Did You Know: The Custom Bin Option

"Did You Know" is our series of blog posts about Green Earth Organics: how it works, how you can do more with your account, etc.

At Green Earth Organics, we want to make it easy and convenient for people to eat organic food. We started with pre-designed organic fruit and vegetable bins, allowing up to four substitutions so people could take out things they didn't want or need. Shortly after, we started adding grocery items to our website. First, we added things like milk, eggs, rice, and other staple items. Then, we added popular local and organic brands like Nature's Path cereals, Ethical Bean coffees, and Happy Planet juices. Our grocery list continues to expand all the time, as new items become available from our suppliers and as members request products.

As we grew, we found that the pre-designed bin system didn't work for everyone. Some people wanted to buy more groceries and fewer fruits and vegetables; some people had very particular produce needs, such as needing seven apples every week, that were hard to accomplish using just the substitution system; and some people just wanted maximum flexibility with their bins, to make it more like shopping at a store. To make all those things possible, we launched the Custom Bin. With a minimum order equivalent to our most popular bin size, the Custom Bin is completely different from our other bins. It starts with a completely empty bin: no bin contents at all, unless you have created a standing order (for more information about standing orders, check out Did You Know: The Standing Order System). To add items to your bin, you just log in and click "Add to Bin" under anything you would like to order. You can view your bin at any time up until 9 AM the day before your delivery to change the quantities, remove any items you change your mind about, and check your order total.

If you would like to try our Custom Bin at any time, or if you would like to switch to a different size of our pre-designed bins, just give us a call or email us at info@greenearthorganics.com. And please let us know if there's an organic product you would like to be able to add to your bin; we are always looking for new ways to expand our grocery offerings and to make your life easier, at least in terms of getting healthy organic food into your kitchen conveniently. Thank you for being a member of Green Earth Organics!

Gentle Reminders about Bins & Bottles

The cherry blossoms are everywhere, daffodils are up, and the unlucky amongst us with hay-fever have started sniffling with the beginnings of seasonal allergies - spring is arriving in Vancouver, whether we are ready or not.

As the weather gets warmer, Green Earth Organics' delivery drivers and warehouse staff really begin to notice if food is left in the bins or if the milk bottles aren't washed, as the resulting smell in the warm vans is unpleasant. We do wash every bin before it is packed with fresh food and sent back out, but leaving unwanted produce in the bin can result in bad smells and mold getting into the plastic, and we have to discard those bins even if they are still structurally sound. To minimize waste, please remove everything from your bin when you receive it. If an item is unwanted or if you have a concern about any of your bin contents, please drop us a phone call (604-708-2345) or an email (info@greenearthorganics.com).

We would also like to remind our members who buy Avalon Dairy milk from us that all bottles must be thoroughly cleaned and returned without lids. The plastic caps can be recycled in your blue bin; please do not leave the caps on your bottles when you return them. Avalon will not refund our bottle deposits if we return unwashed bottles to them, so we will not refund deposits for dirty or lidded bottles returned to us.

Thank you so much for being a part of Green Earth Organics, and for helping us run the most efficient and clean service possible. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.