Based on its widely recognized 100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon project, the 100 Best Green Companies are determined by an anonymous employee survey and an independent assessmentof the employers’ sustainability practices.

For the fourth annual 100 Best Green Companies in 2012, SustainablePractices questions were incorporated into both the 100 Best Nonprofits survey, conducted April-June 2011 and the 100 Best Companies survey, conducted August-November 2011. More than 20,000 employees from 431 Oregon workplaces took part in these two surveys.

In March, we notified all comany and nonprofit survey participants whether or not they are a 100 Best Green Company. We weil celebrate these workplaces at a luncheon event on May 31, 2012 at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower. 

SCORING

Employee ratings on satisfaction with and importance of sustainable practices for 10 survey statements count for 2/3 of each workplace's overall green score while 15 sustainable practice questions answered by the employer count for the remaining 1/3 out of 300 possible points.

GREEN EMPLOYEE SURVEY QUESTIONS

For each statement below, employees rate:
 • Satisfaction with the performance of their company/organization in that area.
 • How important that particular item is to their overall satisfaction.

 1. Sustainability as part of the company/organization’s mission
 2. Rewards and recognition of employee efforts toward sustainability goals
 3. Measurement of progress toward sustainability and sharing of results
 4. Workplace recycling of paper, glass, metals, packaging and other materials
 5. Conservation of water, such as low-flow plumbing fixtures and native-plant landscaping
 6. Waste reduction, such as composting, reuse of materials, and minimal packaging
 7. Efforts to use use non-toxic, natural materials
 8. Support for travel alternatives such as public transit, carpools, telecommuting, walking and bicycling
 9. Workplace practice of energy conservation, such as turning off unused equipment and use of compact- fluorescent/LED bulbs and high efficiency appliances
 10. Company/organization’s practice of buying local for materials, food, etc.

GREEN EMPLOYER SURVEY QUESTIONS 

Please indicate to what degree your company/organization’s Oregon sites support and promote the following sustainable practices: (No, not at this time / Under consideration / In process / partially done / Yes, fully implemented)

 1. Comprehensive sustainability policy with statement of clear goals
 2. Measurement of sustainability progress and sharing results internally and externally
 3. Employee rewards and recognition for efforts toward sustainability goals
 4. Recycling of paper, glass, metals, packaging and other materials
 5. Water conservation, such as low-flow plumbing and native-plant landscaping
 6. Waste reduction, such as composting, reuse of materials, and minimal packaging
 7. Use of non-toxic and natural materials in products, services and in the workplace
 8. Sustainable purchasing, such as renting/borrowing instead of owning and selecting products with less environmental impact
 9. Alternatives to single-occupancy-vehicle commuting, such as public transit passes, carpools, telecommuting, walking and/or bicycling
 10. Purchases or directly utilizes renewable power and/or carbon offsets
 11. Energy efficiency and conservation, such as turning off unused equipment and using compact- fluorescent/LED bulbs and high efficiency appliances
 12. Sustainable facilities, such as LEED-certified buildings, weatherizing, remodeling with recycled/green materials, installation of solar panels, use of eco-roofs, etc.
 13. Environmental stewardship, such as re-planting trees, restoring natural habitat, cleaning up pollution or supporting environmental organizations
 14. Buying local materials, supplies, services, etc.
 15. Use of supply chain vendors and service providers who practice sustainability

HOW TO APPLY

Companies interested in entering the survey should contact Brandon Sawyer, research editor, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . There is no cost to participate.

HISTORY

Sustainability is an important value and sustainable industries are acritical sector in Oregon. And green practices also are key to being a great place to work, according to a new survey by Oregon Business Magazine. To honor that, Oregon Business launched its first annual 100 Best Green Companies project in 2009.