Submitted by Orcas Island Market.

At Orcas Island Market, two of the core guiding principles are to be community-centered and to be environmentally responsible. Island Market staff want to be proactive in helping the environment by reducing waste and have followed with interest the national trend in many communities toward charging for bags in grocery stores.

Starting on July 15, we decided to charge 25 cents per large paper bag used for customers’ groceries. The net proceeds from each bag sold will be donated to support critical needs within the Orcas Island community, through a partnership with the Orcas Island Community Foundation. We’re excited about this decision because it allows us to reduce our environmental impact while donating more to our community.

We will be publishing the critical needs we support each year in our “Island Market annual impact report” as well as on our website throughout the year. For more information, or to provide feedback on this program, visit www.orcasislandmarket.com/bags.