Essex is now a Re:Think Certified Business

RE:think Business is a free, comprehensive program for Lane County businesses, offered by BRING and their partners: the City of Eugene, EWEB, and Lane County Waste Management. Once your business is enrolled, a trained Resource Conservation Advisor provides you with confidential advice and support on practical ways to trim waste and save money.

Essex has been committed to environmental stewardship since our founding in 1987. Our decision to go through the Re:Think certification process was motivated by our desire to continually improve our environmental practices. After a thorough review of our current practices by a BRING Recycling Advisor, a few modifications were required, including installing storm drain markers, switching out some cleaning supplies and ensuring that all copy paper we use is recycled.

More significant to us is how the certification process helped refocus our efforts and invigorate our commitment to continual improvement.

Certification is a step along a journey that began with the founding of our company. We continue to look for ways to improve our environmental practices. Currently we are updating our employee handbook so new staff understand that environmental stewardship is a core value here at Essex, and so that all staff have the information they need to be effective recyclers. Also this spring we will institute a worm composting program, and increase the amount of food we grow outside of our office for staff, passersby and the many birds that visit our birdfeeders and rest in our trees.

We'd like to thank BRING Recycling for creating this certification process, and we encourage other Lane County businesses to go down this path. This process helps highlight ways to improve your practices and invigorates a commitment toward continual improvement.