Oregon Applied Sustainability Experience

Since its pilot year in 2017, Oregon Sea Grant and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality have administered the OASE program through funding obtained by an EPA Pollution Prevention grant. Third- and fourth-year college students and graduate students are recruited to conduct research that helps Oregon businesses reach their waste prevention and sustainability goals. Students are located at the business fulltime for 10 weeks during the summer. The EPA grant helps offset program costs, and intern stipends are administered by Oregon Sea Grant.

This is a win-win program that supports environmental workforce development, waste reduction, environmental protection and economic savings.

We join businesses, academia and government to support projects that create the following benefits:

• Create collaborative solutions to environmental problems
• Help businesses reduce waste, prevent pollution and increase efficiency
• Develop Oregon’s environmental workforce through hands-on internships
• Produce measurable environmental improvements
• Foster an innovative community of practice to prevent pollution

We bring together students, businesses, and government,  nonprofit, and industry partners to prevent pollution in Oregon. As of 2019, we have trained 200 students in sustainability concepts, worked with 19 Oregon businesses, and partnered with 40 organizations.

Our interns work with businesses to analyze waste streams and operational processes to recommend improvements that both save money and benefit the environment. Some of the recommendations have been implemented, others are being piloted, and others are still under review. If all recommendations were realized, as of 2019, our projected savings for businesses is $2 million and our waste reduction impacts are: 11.5 tons of solid and hazardous waste, 61 million gallons of water, 16,000 pounds of water pollution, 83 tons of material through reuse, and 39,513 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.