Durango Natural Foods Co-op was the named the 2014 Green Business of the Year last week at the Green Business Roundtable.

The co-op joins former recipients such as Zia Taqueria, the DoubleTree Hotel, Linda’s Local Foods Café, Shaw Solar and Carver Brewing Co.

General manager Brian Gaddy accepted the award on behalf of Durango Natural Foods’ board and members.

The store says it does things both large and small to be an environmentally sustainable business, including:

Purchasing only unbleached paper with 100 percent post-consumer waste content for use in office printers.

Purchasing enough wind-generated power through La Plata Electric Association’s 100 Percent Club to offset more than 100 percent of the electricity the co-op uses.

Switching all of its lighting to compact fluorescent bulbs, and, as they burn out, replacing them with light-emitting diode bulbs.

Using only volatile-organic-compounds-free paints in the store.

The store also buys 20 percent to 50 percent of its produce during the growing season from local farmers, and while many are not certified organic, they follow sustainability and organic-growing practices.

For many years, the award was been given during the Durango Chamber of Commerce annual awards ceremony. Durango Natural Foods was the third business to receive the award at the roundtable’s monthly luncheon. To learn more about Durango Natural Foods’ sustainability practices, visit http://durangonaturalfoods.coop/community/sustainability.

To learn more about the Green Business Roundtable, call the San Juan Citizens Alliance at 259-3583.

abutler@durangoherald.com

This story was updated to reflect that Durango Natural Foods was the third business to receive the Green Business Leader Award at the Green Business Roundtable’s monthly luncheon.