Jamie McMurray's Research with BRING
Industry: Coastal Community
Project Type: Plastic Use Reduction
Location: Eugene, OR
Major/University: Oregon State University, B.S. Business Administration and Sustainability, Minor in Organizational Leadership
Summary
Jamie worked with BRING and the Oregon Coast Visitors Association to aid four coastal hospitality businesses in their investigation towards environmentally-preferred practices to reduce marine debris pollution.
Company Background
BRING and the Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA) partnered to host an OASIS marine debris intern. BRING is a nonprofit focused on waste reduction and reuse education, while OCVA promotes sustainable tourism and community resilience along the Oregon Coast. Together, they expanded BRING’s Rethink Business program to include a marine debris focus and reach more coastal businesses
Project Description
Coastal hospitality businesses play a central role in the tourism economy—but they also contribute significantly to the growing problem of marine debris. Many hotels, restaurants, and other tourism services rely heavily on single-use plastics, which often end up in our oceans and on our beaches.
Jamie provided hands-on education and technical assistance to coastal businesses, helping them shift toward more sustainable practices. This included eliminating single-use plastic and Styrofoam food serviceware in line with the Ocean Friendly Restaurants program, installing microplastic filters on commercial laundry machines, reusing garbage can liners, and launching a refillable amenities program in hotels to replace single-use travel-size products. These changes not only reduce waste but also set a new standard for sustainability in coastal hospitality.
Estimated Annual Reductions
Jamie's recommendations could have the following annual impacts:
1,400 lbs
Reduced Plastic
29,000 gallons
Reduced Water Use
40,000,000 BTUs
Reduced Energy Use