Friday, April 22 is Earth Day! While we should be kind to the earth every day, Friday is a day to advocate, volunteer, and promote sustainability in our lives and in the way we run our businesses. SOLVE has numerous opportunities to volunteer for neighborhood clean-ups in Portland and beyond. Portland Audubon has been advocating for our wildlife for more than 100 years and has many ways to get involved. Consider helping restore our urban canopy by planting a tree with Friends of Trees. In honor of Earth Day, we are highlighting businesses and organizations that incorporate sustainable practices into their operations.

  • Beaumont: Allyson, the founder of Pacific Holiday, has been shopping consignment since she was a little girl. She opened Pacific Holiday with the intention of creating a shop that is gentle on the planet and keeps clothing out of our landfills.
  • Central Eastside: Rather than throwing away your used electronic devices, consider donating them to Free Geek for a second life. They sustainably reuse technology to enable digital access for all.
  • Foster: Ralph Miles Liquidator has an entire city block of slightly-used or otherwise imperfect building materials and supplies.
  • Gateway: Grower’s Outlet is a year-round produce stand and farmer’s market that sells local fruits and veggies, much of which comes from their own farm, reducing shipping pollution.
  • Hillsdale: Did you know the clothes you wear can also be eco-friendly? Paloma Clothing has been specializing in clothing made of sustainable materials for more than 40 years.
  • Lents: Keep Earth Day going next week with a Detrash Portland Clean-up hosted by SOLVE and PDX Saints Love on April 29. Meet at Lents Park at 1:30pm for an I-205 Multi-Use Path clean-up.
  • Lloyd: If you live or work in Lloyd, be sure to connect with EcoLloyd. They are on a mission to make Lloyd the most sustainable neighborhood in North America. They regularly host volunteer events to create pollinator corridors, clean-ups, and park improvements. Way of Being is a shop that offers supplies, education, and encouragement to support a sustainable, low-waste lifestyle.
  • Midway: Did you know that locally-owned Miller Paint carries recycled paint from Metro? MetroPaint is less than half the price of other brands and is suitable for both interior and exterior projects. 
  • Mississippi Ave: For your next home improvement project, try The Rebuilding Center. They divert over 1,800 tons of waste from going into landfills each year! Stop by to have a look at their affordable building materials or learn about home repair at one of their public classes.
  • Multnomah Village: Venture out to Multnomah Village on April 23 and enjoy a full day of art, music, shopping, food, drinks, and a range of engaging community activities that celebrate and support Earth Day 2022.
  • Soul District: Cars are a necessity for many of us, but we can maintain them in a way that is more sustainable. Green Drop Garage offers eco-friendly oil changes by contracting with companies to recycle waste oils, coolant, and other fluids. They will even provide you a loaner bike if they need to work on your car!
  • St. Johns: Gather Resale provides an inviting space for style-conscious and sustainability-minded people to buy high-quality resale clothing at a great value.
  • Williams District: If you are looking for a creative way to reduce waste, stop by Bread and Honey Café and take advantage of their OKAPI reusable cup program.

This list is non-exhaustive. If we missed your favorite sustainable business, let us know. Show us how you are celebrating Earth Day on Instagram and Facebook.