This article appears as part of Hawthorne Valley's 2024 Annual Impact Report: The Biodiversity Edition. We invite you to explore the full report and learn more about our work to renew soil, society, and self through the integration of education, agriculture, and the arts here.
Hawthorne Valley Farm Store had a highly successful and transformative year in 2024, furthering our commitment to environmental stewardship through several impactful initiatives aimed at reducing waste and promoting sustainability.
One of the year’s most significant achievements was the implementation of our new composting procedure. Partnering with our local waste management facility and their bio-digester, we were able to divert 800 pounds of organic waste from the landfill each week. This initiative not only helped reduce our environmental footprint but also contributed to improved soil health across the community. By turning organic waste into a valuable resource for fields and gardens, this system has been a vital step in closing the loop on food waste.
We also launched a community collection program for alkaline batteries, recognizing the harmful impact improper disposal can have on the environment. This program enables local residents to recycle used batteries responsibly, preventing toxic materials from entering landfills and waterways. With growing participation, this initiative reflects our role as a community hub for sustainable living, allowing residents to make small but meaningful environmental contributions.
In our efforts to reduce plastic waste, we installed a new water refill station. By offering this service, we’ve been able to eliminate the use of approximately 4,000 single-use plastic bottles this year alone. This initiative encourages our customers and Hawthorne Valley staff to embrace reusable options and aligns with our larger goal of reducing single-use plastics.
Furthermore, we began our efforts to move away from offering single-use flatware in our facilities, continuing our push to minimize plastic waste. This change not only reduces the amount of plastic in our waste stream but also fosters a culture of mindfulness around consumption and reuse.
These initiatives illustrate our unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship and our belief in the power of small, consistent actions to create significant, positive change.
Looking ahead, we are eager to build on the momentum we’ve established. Our goals for the coming year include eliminating more single-use plastics and further developing our food waste management plan on campus, as we continue our journey towards net positivity and environmental responsibility.
by Jeremy Laurange, Director of Retail Operations
