Unitus has earned Gold Certification from the City of Portland’s Sustainability at Work program for reducing waste and improving environmental practices. They become the first Credit Union in Portland to earn the distinction.
The City of Portland awarded Unitus the certification after they adopted various practices to promote sustainability at their downtown headquarters, including:
- providing mass transit reimbursement for employee commutes (a policy that began in 1998)
- installing bike lockers to encourage employees to bike to work
- adding mixed recycling boxes to every employee’s desk
- training “Green Team” members on each floor of the Unitus Plaza to answer questions and lead conservation efforts
- publishing a monthly column in the employee newsletter providing tips to help employees conserve
The movement to improve sustainability practices at Unitus has been led by two employees, Blaine Bartholomew, Assistant Vice President of Member Experience at Unitus, and Cathy Jones, Operations Support Officer, in partnership with Genevieve Joplin, Sustainability Advisor with the City of Portland.
Unitus is now featured in the City of Portland’s Green Business Directory.
