Sustainable business practices & food waste reduction are topics we care deeply about, and these have been ongoing initiatives of the Root Cellar that we have championed since the day we opened.

In addition to our 7 tier recycling & compost program which ensures that less than 2% of the produce we buy hits the compost, we implement the newest sustainable packaging materials available wherever possible – find cornstarch trays in our produce department, compostable packaging holds our deli salads and sandwiches in addition to compostable grab and go coffee cups, cutlery and more, our shopping bags are paper, and our jute shopping totes are also compostable. We strongly encourage the use of both our gently used produce boxes and our reusable shopping bags, and offer an extensive line of options to our customers. Working with our local Saanich farmers, we also provide these farmer friends with gently used produce boxes for them to use in packing and transport of their just picked produce.

The recent installation of a solar farm on our rooftop at McKenzie Corner allows us to take our contributions to the next level whilst significantly reducing our carbon footprint, and the 2021 build of our second location at Oxford Corner in Cook Street Village saw us implementing the very latest energy saving technologies into our new city store.

Community is a cornerstone of The Root Cellar’s business model. Amongst countless weekly donations to charitable community programs and events, we also work very closely in partnership with both The Rainbow Kitchen and the Food Rescue Project, organizations which share a similar vision to our own; a community without food insecurity, where all have access to good fresh food.

We believe that cultivating a strong appreciation for fresh food and sustainable agriculture in the community is our responsibility as business owners. We take every opportunity to speak with school children, university student and community groups about sustainable choices and local food systems – including the impact that buying locally has on a community.