One bag at a time: ‘Zero waste shopper’ part of cooperative of thousands in 40 years at Central Co-op

Savannah Ledgerwood is a poster shopper, of sorts, for low waste commerce at Central Co-op (Image: Nick Turner for CHS)

Most people bring a reusable tote bag to carry their groceries home. Savannah Ledgerwood, however, takes it a little bit further. She comes prepared with a selection of bags and glass jars of varying sizes. She uses them to buy food, produce, and ingredients—mostly in bulk—and avoid plastic and other single-use packaging materials. Ledgerwood does this to reduce her impact on the environment, and her methods follow the tenets of something called a “zero waste” or “low impact” lifestyle. Though she’s a relatively new customer, Ledgerwood is the kind of shopper Central Co-op was born to serve — 40 years ago this month.

“I try my best to eliminate plastic from my day to day life, especially from my shopping routine, as much as possible,” Ledgerwood said. “It’s just a really small step towards creating a bigger environmental impact.” Continue reading