New year, new sustainability goals



Does your workplace have recycling and other waste reduction practices in place? Want to do more to reduce waste? Here are a few easy sustainability actions you can try:



1. Start by looking at the types of waste generated, energy and water use, and purchasing. Choosing a few areas to focus on can make an impact.
2. Involve coworkers, leadership and partners to build buy-in and identify opportunities. Use our Green Team guide to get started. 
3. Set a few goals. You can start with these examples:

• Get rid of single-use plastics by a certain date.
• Set computers to time out after 15 minutes of inactivity.
• Create a reuse space for staff to exchange items before buying new ones.

Contact us to help you start these goals and become a Green Business Leader in 2026! 

Green business tracker

The Green Business Leaders program has a new online tool called the Green Biz Tracker that helps businesses see their sustainable efforts in real-time. It’s easy to use and can create quick reports on your environmental impact. This allows you to make gradual changes that can lower operational costs, save resources and meet sustainability goals. Want to see a demo of the tool? Contact us to meet with one of our Green Business Advisors! 

Featured Green Business Leaders

Congratulations to these businesses that were recently certified through the Green Business Leaders program!

Cida earned their certification by using practices that include:

• Having a yearly canned food and clothing drive to support the local community.
• Being a COBID-certified women-owned business and promoting DEI by pledging to the Association of General Contractors’ Culture of Care.
• Onboarding new employees about waste reduction, recycling and commuting options. 

First Tech recertified by prioritizing simple but effective practices that include:

• Customizing a recycling guide for employees to use in the break room and cafeteria.
• Holding an annual sustainability event for their staff and partners.
• Partnering with Free Geek to donate computers and other technology.

Key Knife earned their certification by committing to reducing waste by:

• Using a third-party service to rewash PPE supplies, such as gloves.
• Using employee feedback to improve sustainable business practices and operations.
• Regularly checking HVAC and other energy-intensive equipment to keep them running efficiently.

Reduce food waste, save money!

Collecting food waste can show what’s being wasted. This can help improve planning for food prep, ordering, reduce staff time and lower costs.

Embassy Suites Hotel in Tigard, OR found that separating food scraps helped reduce food waste and save thousands of dollars a month by:

• Collecting food scraps separately from trash.
• Auditing food waste to see what could have been prevented.
• Reducing the size of the buffet plate from 10 to eight inches. This change cuts customer food waste by 50%.
• Using the same ingredients in several entrees.

Visit FoodWasteStopsWithMe.org to learn more.

Recruit a sustainability intern

Do you want to improve your business's efficiency, save money and reduce waste? Oregon State University can help you find an intern through the OASIS internship program. Work with an intern for 11 weeks to find new ideas and effective solutions. Apply by February 21. 

Save the dates!

We have two events coming up you won’t want to miss.

• PPRC Pollution Prevention presentation February 3. Register here!
• Green Business Leaders Earth Day event on April 22. Registration and program details will be available soon!