This Earth Day (April 22), we’re launching a green initiative that’ll be a game changer (and a no-brainer!) for us and our customers. In order to reduce the number of paper bags we’re using (and the trees we’re destroying in the process), we’re committing 100% to a Bring Your Own Bag (B.Y.O.B.) policy at Rising Tide Market.

Here’s how it works: While we’ve always rewarded customers for bringing in reusable bags, now we will ask you if you would like that reward ($.10/bag) to be donated to a local charity instead.

In addition, for every paper grocery bag we give out, we will CHARGE $.10, which will—you guessed it—be donated to a local charity as well. The charity will change every month and will be clearly posted above the registers for you to read all about.

In 2016, we gave out 101,000 paper grocery bags. Through this B.Y.O.B. initiative, we’re hoping to cut that number in HALF in 2017! (To help the cause we’re also selling our reusable Rising Tide grocery bags AT COST: 2 for $3.)

This eco-partnership with our customers is a win-win: our customers develop new, greener, planet-saving habits around grocery shopping (B.Y.O.B.!), and we give a hand to the folks living in our community that need it the most. The first charity we will contribute to is the North Shore INN, a nonprofit, volunteer-based soup kitchen formed in 1989 to feed hungry people living in the Glen Cove area.

If you have any questions about this program, feel free to ask any staff member. Thanks, as always, for your support! We know you’ll help make this initiate a great success!