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Strong Markets
Sustained economic prosperity depends on the health of society and the environment. People's ability to maintain their communities and responsibly manage local landscapes is directly related to the strength of the economy.
Workers, consumers, entrepreneurs, investors, government, and natural resources are all vital pieces of our economy. Remove just one, and markets stop functioning.
Sustainable Northwest promotes market-based solutions to social and environmental challenges. Through partnerships with natural resource dependent communities and enterprises, we're helping create a more sustainable economy in the West.
Features of sustainable enterprises:
- Production and sale of goods and services fully incorporate the role of, and impact on, nature and society
- Triple bottom line profitability - economic, social, and environmental
- Builds a strong customer base and expands market share by helping consumers consume less, serving their needs not their neediness
- Shareholders and employees are happy and loyal because the company creates value by being values-based
- Practices eco-efficiency (being less bad) and constantly strives toward eco-effectiveness (being all good), where the byproducts of production are inputs for other processes (zero waste).
Stories of Strong Markets
- New Leaf Paper
- Jeff Mendelsohn took on one of the most polluting industries in the world, the paper industry, with the goal of producing the best environmental paper.
- Ecohaus
- Matt Freeman-Gleason acted on his commitment to sustainability and started Environmental Home Center, now Ecohaus, an eco-friendly building materials supplier.
- Emma's Eco-Clean
- A group of low income women in Northern California banded together to create a successful co-op cleaning business using environmentally friendly cleansers.
News
- Welcome New Board Members
- Sustainable Northwest is pleased to welcome three new members to our Board of Directors: Camilla Seth, Jeff Allen, and Marcie McLaughlin.
- Oregon Business Plan and Rural Idaho Entrepreneur Recognized for Leadership in Sustainability and Conservation
- 2008 Cecil D. Andrus Leadership Awards Presented at SNW Gala on March 14th in Portland
- Sustainable Forestry and Green Building Tour
- SNW recently partnered with Northwest Natural Resource Group to host a full-day field tour of local sustainable forest management and wood products manufacturing.