In September 2021, Green pages have awarded La Boite à Grains An eco-responsible distinction for the year 2021-2022. Our four stores obtain an eco -responsible rating of 73% which reward all of the actions implemented in order to reduce the ecological footprint of our company.

This includes all our initiatives in terms of local purchase, recycling, composting, community actions ... but of course the promotion of organic products, GMOs or even biodegradable.

Proud of this distinction, our team plans to redouble their efforts to improve our score in 2022-2023.

Several initiatives have been taken in recent years to limit our ecological impact. We continue in this direction, and wish to announce the end of the paper distribution of our circular from January 2021. This represents a saving of around 10,000 kg of paper each year (i.e. 132 trees saved)!

Do not panic, it will be very simple to consult our circular and follow our promotions. By going to our site www.laboiteagrains.com/circular And thanks to the Reebee application, you will have access to the digital version of our circular at any time.

2020

Energy improvements at the Saint-Joseph store

During the summer of 2020, renovation work at our branch of boulevard Saint-Joseph were carried out at the level of the facade, the roof and the electricity network, among others. Improvements that reduce the ecological footprint of the building.

• Replacement of old lights for energy -eaten lights.
• Redesign of the outdoor facade with eco -responsible materials (premises as far as possible) offering better energy consumption.
• Update of our itinerant library to protect breakage and bad weather.
• Improvements to the heating and air conditioning system for better energy performance.
• Reuse/recycling of old materials as far as possible.
• P. Ex. Reuse of lighting in partnership with 3R Quebec.

2019

Deletion of single -use plastic bags

In order to reduce our environmental footprint and encourage a healthy lifestyle, La Boite à Grains Gradually undertakes to eliminate plastic, starting with single -use plastic bags.

We give a second life to our cardboard boxes to pack your purchases: About 586,000 boxes are reused Each year before being recycled!

From the 1st^er January 2019, La Boite à Grains No longer offers single -use plastic bags.

From 1^er July 2018 to December 31, 2018, in order to make a gradual transition in the purchasing habits of our customers, we continued to offer plastic bags at a cost of $ 0.25 instead of $ 0.05.

The benefit generated by the sale of these bags was paid to the association Environment Educ-Action, a local organization whose mission is to promote eco -citizenship in order to contribute to the health of the environment and that of the citizens of the Outaouais. More specifically, this profit will allow Environment Educ-Action to provide chanders to volunteers and the rest of the team members.

The ban on plastic bags

In Canada,18 cities To date have prohibited plastic bags. Since the start of 2018, a dozen Canadian cities have been joined in the movement. In particular Montreal which made a lot of noise on this subject. Indeed, the city has pushed the ban further since even the biodegradable bags are banished. You should know that the use of these bags is just as problematic.

«These bags are made with plastic and starch. Starch gets eaten, but all the little bits of plastic will remain 400 years.»

In order to cite another example, there is Portland, in the northwest of the United States, whose ban has made it possible to reduce the quantity of bags by more than 300% and increase the use of bags of paper almost 500%.

On the other hand, other cities such as Gatineau and Vancouver, only think of it for the moment.

Why choose to prohibit single -use plastic bags?

We might have been able to choose an alternative to plastic bags and replace it with another bag so-called "less worse" for the environment. However, opting for half measures is not part of our optics. Therefore, we have chosen to ban hoping to show an example to our citizens and have a more considerable impact.

What plastic bags are eliminated to La Boite à Grains?

Plastic bags with a thickness of less than 50 microns, the traditional shopping bags, are eliminated.

Bags that degrade to heat (oxodegradable, oxofragmentable and biodegradable) are alsoeliminated, whatever their thickness.

For hygienic reasons, the use of small plastic bags is allowed to pack the fruits and vegetables. It is also possible to bring your own reusable fruit and vegetable bags to store.

Other actions for the environment

Do you provide bulk products options?

La Boite à Grains The pleasure is to announce the arrival of loose food in its establishments.As of today we offer more than 125 options for organic products in bulk! And even more to come soon. Bring your own containers, or get Mason jars!

We will soon have bulk bags in reusable fabrics.

Did you know that when it opened in 1980, La Boite à Grains offered a variety of loose foods? It goes without saying that its founders already predicted the minimalist and natural turning point that we are living today, 38 years later.

The advantages of the bulk are numerous:

• Control of our quantities: indeed, it is not because we try a new recipe that we necessarily want to buy 1 kilo of the product! Bulk allows you to choose;
• The opportunity to try new foods, such as varied nuts, chocolate candies or sweet fruits. Bulk allows you to spoil;
• The chance to take one more step towards the zero waste strategy: it goes without saying that it is increasingly important to worry about the well-being of our planet. Bulk helps limit pollution. Don't forget to bring your own containers!

Available in all our stores.

What is an electrobac?

La Boite à Grains continues its durability objectives with the implementation of an electronic devices recovery program.

La Boite à Grains is proud to announce the establishment of an electrobac tray which will allow you now to deposit your obsolete or non -functional electronic devices. Being an official point of deposit of ARPE-Québec, we ensure that all the electronic products collected will be sent to approved companies, in accordance with the standards in force in Canada, to be recycled in a safe, safe and ecological manner.

We have a bac at our store in the Plateau and one at our freezing store.

The tank recovers a very wide variety of small electronics, namely mobile phones, chargers of all kinds, cameras, MP3 players, ink cartridges, peripherals and more. To see the full list, please refer to www.electrobac.com.

And the complete elimination of plastic?

La Boite à Grains aims to reduce its environmental footprint as much as possible without reducing the services offered. To do this, we decided that this project would be the first of a long line. We hope that this decision will resonate in the minds of citizens and traders. Everyone has a role and we have to engage in any way.

In addition, for our deliveries via electronic commerce we change our packaging for 100% recyclable and compostable packaging (0 plastic, including the adhesive tape). We are in the process of evaluating alternatives to plastic packaging for fruits and vegetables in our stores and we work with our suppliers in order to avoid plastic packaging as much as possible.

We are well aware that as a business, we have a responsibility and a great impact on the environment, and we want to reassure you that the transition process to a greener health supermarket is in progress.

Find out how to reduce your ecological footprint here!

Find out how to recycle your small electronic devices in our stores, here!