EDITOR’S NOTE: South King Media Founder/Publisher Scott Schaefer serves on the Board of Directors for the Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce.

Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce’s 2021 PNW Sustainability Summit was held on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021.

If you missed the event – or would like to rewatch it – here it is:

During this event, viewers learned about the benefits of nature and why we should protect it from Keynote Speaker Jessie Israel from the Nature Conservancy. We then had a robust panel discussion with panelists: Julien Loh from Puget Sound Energy, Casey Mclean of SR3, Kirk Myers from Alaska Airlines, Leslie Stanton from the Port of Seattle, and Elizabeth Szorad from Recology King County. Thank you again to all of our speakers.

Below, please find great resources for businesses and individuals alike that can help our community save the environment and save money:

– ENERGY –

Energy Business Incentives – Are you looking to bump up your business’s bottom line through energy efficiency improvements? PSE offers commercial incentives to help you save on energy-efficient equipment and waste-reducing services. For personalized advice, call an Energy Advisor at 1-800-562-1482, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or click here to visit PSE’s Business Incentives webpage.

Rebates & Offers – Whether you’re buying a home, remodeling or just looking to spend less, you can use PSE’s valuable rebates and offers to save on energy efficiency upgrades to your living space. The more energy-efficient your home becomes, the lower your bills can get. For personalized advice, call an Energy Advisor at 1-800-562-1482, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or click here to visit PSE’s Rebates & Offers webpage.

Saving Energy Tips and Tricks – Saving energy doesn’t have to be a challenge—you can take simple steps every day to manage your home’s energy use. Click here to visit PSE’s Energy-Saving Tips webpage.

– WASTE –

Business Waste Audits & Consultations from Recology – The Waste Zero Team has extensive experience assisting businesses from every sector and size, including office buildings, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, shopping centers, and large commercial residential properties. Click here to visit Recology’s Business Services webpage.

Change Your Waste Receptacles – Whether you are a business owner, property manager, or resident, Recology King County works with you to develop tailored solutions to your recycling, food and yard waste, and garbage collection needs. Call Burien Customer Service at (206) 767-3322 Monday through Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., email [email protected], or click here to view container sizes and rates or to modify your services.

Printable Compost, Recycling, and Garbage Guides – To improve waste sorting in your home or office, reference these simple guides from Recology. They can also be printed and displayed near waste receptacles. Click here to print or download Compost, Recycle, and Garbage posters.

Basics of Kitchen Composting – Learn how to turn your food scraps in your breakroom or personal kitchens to made into nutrient-rich compost for parks and gardens. Click here to watch Kitchen Composting 101 by Recology Cleanscapes.

King County’s Food: Too Good to Waste – A collection of resources to improve smart shopping, smart prep, smart storage, and smart saving. Click here to visit the Food Too Good to Waste webpage and explore their resources.

– NATURE –

Get Outside in the Southside – As Jessie reminded us in her keynote address, going outdoors and exploring nature offers all kinds of boons, including improved health, better moods, and lower stress. Luckily, there is no shortage of outdoor experiences in the beautiful Seattle Southside!

Plan an Outdoor Event at the Highline SeaTac Botanical Gardens – While so many of us are working from home on our computers all day, we can all benefit from some fresh air and renewed energy. Take a trip to or plan an outdoor event at the beautiful Highline SeaTac Botanical Gardens! They would love to partner with anyone wanting to help get their employees outside to enjoy the garden or having a company event at the garden when COVID restrictions make that a bit easier. Click here to contact Highline SeaTac Botanical Gardens.

Eco Volunteer Opportunities – A fantastic way to get outside is volunteering. Visit the organizations below to explore local volunteer opportunities right in your backyard.

Partner with Other Seattle Southside Chamber Members to Achieve Sustainable Goals – Please reach out to the Chamber and we would be happy to connect you with like-minded members to achieve your goals. We are stronger together! Click here to send an email to the Chamber.

Thank you again to our sponsors: Presenting Sponsors Port of Seattle and Recology King County, as well as Media Sponsor South King Media. If you or your organization is interested in sponsoring future events, please reach out to Chamber staff via email at [email protected].

We invite you to join us at our next summit, the 2021 PNW Education & Workforce Summit. This virtual Education & Workforce Summit will bring together subject matter experts, industry leaders, business owners, and community members to provide insight into the status of our primary and secondary education methods and their relationship with our workforce. Join us at this innovative summit to add your voice to the conversation.