Central Oregon Locavore Nonprofit’s local marketplace has been hard at work building out its liquid bulk section! Bend’s Environmental Center, longtime partner of Locavore, graciously issued a grant in the pursuit of this bulk expansion as part of their Community Innovation Fund’s Rethink Waste Initiative. With these generous funds, Locavore has built a custom shelving unit made with repurposed wood to fit more bulk containers with new offerings. Customers shopping at Locavore can enjoy these quality products in quantities of their choosing without risking new plastics entering our landfills, soils and waterways.
This project accompanies Locavore’s Container Reuse Program, implemented in 2021 also accomplished in partnership with the Environmental Center. This project allowed Locavore to accept glass jar and plastic container donations from the community and wash and sanitize them to make available for customers to fill up on bulk foods and/or cleaning products. For a small deposit, customers can then return these containers, receive their deposit back, and put the container back into rotation once cleaned and sanitized. With this program, Locavore is able to eliminate single-use plastic tubs and divert approximately 600 plastic containers annually!
With the expansion of liquid bulk offerings along with repurposing containers for public use, Locavore strives to reduce the use of single-use plastics to ensure less breakdown into microplastics that end up in our soils. Locavore’s mission is to support local food and farmers, who inherently depend on optimal soil health to bring nutrient-dense food from farm to fork. Microplastics have the potential to weaken nutrient uptake and water retention in our soils. Water retention in soils is crucial everywhere, especially in Central Oregon given our overall dry, high desert climate and low levels of precipitation.
If you’d like to make a glass jar or container donation, please bring them as clean as possible with lids to Locavore’s marketplace located at 1841 NE Third St. in Bend. To inquire about bulk offerings, contact us at 541-633-7388. Locavore encourages its customers to shop in bulk not only to save themselves money and time, but to take a stand in reducing single-use plastics in our community!
About Central Oregon Locavore:
Central Oregon Locavore is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting local food, farmers, and sustainable practices. Through its local first marketplace, educational programs, and community events, Locavore promotes a healthier, resilient local food system in Central Oregon.
