I’ve always thought of warehouse club stores as having at least one “green” advantage over typical grocers: by offering bulk quantities, they cut down on packaging, and maybe even trips to the store.
But when I recently noticed dozens of blogs were plugging Costco’s award for the most “Sustainable Grocer of the Year,” it sounded like a new reason to shop there. Then again, when I actually checked into the award, it left me wondering whether it was really any better than the competition.
Next I decided to take a quick spin through Costco’s Web site, searching out two of the main reasons it was chosen for the award—organic products and electronics recycling. I found everything from organic tea to organic towels, along with the details of their electronics trade-in program. But then for comparison’s sake, I decided to check out one of Costco’s competitors, Sam’s Club, too. Similarly, I found a bunch of organic products, and an electronics trade-in program too.
So while I discovered that Costco is in fact taking some green steps, whether it’s really the most sustainable grocer seems like anybody’s guess, since there’s no definition for what “sustainable” really means anyway.
What we do know is that it can pay to join either warehouse club. Check out the Stock Up & Save story in our November archives, and compare savings on napkins, snacks, and more between Costco, Sam’s Club and other retailers.
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