Saturday, April 22 is Earth Day! While we should be kind to the earth every day, Saturday 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 to create 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: What’s more sustainable than growing your own food? Left Field Garden Supply has a wonderful selection of veggie starts, seeds, soil amendments, garden tools, and more. You can even order chicks to get that backyard chicken coop going. 
  • 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 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.
  • Hollywood: Antique Alley is located in the Hollywood 42nd Street Station and you might wonder if you’re in the wrong place when you walk in and see a post office and upholstery shop. But head downstairs and you’ll find yourself wandering through a seemingly endless thrift shopping dreamscape. 
  • Lents: Keep Earth Day going into next week with a Detrash Portland Clean-up of the I-205 Multi-Use Path hosted by SOLVE and PDX Saints Love on April 28. Find out more info here.
  • Lloyd: Way of Being is a shop that offers supplies, education, and encouragement to support a sustainable, low-waste lifestyle. Join them on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22 from 1-3pm for a Low-Waste Living 101 workshop, or swing by during the workshop to browse their offerings. Reserve your spot today.
  • 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 22 and join non-profit organizations and community leaders for a fun day of cleaning up, replanting, and Earth Day-focused information sharing, plus live music! Check out more info here. 
  • Parkrose: Mandy Hurley, owner of Simple Sundries opened her doors in 2019. Her mission is to eliminate our dependency on plastic by offering affordable waste-free household products while empowering and encouraging everyday action against climate change. 
  • Raleigh Hills: On April 22, recycle your old junk in Raleigh Hills at their annual Shred Event. The event has grown from a simple paper shredding event to also providing opportunities for recycling e-waste, printer cartridges, and household items.
  • Stadium District: SCRAP is a donation-based creative reuse store and donation center. Along with their ever-changing and diverse store items, SCRAP also provides a range of educational opportunities within the community. 
  • 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. Shop Lyko is another great shop that hopes to inspire kind and thoughtful living by bringing creative, eco-ethical brands to the marketplace. 
  • 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.