable way to divert organic waste from landfills is to turn it into compost and use it to grow food! |
Watch our short video about three sustainable practices employed at Willy East:
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Willy East | Willy West | Willy North | |
Circulatory ceiling fans to help reduce heating and cooling costs | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Aluminum night covers for produce cases | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Energy-efficient lighting | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Energy Star-certified equipment | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Reclaimed heat from refrigeration rack used to heat water | ☒ | ✓ | ✓ |
Low-flow water fixtures | ✓ | ✓ | ☒ |
Back-of-house composting | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Recycling of paper, cardboard, styrofoam, and pallet wrap | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Remodeled buildings rather than building new structures | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Solar panels & solar hot water | ✓ | ☒ | ☒ |
Participant in the Green Power Tomorrow program through MG&E | ✓ | ☒ | ☒ |
Receives some power from O'Brien Solar Power Fields | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Electric car charging stations | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Rain garden & decorative cob (sustainable earthen building material) wall | ✓ | ☒ | ☒ |
No synthetic pesticides or herbicides are used in maintaining the lawns on Co-op property | ✓ | ☒ | ☒ |
