BRING Rethink Business Program

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 PPRC, Nevada Business Environmental Program, and U.S. EPA, for this opportunity to share and connect.

⭐️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!

✨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.

⭐️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!

✨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.

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

Small Eugene stores save big with refrigeration overhaul Three local convenience stores cut energy use and emissions through a pilot project led by the City of Eugene and BRING.

Certification Highlight: Brigadoon Wine Co. 🍷

Nestled in the coastal foothills outside Junction City, family-owned Brigadoon Wine Co. has long incorporated thoughtful stewardship into how they grow grapes and make wine. Now, they’ve earned Innovator-level Rethink Business Certification!

Through the Rethink Business program, Brigadoon identified opportunities to make its winemaking operations even more efficient. With support from a $1,000 GBENN x Intuit Green Business Grant, the winery serviced its glycol chiller. This essential piece of equipment is used to control temperatures during fermentation, and will improve performance, reduce leaks, save energy, and help protect each vintage from equipment failure.

They also added exterior window screens to keep their tasting room cooler during the summer while preserving its beautiful vineyard views, reducing the demand on their air conditioning system.

And the sustainability efforts don’t stop there. Brigadoon is incorporating Revino reusable wine bottles into production and will serve as a Revino drop site, helping build a more circular system for wine packaging right here in Oregon. Cheers to Brigadoon Wine Co. for showing how sustainability can support great wine, resilient operations, and care for the land.

Green Business Tip: Old electronics should be donated or recycled responsibly (via NextStep Recycling), not thrown away.

Properly disposing of electronics helps keep hazardous materials out of landfills and allows valuable parts and materials to be recovered for reuse. Whether it’s an old monitor, computer, charger, or printer, creating convenient options for electronics recycling can strengthen waste diversion efforts in any workplace.

⭐️Certification Highlight: PLAY Eugene

PLAY Eugene is all about bringing people together, with food carts, drinks, games, and activities for all ages—and they’re bringing sustainability into the mix, too! Through the Rethink Business program, PLAY took a closer look at its day-to-day operations and identified opportunities to reduce waste, make more sustainable purchasing choices, and support a healthier environment for employees and visitors. As part of their certification, PLAY switched to paper products made with at least 30% post-consumer recycled content and third-party certified safer cleaning products, including products that meet the EPA Safer Choice standard.

Small purchasing changes can add up to a meaningful impact, especially in a busy community gathering place. Congratulations to PLAY Eugene on earning Rethink Business Certification!