One of the core values of coworking is sustainability. Coworking helps individuals sustain their enthusiasm, their business growth, and in some cases, their sanity. Coworking communities can help to sustain the larger public community too, in ways both big and small. One of the ways that Cohere Coworking helps to sustain the larger community is by reducing or eliminating waste, a goal that we share with the city of Fort Collins. New Belgium Brewing has partnered with Imperfect Foods to create a beer from perfectly good citrus fruits that were deemed too ugly to be sold in the grocery stores, and the Buy Nothing Facebook Groups in Fort Collins are a wonderful way to turn your gently used items into someone else’s treasure.
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The amount of waste created by people in this country is staggering. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 292.4 million tons of municipal solid waste was generated in 2018, an amount that works out to approximately 4.9 pounds of waste generated per person each day. Citizens and businesses in Fort Collins and surrounding areas have developed several creative ways to help reduce those numbers.
Here are a few of our favorites:
Vindeket Foods
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, between 30 and 40 percent of the country’s food supply is wasted. This increases the amount of waste in our landfills, the amount of food insecurity experienced by our citizens, and the cost of the remaining food. Nonprofit food rescue Vindeket Foods, founded in 2017 by Nathan Shaw, seeks to change that equation, at least on a local level.
This volunteer-run market partners with local grocery stores, restaurants, and farms to redistribute good food that would otherwise end up in a landfill to people who will use it. Vindeket is supported entirely by donations and does not charge for the food found in its market.
To reduce costs, Vindeket has limited hours and is run by volunteers. You can visit their market at 1317 Webster Ave on Sundays between noon and 3 pm, on Tuesdays from 2 pm to 7 pm, and on Thursdays from 9 am to 1 pm.
Hygge Habit Refill Bar
Many everyday products—shampoo and conditioners, hand soaps, cleaning products—are typically packaged in single-use plastic containers. Conscientious consumers recycle their plastic containers, but only a small portion of that plastic is effectively recycled, with most of it ending up downcycled or lost in the process.
The Refill Bar offers several of these everyday products in bulk or dehydrated form that customers take home in their own reclaimed containers. Products are priced by the ounce, ranging from $.38/oz for dish soap to $9 an ounce for a hyaluronic acid serum with aloe, and feature products by companies that use natural, organic, and pronounceable ingredients. A full refill bar can be found inside Dandelions and Rust at 119 West Oak Street in Old Town Fort Collins, and a mini refill station is situated inside The Fox Den: No Waste Café & Roastery.
The Fox Den: No Waste Café & Roastery
This unique café, housed in a former laundromat on Laporte Avenue, opened its doors in March of 2022. Founder Patricia Acheson had wanted to open a zero-waste coffee shop for years, and when she peered in the front windows of the empty storefront she saw potential. The concrete and metal interior was transformed into a cozy and colorful space and the café quickly became a favorite spot for many wishing to enjoy a tasty beverage and a snack.
You won’t find any cardboard cups, plastic spoons, or paper sleeves here though. The Fox Den is committed to reducing waste. All of its furniture and décor are reclaimed and when customers purchase coffee or tea, they are offered the option to either bring in their own cup or mug, to choose a mug from the wall to use at the shop, or pay a small deposit and use a to-go jar provided by the café.
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Penny Leigh Sebring is a Cohere member, experienced freelance writer, neophyte speculative fiction author, and gatherer of information and imaginary friends.