From: Ellen Rogalin, Clackamas County Department of Transportation & Development, 503-353-4274 or ellenro@co.clackamas.or.us
Date: 10-4-05
Media and Interested Parties
Beyond Recycling: Milwaukie’s OpenSourcery honored for innovative sustainability efforts
The employee team at Milwaukie-based software company OpenSourcery has something new to BRAG about this week. The Clackamas County Recycling Partnership is presenting the 18-month-old company with a distinguished BRAG (Business Recycling Awards Group) Award membership certificate and recycled glass plaque in recognition of the company’s extraordinary commitment to recycling and waste prevention. The award presentation will be held Friday, October 7.
The Clackamas County Recycling Partnership is a cooperative of Clackamas County, local garbage and recycling companies; and the cities of Barlow, Canby, Damascus, Gladstone, Happy Valley, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Molalla, Oregon City, Sandy, West Linn and Wilsonville.
The partnership presents BRAG memberships to Clackamas County businesses that regularly recycle all appropriate materials; have at least six ongoing activities to prevent waste; consistently buy recycled products and demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement.
“OpenSourcery is a model for the community because it emphasizes sustainability in virtually everything it does,” said Sasha Pollack, who works with Clackamas County businesses on recycling and waste prevention.
Pollack noted some of the company’s activities, “Their office is a reclaimed home that they remodeled using sustainable ‘green’ building practices, they use PGE’s Green Source energy program, they harvest food and make compost on site, they use as little paper as possible, they donate excess equipment and they used gravel instead of asphalt in their parking lot to improve drainage.”
“Everyone benefits from sustainable practices,” said OpenSourcery CEO Brian Jamison. “It doesn’t cost any more than doing business in a traditional way – it is attainable.”
In addition to employing internal recycling practices such as using cloth towels, durable dishware; recycled paper and non-toxic ink; the company also encourages its employees to use public transit, ride bicycles and telecommute. In addition, the company is active in the environment of the community. OpenSourcery is working with the Johnson Creek Watershed Council on a plan to restore the creek bank. OpenSourcery has begun to remove blackberries in the area and replace them with native plants.
For more information, call OpenSourcery CEO Brian Jamison at 503-544-3558 or Sasha Pollack at 503-353-4456.