Sustainability and Us!
Our Initiatives & Programs
Westpoint Principles
• We are strongly committed to the quality of our products and to the customer service we provide.
• It is our view that all business should be conducted with respect and kindness towards all.
• Westpoint believes in equal opportunity and values a diverse environment.
• We recognize the need to incorporate more sustainable practices and we want sustainability to become deep-rooted in our company culture.
Local Economy
• Westpoint Naturals is a women-owned and run company. We are so proud to work with many amazing women on our management team here!
• We know the importance of having women in business but also the importance of women in all sectors. Being in Vancouver makes us so lucky to be able to work with so many women-run businesses like Nada, Jarr Grocery Delivery, Kind Cafe, Roberts Creek Wellbeing, and Livlite.
• Our warehouse is located in South Vancouver; major routes have bike lanes and it is within walking distance to Canada Line, giving our team options to easily commute to work.
• Our process is not automated! All of the products are sorted, packaged, and labeled by hand. Machines could certainly do it faster, but we have a chance to do it with great care. This means that we are able to create more local jobs, protect each item from cross-contamination, and reduce our food waste as well as our carbon footprint.
• We also love getting involved with the local community. We actively participate and donate to different organizations that inspire us. Please contact us for a full list of organizations we have contributed to.
Organic Ingredients
• We source many ingredients from different countries all over the world to bring variety, quality, and freshness to our customers.
• Westpoint Naturals is certified Organic by Pro-Cert and, whenever possible, we’ll strive to source ingredients that are certified Organic.
• Canada’s organic standards place strict limits and prohibitions on the use of toxic and persistent pesticides; synthetic fertilizers; the routine use of drugs, antibiotics or synthetic hormones; animal cloning; genetic engineering (“GMOs”); sewage sludge (“biosolids”); and irradiation. Organic also refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed, using environmentally and animal-friendly farming methods.
• Buying organic means you are supporting more natural farming practices, such as:
- Rotation of crops to balance nutrients in the soil, as well as discourage pests;
- Compost and use of ”green” manures to add nitrogen and organic matter to the soil, keep weeds down and prevent drought and soil erosion;
- Use of beneficial insects or mechanical and manual methods to control pests and weeds;
- Ensuring animals have access to the outdoors.
Waste
• Individually handling and hand-packaging our products result not only in greater care for each item but also in less food waste. Damaged or rejected products are directed to our green bin and collected by Waste Control Services.
• In case there is a surplus of ingredients, we always reach out to local Food Banks,
• Westpoint’s labels are printed in house, based on-demand only. This allows for quick label changes and much less waste of materials.
Packaging
• To ensure that our products remain food safe and fresh, we use plastic bags that offer extra resistance and a superior oxygen barrier. They can be taken to a BC Recycle depot to be recycled.
• Our bulk paper bags can be reused or recycled. Recycling paper can reduce the number of trees that need to be harvested, requires less energy, uses less water, and creates less air pollution than paper production from virgin materials.
• Paper bags also make good composting ingredients. Make sure you shred them into smaller pieces before mixing them into the compost pile. Also, please remove any labels as they are not compostable.
• Another idea would be using paper bags for mulching. Mulching can serve a number of different gardening purposes, such as suppressing weed growth and aiding soil moisture retention.
To learn more about our sustainability initiatives, please contact info@westpointstg.wpenginepowered.com