Key Knife wins award

left from right -- front row: Tiera Babcock, Shawna Bergeron and Chi Nelson; back row: Jim Townsend.

Tualatin-based Key Knife, a manufacturer for the global wood products industry, has been awarded the Recycle at Work Award by Washington County.

Not only does Key Knife excel at recycling -- including fluorescent tubes and ballasts, Styrofoam and ink cartridges -- the company has also established practices to reduce and prevent waste. For example, Key Knife sends by-product metals to Sanvik Coromat, which reuses the materials in its manufacturing process. It also established a drop-off option for reuse of office supplies, which are redistributed to local non-profit Schoolhouse Supplies. Additionally, it regularly reuses packaging and packaging material. Further, the company has its nitrile work gloves cleaned by Cintas for reuse.

Other sustainable efforts include:

• Purchasing Fair Trade goods, such as coffee, and office supplies with 30-percent recycled content.
• Using green caterers for employee events.
  
• Participating in energy audits provided by Energy Trust of Oregon.
• Holding an annual sustainability and wellness fair for employees.

Next steps for Key Knife include creating a corporate green products procurement policy and building an employee vegetable garden. Key Knife exemplifies business sustainability.