
Maryland-based MOM’s Organic Market made its first sale in 1987, when founder and CEO Scott Nash hand-delivered a box of organic produce to a customer in Rockville. While the company now has 17 stores across five states and 1,000 employees, its focus remains serving the community. MOM’s does so by offering a high volume of organic products, banning more than 100 ingredients from its shelves and prohibiting products that target children with licensed cartoon characters on the packaging. But one of the most impactful ways this retailer serves communities near and far is through countless eco-friendly initiatives.
“We’re always looking for ways to protect and restore the environment,” Nash says. “We inflate people’s tires. We recycle batteries. It’s never, ‘hey, we’re done.’ These are the things we’ll always work for until we’re dead.”
Here are three ways MOM’s raises the environmental bar:
Renewable energy. MOM’s considers environmental destruction and climate change the biggest challenges facing humankind today.
In February 2013, MOM’s installed solar panels at its Waldorf location, and in July 2016, its solar farm in Kingsville, Maryland, went live, offsetting 25 percent of the power used companywide. Additionally, the White Marsh store’s solar panels generate about 30 percent of that store’s energy usage. Any energy not generated by solar power is offset with wind power renewable energy credits.
Charitable partnerships. MOM’s donates more than $500,000 each year to environmental organizations.
Shopper support. MOM’s offers free recycling for hard-to-dispose-of items like cork, cellphones, household batteries, electronics and denim. Plus, it provides free composting to customers, encouraging them to seek out responsible ways to divert items from the landfill.
The other Retailer of the Year Best Community Project finalists are:
Tunie's
The Retailer of the Year winners were announced at Natural Products Expo East 2017.
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