Corvallis Sustainability Fair: Reusable Diapers and Green Lawn Care

Sustainability has become a buzzword in recent years, and has come to encapsulate everything from recycling to free-cycling. It’s even inspired an entire economy around “green goods.”

But what does sustainability mean to Corvallis?

Corvallis is a unique community where actions meet ideas, entrepreneurship meets environmentalism, and citizens are able to collaborate with city government, academia, and sustainability organizations.

According to the City of Corvallis Dashboard page, our local government has decreased its CO2 emissions by 9%, decreased its water usage 6.9%, and has decreased its generated landfill waste 11.1% since 2004. Having this type of leadership is inspiring, and thanks to the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, these ambitions are able to translate into community-wide action.

The Corvallis Sustainability Coalition consists of more than 250 partners, and is a place where both businesses and individuals alike work together in an effort to create and achieve long-term sustainability goals for Corvallis.

This year’s Sustainability Fair and Town Hall will be held on Thursday, March 14. The event will have more than 50 exhibits aimed at informing the community about the sustainability efforts of local businesses and CSC action teams. It is free and open to the public—the Sustainability Fair will run from 5 to 7 p.m., and the Town Hall meeting will follow from 7 to 9 p.m. This much-anticipated zero-waste celebration will include live music, and Valley Catering will be providing locally grown foods and refreshments.

In the spirit of the Corvallis Sustainability Fair, here are two Corvallis businesses that embody the sustainability model: Baby-Go-Lucky and Clean Air Lawn Care.

Holly launched the Baby-Go-Lucky diaper service (http://www.babygoluckydiapers.com) just over three years ago, and she is meeting a need in town that is both helpful to families and truly based on a sustainable business model. Baby-Go-Lucky thrives on making environmental diapering attainable by maximizing convenience and economic sense. Baby-Go-Lucky provides a weekly pick-up and drop off service that fits the schedules of her clients, and her washing system is set up to minimize water usage while fully sanitizing the diapers. New clients who sign up for a month of service in April or May will receive an entire week of free diaper service.

Clean Air Lawn Care has come to town! Jack Nickerson has a dual background in environmental geology and environmental activism, and he has a passion to combine practicality with conservation when it comes to lawn care. Jack’s expertise, combined with his electric- and solar-powered equipment, have the power to change the entire expectation of what lawn care and landscaping looks like for the Corvallis area in the years to come. The Clean Air Lawn Care website (http://cleanairlawncarecorvallis.com) has a carbon calculator, so prospective clients can estimate their level of participation in reducing carbon emissions for the community. Nickerson will be at the Sustainability Fair on March 14, so look for him there to learn more! He is also offering landscaping coupons through Bicoastal Radio and Oregon E-Trade in the amount of $150 for new clients.

by Maria Murphy

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