1Change 
What Are We Doing?
You, our member-owners have told us that climate action is a real priority, and you want to be able to work with us to understand what you can do, what we can do and what we can all do together to take action on Climate Change. In response, we launched our “1Change” campaign.
Our 1Change programme focuses on working with you, our members, colleagues and communities to drive transformational change to support climate action. Many of the over 1,000 ‘1Change’ pledges made by our members were around re-using waste plastics in some way. Members created 'eco-bricks', which were used by one of our community partners, Fairy Tale Farm in Oxfordshire, to build animal houses. That simple example helped educate local school children, as well as their parents, of practical uses of waste plastic rather than disposal.
We also host regular community tidy-ups with members and colleagues in each of our regional communities. Find out how you can get involved by clicking here.
You told us the ‘1Change’ you would like Midcounties to make is to take climate action. We used that feedback to shape our environmental commitments. This has resulted in a range of positive impacts including reducing over 2 tonnes of plastic from our operations per year, and replacing single-use plastic carrier bags with compostable bags across all of our Food Stores, reducing 8 million plastic bags per year.
Our Achievements So Far
Our Climate Action Report 2021
You can find out more about our climate action strategy, achievements so far and examples of how we're making a difference in our local communities, in our Climate Action Report 2021 by clicking the button below...
Meet Cal Major, Our Environmental Ambassador
As the founder of Seaful, environmentalist Cal Major has seen the damage caused by single-use plastics first-hand. Now she’s teaming up with us to spread the word about plastic pollution and share the things we can all be doing to tackle the problem.
Cal's #PaddleAgainstPlastic Expedition 2020
Our Environmental Ambassador, Cal Major, has just completed her expedition across the River Severn, exploring the course of plastic from source to sea, and the relationship between our lives inland and the oceans, and we want to engage you, our members, about her journey.
Cal's aim was to connect the dots between the plastic used on land and that in the ocean through education, and to consequently empower small changes in behaviour to positively affect the marine litter crisis, reconnecting people to the nature on our doorsteps.
Rivers provide a perfect opportunity to do all of these - demonstrating our link between actions on land and impacts in the oceans, via the nature superhighways flowing through our country to the ocean.
From the 9th September, Cal followed the River Severn from its source in the Welsh hills, through 3 counties, to the sea.
The River Severn is the longest river in the UK at 354km, and it flows through Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, and the cities of Shrewsbury, Worcester and Gloucester.
Cal used her Stand-Up Paddle Board to navigate the route and help tackle litter on the way.
Watch Cal's Expedition Film
Watch the short film below following Cal's expedition along the River Severn from its first navigable point on the Welsh/English border out to sea, through Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking here.
How Can You Make a Difference?
Every small change we make as individuals can make a big difference in helping to reduce our impact on the environment as a whole!
Here's our 10 top tips to help you make a difference in your day-to-day life...
- Swap everyday essentials and more for Fairtrade alternatives
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Use compostable bags for your shopping, now available in all Your Co-op Food stores
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Rather than driving, walk or cycle where you can
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Join us for a litter pick to help clean up your local community
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Switch to the world's most ethical smartphone- the Fairphone
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Buy local produce with a low carbon footprint from your local Your Co-op Food store
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Reduce the amount of waste you produce by only buying what you intend to use
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Reuse something to last longer like bottles, containers, straws or glass jars
What's Next...
Our 1Change programme will be a catalyst to further engage our members and communities in helping to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals by driving behaviours around issues such as climate action, responsible consumption, and helping to build sustainable communities.