The Standing Stone Restaurant and Brewery located on Oak Street, in Ashland, was one of the first businesses in town to align itself with the city’s Green Business program.
The program requires businesses to reduce waste, conserve resources, and utilize other methods for promoting environmental sustainability. It is voluntary and businesses that qualify are recognized by the City of Ashland as “green businesses.” Other that the recognition, the businesses have no incentive from the city.
Public tours are arranged so that people can get a first hand look at how eco-friendly businesses can operate. Educating the public is one of the programs primary focuses and businesses are required to do the teaching. Currently, Ashland has 14 businesses that qualify for its Green Business program.
Cleaning with non-toxic chemicals, using self-sufficient solar panels, recycling and conserving food and water are some of the ways that Standing Stone was able to join the list.
“They went from using two dumpsters to two trash cans,” said Jeff Kroeger, global warming coordinator for Oregon Student Public Interest Group at SOU.
Standing Stone conserves fruits and vegetables by canning them. By using this method they are able to get long-term use out of a food item that would normally rot within a week.
OSPIRG is responsible for arranging tours at green businesses around Ashland and Kroeger said that the group is focuses on raising student awareness toward environmental sustainability.
“We arranged this tour to show students at SOU that real solutions to global warming are already being implemented here in Ashland,” he said.
Kroeger believes that Oregonians are stepping up to the challenge of maintaining sustainable practices and businesses like Standing Stone are a good example of that, he said.
