Marion County Sustainable Business Network to put on second sustainability summit  – Salem Reporter

Next week, more than 100 people will gather for a Marion County awards lunch recognizing sustainable business practices.

Their expected environmental impact? One bag of trash.

“How do we put on an awards lunch for more than 100 people and not generate a ton of waste? It is really walking the walk,” said county spokeswoman Erin Burt. “If you are going to an event about sustainability, it makes a lot of sense for that event itself to be sustainable. From coming to the event, not only can you learn from all of our speakers and all of our sponsors, but you can actually watch us in action.”

The Marion County Sustainable Business Network, part of the county’s environmental services department, will put on its second Sustainability Summit on Friday, Sept. 27 at the Keizer Civic Center, 930 Chemawa Rd N.E. 

Burt said the summit will incorporate sustainability practices of its own including using digital surveys, and bringing in reusable dishware instead of the disposable variety. Guests will also be given reusable swag containers to take home any leftovers after the event, cutting down on food waste, Burt said.  

The business network, formerly known as EARTHWise, inaugurated the event in 2023. This year, Burt said, the summit will include informational sessions on sustainability and networking opportunities for businesses across Marion County. It is free to become a member of the network and to get certified as a sustainable business in Marion County. 

“This is a free environmental assistance program we offer to businesses in Marion County. And we have program staff that are available for questions about environmental issues, sustainability, if they need help getting a recycling program started or reducing waste, or want to know how they can save energy,” Burt said. 

The summit will also provide resources to help businesses access local, state and federal programs and grants that are available for sustainability efforts, Burt said.

Joining the network means going through an energy audit, which flags areas businesses can cut down on waste and save energy. 

“All of these things are great for the environment, but they also save small business owners lots of money,” Burt said.

Some of the breakout sessions at the summit will cover topics like commuting using public transit, how to utilize solar energy at a commercial site, a session about new environmentally friendly products businesses can try prior to investing, and converting business fleets to electric vehicles. 

Bryan Gyllen is the vice president of operations and business partner with DeSantis Landscapes, a Salem-based landscaping business working to incorporate sustainable practices. DeSantis also operates in the Portland metro area. 

Gyllen will be speaking on the topic of fleet electrification on a panel during the summit. He said sustainability is already built into DeSantis’ business model, which works to keep chemical usage as low as possible by using organic fertilizers, and keeps emissions low by converting to electric vehicles and electric tools. 

“We’ve also started to tinker with automowers which is an interesting development in the industry. It is kind of like a Roomba-style machine we can deploy onto sites. They are fully electric…We are just at the start of that, but it is something we are interested in expanding our use of,” Gyllen said. “Trying to find ways we can be more sustainable as an organization is really in the company’s DNA.” 

Ann Shultz, owner of Le Petit Bistro in Hubbard, will cater the luncheon at the summit. Shultz used grants from the sustainable business network to start a reusable container program at her restaurant which she said has cut down on waste and saved her business money. 

Le Petit Bistro offers customers the option to take food home in reusable cups and containers instead of disposable ones. 

“The response has been really good from our customers. People are really intrigued by it and we’ve had a lot of people opt into it,” Shultz said. 

She said many regular customers bring reusable items back to the restaurant. They’re swapped out and sanitized before being used for another customer.

The summit is free to register, but space is limited. Interested businesses can still register online. 

Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected] or 503-335-7790.

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