Enviro Tokens News

Enviro Tokens Program Goes Touchless Amid Pandemic

by Erin Donahue

The five-year-old program raises funds for local nonprofits and incentivizes reusable bags. By bringing reusable bags, HWFC shoppers can choose to receive 5 cents off their grocery bill or make a 5-cent donation to local nonprofit organizations via our Enviro Tokens program. The initiative not only encourages shoppers to reuse bags to reduce waste, but also brings awareness and support to charitable organizations doing great work in the Capital Region.

“The Co-op is the facilitator [connecting the shoppers to the charities],” says Honest Weight’s Outreach Coordinator Amy Ellis, who credits the program’s success to the committed participation of shoppers. In addition to donations, Enviro Tokens nominations also “often come by way of the [Coop] community.” Outreach Staff choose 5 organizations per fiscal quarter from their list of community-recommended organizations, with a goal to choose recipients that are diverse in mission and population served. “A focus is kept on local grassroots [organizations] with missions that align with the Co-op’s core values,” Amy said.

Recipients have included youth programs and services, animal sanctuaries, environmental conservation groups, and more. Since Co-op Staff created the program in September 2015, shoppers have raised $36,982.50 for 75 Capital Region nonprofits by reusing over 739,650 bags.

How it Works For each reusable bag brought and packed, shoppers receive one Enviro Token wooden nickel to drop into one of five boxes—each representing a local nonprofit chosen for that quarter—at the Enviro Tokens board before HWFC’s exit doors. Since March, the Co-op has adopted a touchless exchange to prevent spreading COVID-19.

Enviro Tokens donations are now applied at checkout and split evenly among the five organizations selected. During each 3-month quarter, the program typically raises $350–$900 per recipient.

Enviro Tokens are currently dedicated to local nonprofits fighting racial injustice.

Amy noted that there was concern about how COVID-19 might have a negative impact on both Enviro Tokens and shoppers’ preference for reusable bags over plastic or paper.

Instead, the program has fared well. Throughout the pandemic, people have continued using their own reusable bags and make virtual 5-cent donations. While the number of customers in the store has decreased, the average basket size has increased—so customers are packing more reusable bags in fewer shopping trips. bring your Last quarter, shoppers collectively your own raised $550 each for the Colonie Seown Bags nior Service Center’s Umbrella Program, Northeast Organic Farming Association, Whispering Willow Wildcare, Beyond Plastics, and a Place for Jazz. This quarter (July 1–Sept. 30, 2020), Enviro Tokens are dedicated to local nonprofits working to fight racial injustice. The following organizations are receiving donations through Sept. 30:

• Capital Area Against Mass Incarceration (CAAMI) is a local initiative working to “dismantle mass incarceration and the systems of oppression that sustain it” through community empowerment, engagement, and advocacy. CAAMI facilitates dialogues between community members to share ideas, spread awareness, and take action against mass incarceration and the injustices of our criminal justice system.

• Founded in 1981, the Albany Social Justice Center fights oppression by confronting its roots and structures, and propels progressive social change through strong community partnerships, support, and collective action. The Social Justice Center also provides space for community activists to meet and work.

• AVillage, Inc. is a community-led organization that empowers residents of Albany’s South End and beyond by fighting inequities at their roots, prioritizing marginalized voices, and reclaiming community spaces and resources. The organization’s work also includes advocating for environmental justice, building community gardens, and the weekly South End Night Market, which connects the South End neighborhood with locally grown healthy, affordable food and local Black-owned businesses.

• The Center for Law and Justice is an Albany-based civil rights organization that has been working toward a fair and equitable criminal justice system by providing criminal justice education, advocacy and policy analysis, and legal resources to low-income and under-resourced communities in the Capital Region for 35 years. The Center also helps previously incarcerated people and their families overcome the individual, social, and institutional barriers they face as they reenter their communities.

• Located in the South End, Youth FX works to advance race and gender equity in film, television, and media arts by providing hands-on education and creative opportunities to young people ages 10–24 residing in Albany’s historically underserved communities. Led by experienced media instructors and artists, Youth FX students explore the various aspects of film production (directing, editing, acting, scoring, screenwriting, etc.) and create documentaries and short films with a focus on visual storytelling and artistic expression. To learn more about the Enviro Tokens program and to see a full list of past recipients, please visit the Co-op’s website.

To nominate a local nonprofit organization to be a recipient of HWFC’s Enviro Tokens program, contact Outreach Coordinator Amy Ellis at amy@honestweight.coop or 518-482-COOP, ext. 128.