BRING Rethink Business Program

10/15/2026

Join the BRING Rethink Business team at Innovator Certified Green Business Drop Bear Brewing on Thursday, October 22nd, for the Recycling Right event.
The Recycling Modernization Act has updated what and how we can recycle. Get the latest information, ask questions about recycling, participate in a demo, or just enjoy a b**r with your local community!

10/14/2026

Certification Highlight: The UPS Store - Junction City

The UPS Store in Junction City is an independently owned and operated small business in Lane County. They recently recertified their Rethink Business Certification at the Ambassador level. The owner, who also operates the Springfield location, is focused on practicing energy conservation, following Oregon's new recycling guidelines, and minimizing waste wherever possible.

09/30/2026

Stop by Saturday, Oct. 3 at noon for the first Im(Perfect) Food Faceoff at the Eugene Farmers Market Pavilion (85 8th Ave., Eugene).

This fast-paced, 20-minute cooking competition will put two local chefs (from Sunriver Brewing Co.- Oakway Pub and Seasoned by Chefs Garrett & Felicia) to the test using imperfect foods sourced from Lane County Farmers Market vendors. Watch as they race the clock to transform perfectly good—but less-than-perfect—looking ingredients into mouthwatering dishes, proving that great food doesn’t have to look perfect. Attendees can enjoy tasty samples and practical tips to reduce food waste.

The event will be livestreamed online via the Waste Wise Lane County page, and James Beard semifinalist Isaiah Martinez—chef and co-owner of Yardy Eugene—will emcee the event.

Food Waste Prevention Week

09/24/2026

Another great conference in the books for our Rethink Business team! P2 West brings together pollution prevention professionals from across the country to share ideas, learn from EPA Regions 8, 9, and 10, and explore practical strategies for helping businesses reduce waste, reduce toxics, conserve resources, and operate more sustainably.

Our team is coming home plenty of inspiration to bring back to Lane County businesses and communities we serve! Thanks to Pollution Prevention Resource Center, Nevada Business Environmental Program, and EPA , for this opportunity to share and connect.

09/16/2026

⭐️Certification Highlight: Oregon Paddle Sports

Oregon Paddle Sports, an outdoor recreation business in Eugene, has earned Ambassador-level Rethink Business Certification by adopting smarter energy practices, responsible waste management, and everyday conservation efforts. They’ve introduced energy conservation training for employees, use power-management settings on computers and monitors, and make sure equipment is turned off when not in use. They’re also reducing waste through two-sided printing, clearly labeled recycling bins, electronics recycling, and dedicated collection for CFL bulbs and lithium/rechargeable batteries. Oregon Paddle Sports shows how sustainability can become part of everyday business operations!

09/15/2026

✨Intern Highlight: Lindsay Schauer

My position at BRING has involved a few separate projects, but my main goal has been to assist Rosen Aviation, a local avionics company, in finding ways to reduce their environmental footprint. Rosen Aviation has been a certified green business with BRING’s Rethink Business certification program since 2022 and was recognized as an innovator in green business practices in 2026. One focus of my project with Rosen Aviation has been HVAC equipment recommendations; some days are spent researching refrigerant policies and global warming potentials, others are spent compiling data and making calls, and others are spent coming up with and drafting recommendations. My position is hybrid, which fits the flexibility and variety of responsibilities that come with these projects. However, my favorite days are when I get to make the trip to Eugene to work at BRING on-site! BRING’s Planet Improvement Center is an amazing site that combines so many sustainable strategies, practices, and materials. Being in-person at such a unique and character-filled office reminds me of the importance of my work– as they put it, you see where the wheels of BRING’s mission meet the road.

One thing that has surprised me about my internship experience this summer is just how welcoming and collaborative the sustainability space in Oregon is. Throughout college and preparing to graduate, you hear a lot about how competitive and intense the workforce can be, especially when entering a new field. But while the competition may exist, I have found that the local sustainability field is incredibly supportive. Nearly every person I have spoken to throughout this experience, whether they’re involved in the OASIS program or not, has been extremely welcoming and helpful. The shared mission of improving the planet we live on and taking care of our environment brings people together and fosters such a cooperative network of people, businesses, and organizations who are all there to support one another.

09/14/2026

⭐️Certification Highlight: Gilbert Street Market

Gilbert Street Market is a locally owned neighborhood market serving the Eugene community. Through the Rethink Business Program, Gilbert Street Market identified opportunities to improve the efficiency of its refrigeration systems, reduce energy costs, and lower its environmental impact.

Gilbert Street Market upgraded its refrigeration equipment with two new energy-efficient freezers using lower-impact refrigerant. They also completed maintenance on their walk-in cooler, including cleaning the evaporator and condenser coils and repairing a cooler door to prevent cold air from escaping. Together, these improvements are saving more than 19,000 kWh and $1,850 per year while reducing annual emissions by approximately 9.76 metric tons of CO₂e!

09/10/2026

✨Intern Highlight: Kira Johnson

I did not expect my favorite part of this internship to be how many strangers wanted to help me succeed.

This summer, I’ve been working with BRING to help pilot a sustainability platform for Oregon breweries, aimed at achieving measurable emissions and cost reductions while recognizing environmental leadership. This project has been especially fun because I get to work with Syona, another OASIS intern at the Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC), to develop a model that could eventually scale to breweries across the entire state.

My day-to-day work includes analyzing sustainability checklists and certification frameworks from brewery programs across the country to help develop a model best-fit for Oregon. I’ve also been connecting with the team behind BetterBev, a similar sustainability recognition program on the East Coast, to learn from their experience and adapt their design to the Pacific Northwest. Alongside this research, I have visited Gratitude Brewing and Claim 52 Brewery in Eugene, where I provide technical assistance by evaluating facility operations and developing pollution prevention recommendations tailored to each brewery.

The most surprising part has been how collaborative this project, and the field as a whole, has turned out to be. I’ve had the chance to engage with sustainability professionals and brewers across the country, and every single person has been welcoming and genuinely excited to teach a newcomer about their line of work. This openness has definitely reshaped how I think about progress in sustainability, as so much of it depends on people willing to share knowledge, compare notes, and build on each other’s efforts.

I am grateful to be part of a network of people working to create meaningful change across the state of Oregon, and I am excited to see how this project continues to grow long after the summer ends.

09/02/2026

ICYMI: Check out this coverage of one of our most recent Rethink success stories!

Three local convenience stores cut energy use and emissions through a pilot project led by the City of Eugene and BRING.

09/01/2026

We’re excited to share the results of a pilot project with the City of Eugene Government that helped three local convenience stores make much-needed improvements to their refrigeration systems.

With an initial $9,200 grant from the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, BRING’s Rethink Business team helped Tom’s Market, Gilbert Street Market and Corner Market and Deli tap into additional grants and EWEB utility rebates to make nearly $16,000 in improvements possible.

And those improvements will keep paying off: together, they’re projected to save about 40,000 kWh of electricity, 23.28 metric tons of CO₂e and nearly $4,000 in energy costs every year!