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Fortunately, there are many resources in Portland that make it easy to make sure your "stuff" gets reused rather than end up in the landfill. The ReBuilding Center and ReStore for building materials, SCRAP for art and creative materials, FREE GEEK for computer parts, and many great places to take clothing: Goodwill, Value Village, Red Light, Buffalo Exchange, ReRun and tons of other small resale shops. Now there's even a Free Store in SE Portland and tons of people that LOVE a good Free Box. When in doubt call the Metro Recycling Hotline: 503-234-3000. 

posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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having an attic full of stuff is not sustainable. all of those items required energy, natural resources and labor and they are serving no purpose except taking up space. by purchasing unnecessary items you are sending a signal to the manufacturer that there is a consumer need for that product.

i think people get the word "sustainable" confused. Sustainable can be defined as "keeping something in existence" - which can define any business that is trying to stay afloat and make a buck. "sustainable business" focuses on trying to find a balance of people, planet and profit. in reality, there is no such thing as a sustainable business. there are companies that are definitely trying to mitigate their impact, but they will never be sustainable. it's an ongoing process, not a goal you can achieve and be done with it.

"being less bad is not being good." - William McDonough

posted 4 years, 3 months ago
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