Sunset Foods Customers Help District 112 by Helping the Environment

A partnership that encourages patrons of to shop with reusable grocery bags and raises money for North Shore School District 112 schools has proven to be a great success. 

Since the program began 10 months ago, Sunset customers have brought in more than 53,000 reusable bags to carry home their groceries, and at the same time have generated more than $2,600 for the district.

Under the program, called High Five for the Future, Sunset Foods donates a nickel for every reusable bag used by a customer. “We greatly appreciate the ongoing community partnership we have with Sunset Foods, and are pleased that it is going into its second year,” said North Shore School District 112 Superintendent Dr. David L. Behlow. “They have been a wonderful partner with our schools and a good citizen of Highland Park. Sunset Foods has regularly proven how much they care about our children, our community and the environment.”

Sunset Foods has a long history of encouraging reusable bags, and has been offering them for at least 20 years, said company President and CEO John Cortesi, who was a member of the Lake County-based Illinois Plastic Bag Recycling Task Force.  Cortesi thinks if “we teach the young people, our children, to recycle, they will grow up knowing the right thing to do and impact the environment drastically.”

The partnership began last November 1. For each reusable bag used by a customer, the checkout cashier credits a nickel to the district.  Customers don’t need to request that the donation be made.  Funds raised by the program go towards supporting environmental education programs at district schools.  Some of the projects it has helped fund include a worm-composting bin at Oak Terrace School, a rain garden at Elm Place Middle School, waste-free lunch days at Red Oak  School, and butterfly gardens at Ravinia School and the Green Bay Early Childhood Center.  

By tying reusable bag use to environmental school initiatives, “it’s a win-win situation,” Cortesi said. “If we teach and educate the younger kids about the environment, we will create a bigger impact.  This is a great program.”