There’s a fun new way to stay motivated about recycling, and spotlight your business’s recycling practices. Recycle at Work is a great site sponsored by Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. The City of Portland’s goal is to progress toward a 75% recycling goal, and businesses are being asked to complete a Progress Report to let the city know about recycling practices at work. The Recycle at Work program offers some great advice on how to reach your company’s recycling goals, with everything from how to cut back on waste to green catering. More...

2nd Annual Green Professionals Conference
This is an event for students and professionals; providing learning, networking, and employment opportunities within the sustainability industry.  For detailed information on registration, exhibiting costs, venue and speaker information, visit the conference website.
Fri, Oct 9, 8am-5pm
Double Tree Hotel, 1000 NE Multnomah

Wordstock
Wordstock is an annual festival of books, writers, and storytelling in Portland. Wordstock features ten author stages, a book fair, a special children’s area and children’s literature stage, a series of workshops for writers and for K-12 teachers, a special broadcast of Live Wire!  Schedule and tickets available online.
Sat-Sun, Oct 10-11, 10am-6pm
Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd More...

The Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI) strives to inspire people to take more responsibility for the Earth. NWEI is hosting the EcoChallenge now through October 15th. Their goal is to raise awareness about the importance of taking action on behalf of the planet and to show the collective power of many people making one small change in their lifestyle. More...

Buy organic
Conventionally grown cotton is responsible for as much as 10% of pesticide use in the world and up to 25% of insecticide use annually, according to Grist. The chemicals can impact workers and leach into the groundwater. Because the United States produces more cotton than all countries except China, much of this is on our soil.

Next, ask about the processing method for cotton, wool, and other fabrics. Look for those that use natural dyes and avoid chlorine bleaching. Organic Consumers estimates that 1/3lb of chemicals are used in the production of a cotton T-shirt, so buying secondhand comes second to buying a product that avoids the conventional cycle.
 
Image: CreativeCommons/Cosmic Kitty More...

Do you blog about local food, sustainability, or local living, and want a free Chinook Book? Link back to a recipe or farmers market how-to which we post between May 8th-22nd, plus add us to your blogroll, and we'll mail you a free Chinook Book. Limit one per person, ends May 22nd or when/if we hit our book limit, at which point we will post a notice on the homepage.

We will use the pingback at our site to identify you, so expect an email from us to your blog email. Please note you must link to a recipe or how-to article to create a pingback, linking to the directory does not create the necessary link.

Update: Due to a site glitch, you need to email us directly at editor@ecometro.com with your link to show that you wrote about us. Please include your mailing address so we can send a book.

Tell your friends! More...

Toby Ng Design created images of the world's statistics including water, food, energy, HIV, computers, fear of attack, and more. Where do you fit in the village? The World of 100. More...

If you follow our Twitter (@PDXEcoMetro) you know that the NY Times columnist Frugal Traveler was in town a few weeks ago, taking Portland advise via Twitter (@frugaltraveler). He's published his article from his visit, Frugal Portland. Our favorite quote:

"In its place was a dedication to the things that really matter: hearty food and drink, cultural pursuits both high and low, days in the outdoors and evenings out with friends. It’s the good life, and in Portland it still comes cheap."

Chinook Book couponers that get a mention are Clever Cycles (coupon link)  and the Ace Hotel (coupon is for 10% off one night). More...

Mother's Day is May 10th, are you prepared? As always, we promote giving the gift of a donation or experience instead of giving stuff.

Why not give mom a sea turtle nest sponsorship ($45) from the Sea Turtle Restoration Project? She'll get a certificate, a photo of the nest, and one year subscription to the project.

Kiva is a non-profit that gives micro loans (as low as $25) to the developing world to move lives out of poverty. Pick a project and donate in you mother's name--she'll get updates and can re-gift the loan when it is paid back by the original entrepreneur. More...

Organic cotton men's jeans for $39.99? And from Loomstate? Thank you, Target!

Loomstate is a hip organic cotton clothing company that we've long adored, and they've paired with Target for a more affordable line of 100% certified organic cotton, beach-inspired clothing for men and women. Nothing in the collection is over $50, a serious savings since Loomstate brand jeans are rarely under $100.

Shop the Loomstate for Target collection online, or visit Target at Washington Square, the only Oregon location with the limited collection. More...

Register for the environmental site Grist.org (or if you're already registered, refer a friend) to receive a free download of their book Wake Up and Smell the Planet. We have a paper copy of this book and recommend it highly. Pass it on to friends, especially those who are new to the green scene.