Sustainability Initiatives

The Freshwater Trust is proud to be “Gold Certified” by the city of Portland’s Sustainability at Work program. To earn that certification, we’ve committed to the following initiatives:

• Incentives provided to staff using public transportation.
• Secure bicycle storage and changing rooms provided. Employees also compete in the annual BTA Bike Commute Challenge.
• Bottled water has been removed and replaced with filtered tap water.
• Low water flow kitchen and bathroom fixtures have been installed.
• Durable dishware is used to the maximum extent possible.
• A Green Team regularly works to improve sustainability throughout the organization and to communicate sustainable practices to the staff.
• Office designed to maximize natural light and desks constructed with reclaimed building materials.
• Employees use laptops that are over 50% more energy efficient than desktop computers.
• A Sustainability Policy guides the decision-making process for purchases and other actions.
• All electronic equipment, toners and batteries are recycled.
• Teleconference and video conference meetings are used when possible to reduce the amount of travel. Meetings often use electronic solutions to minimize the need for printouts.
• A thorough invasive species policy is followed by employees and contractors in order to prevent the spread of noxious plant species on restoration sites.