Environment
Mollie Stone's has always maintained an unflinching commitment to our local communities. That is why we go to great lengths in our community service - and to protect the environment we live in.
Highway Cleanup
Mollie Stone's has helped keep your Bay Area highways clean for more than 10 years. With the help of our employees and loyal customers, we regularly organize cleanups to remove from our two adopted highway sections: I-280 South in Burlingame/San Bruno and US-101 South in Sausalito.
Preserving the Environment
In recognizing that businesses should take the lead in the protection of our environment, Mollie Stone's is passionately committed to recycling and reducing waste. "Diversion" refers to the concept of diverting waste from the trash flow and allows us to redirect incredible amounts of usable products. We reuse our pallets with a return program from our stores, as well as recycle over 400 produce pallets each week. Our produce distribution center has a recycling program, and all of our stores are set up to recycle all plastic wrap used in the transportation of goods. We also have turned our compactors into composters, placing all compostable products (anything that was living) in the largest trash receptacle and returning this to landfills that create usable compost. With the remainder of waste at store level, we recycle plastic and glass - leaving the least amount of products for the actual trash.
Cardboard - 18 tons per week recycled
18 tons per week = 936 tons per year = a staggering 1,872,000 lbs per year. Nearly 2 million pounds of cardboard recycled annually - now that has impact!
Plastic - 1 ton per month recycled
Plastic is a very light material and requires large volumes to produce measurable weight. One ton of plastic, prior to compacting, will fill the trailer of a 44-foot semi. Now picture the fact that we remove 12 tractor trailer loads of plastic from the trash stream annually!
Mixed Paper - ¾ ton per month recycled
What we've done is transform the normal use of a compactor into a compactor for organic matter only. Most companies throw all their waste into the compactor, from plastic pickle jars to organic matter such as lettuce, tomatoes and spoiled fruit. We use ours strictly for compost materials, which are basically anything derived from a plant or animal. From the remaining waste, we separate and recycle plastic, glass and cans.
Finally, we throw away what we can't reuse or recycle. Imagine if all businesses were to divert 73% of waste!
Mollie's Reusable Bags
Mollie Stone's encourages customers to bring their own reusable bags when shopping with us. We offer Mollie's reusable bags that are available now in all stores for only $1 each!
For those of you who live in communities that no longer allow single-use, thin plastic bags, we offer a second alternative to paper when you have forgotten your own bag. Roplast bags, known as "Paper Bag Rehab", are thick, plastic bags that are legal because they are reusable, and therefore meet the requirements stated in state and local law. They are made entirely of recycled content so no new materials are used, and are produced in California thus reducing travel time and carbon footprints.
Awards
Mollie Stone's has won numerous awards recognizing our commitment to the environment, including Business of the Year from the Marin Economic Commission and the "Leaf Award" from Greenopia for making significant progress on the green continuum.