Our Sustainability Awards and Recognitions

The Portland Hawthorne Hostel is committed to operations that embrace environmental, social and economic responsibility. Our significant achievements in sustainability include calculating our carbon footprint and creating a reduction plan, recycling 75 percent of our waste, and composting nearly 2,100 pounds of food waste onsite annually. With grant support from the City of Portland, the Hostel has built over 1,000 square feet of ecoroofs and permeable walls as well as an 8,000-gallon rainwater harvesting system that collects and distributes 43,000 gallons of rainwater annually to the hostel’s toilets. Annually, more than 800 community members participate in free or low-cost educational programming, events and ecotours, and guests from around the world spend a minimum of$11,500 using TriMet’s services.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Michele Machado, our Operations and Environmental Programs Manager, we have accomplished the first level of STEP certification. STEP (Sustainable Tourism Education Program) is the only global eco-certification program in the travel and tourism industry managed by a non-profit organization, Sustainable Travel International.

Gold Certification 2011-2014: We have been named the third Portland business to achieve Sustainability at Work’s Gold Certification and have been recognized for our leadership in helping to make Portland one of the cleanest, most sustainable cities in the country. To earn this honor, we completed more than 88 actions to benefit our local economy, our community and our environment. These actions were verified during an on-site visit with a Sustainability at Work advisor.

“Congratulations to Portland Hawthorne Hostel on becoming Sustainability at Work’s third Gold Certified organization,” acknowledged Mayor Sam Adams. “We appreciate Portland Hostel’s leadership in taking concrete actions to make Portland a better place to live and work, and hope that their achievement inspires other businesses to make innovative changes that improve profitability and sustainability.”

 

Every spring Portland’s Best Business Center announces the years most sustainable Portland Area businesses. In 2009 the Portland Hawthorne Hostel won the Very Small Business Category for BEST Sustainability Practices

 

 

Recycle Works 2008-2011: For the past 12 years we have considered ourselves master recyclers, recycling all the usual’s plus food, books, travelers clothes, batteries, light bulbs and more. In 2008, we were granted the City’s Recycle at Work Certification to officially recognize our efforts.

 

In 2010 we gained Climate Smart Business recognition for completing an in depth program for measuring our carbon footprint and developing a strong plan for reduction.