Highlighting some of our favorite Earth-Friendly Companies for Earth Day 2023
As a company committed to sustainability and environmentally friendly practices, STEELPORT Knife Co is proud to highlight other like-minded brands. Here are some of the STEELPORT team’s favorite brands we use in our own homes in Portland and love. All of these brands take a special approach to be responsible corporate citizens and doing their part to protect the planet:
1. Lomi: Lomi is the first Carbon Neutral home appliance that allows you to turn your food waste, yard waste, and Lomi Approved bioplastics into nutrient rich fertilizer for your plants, lawn, and garden. Lomi reduces your carbon footprint by 127% by keeping your food waste out of landfill and in turn preventing the release of methane, a greenhouse gas 80x more potent than carbon dioxide. Simplify your garbage routine, get rid of smelly, leaky garbage, and feed your soil with nutrients that improve the quality of your plants, lawn, and garden.
2. Smith Teamaker: Smith Teamaker is a Portland-based tea company that prioritizes sustainability in all aspects of their business. They source their tea from small growers and farmers who use environmentally responsible farming practices to promote sustainable agriculture. Smith Teamaker offers both loose-leaf and compostable tea sachets, which are made from non-GMO plant-based materials that are fully compostable. This makes them a great choice for those who want to enjoy their tea without creating unnecessary waste. Smith Teamaker is committed to raising awareness about the importance of sustainability and promoting environmentally responsible practices, both within their industry and among their customers.
3. Olympia Provisions is a Portland-based company committed to reducing its environmental impact and promoting accountability in the meat industry as they produce the best charcuterie in the country. Their Farmers Network program sources high-quality, pasture-raised meats from local farmers who use environmentally responsible farming practices. This program supports local farmers and promotes regenerative agriculture, while also ensuring that Olympia Provisions’ products are made with the highest-quality ingredients available. Additionally, Olympia Provisions minimizes waste by using every part of the animal, including offal and other parts that are often discarded. They also make a point to work with like-minded businesses (like STEELPORT!) to promote sustainability and raise awareness about the importance of reducing waste and protecting the environment.
4. Westward Whiskey is a distillery based in Portland, Oregon that uses locally grown grains to create their award-winning American whiskey. Using locally grown grains reduces the carbon footprint associated with transportation, and supports local agriculture. They have implemented energy-efficient practices in their production facilities to reduce their carbon footprint, and have partnered with organizations like the Oregon Environmental Council to promote sustainability in their industry and beyond. They collaborate with other local wineries and breweries to exchange and reuse their barrels, which helps reduce wastefulness and find new life for their American oak barrels, with delicious results of many Whiskey, Wine and Stout barrel collaborations. They also partner with a local company to repurpose their spent grains into dog treats which they sell in their Portland Tasting Room!
5. Revant Optics is a sustainable and earth-friendly eyewear business that prioritizes reducing waste and environmental impact in several ways. Their lens replacement program allows customers to replace just the lenses on their frames, rather than having to purchase an entirely new pair of glasses, reducing waste and promoting reuse. They use recycled materials in their packaging and upcycle their manufacturing remnants into useful items like phone cases, car parts, and more. The majority of their lenses are produced on demand in Portland, Oregon, where they can ensure that their products are made to the highest standards of quality and environmental responsibility.
6. Zero Foodprint is a non-profit organization that works with restaurants to reduce their carbon footprint and support regenerative agriculture practices. You can check out the full list of Zero Foodprint restaurants around the world, but locally here in Portland we love Coquine from Chef Katy Millard. Whether you’re enjoying dinner at Chef Millard’s elevated neighborhood restaurant or grabbing a coffee, cookie and produce at their beautiful Coquine Market space next door (which also sells STEELPORT knives!), Coquine is a testament to a chef’s commitment to sustainability and local sourcing.
For our part, STEELPORT Knife Co. has integrated sustainability practices throughout our knife making process:
- Wood Handles: Our contoured handles are made of locally and sustainably harvested Oregon Big Leaf Maple Burl wood – burl wood is often discarded as it can’t be used in mass manufacturing, but when treated properly and carefully as we do at STEELPORT, it can be used to create natural works of art.
- Coffee Patina: Our blades get their darken color tone through a unique and natural patina process we’ve developed by soaking the finished knives in hot coffee, which reacts with the steel to create the beautiful two toned color and add a layer of protection on these carbon steel blades without the need for harsh chemicals – we can then use the remaining coffee liquid to water the plants in front of our factory.
- Packaging: Our knife packaging is made of cardboard sourced, offering a unique design that can both securely hold the sharpest knife while also being fully recyclable.
- Made in America: Every STEELPORT features iconic design, functional custom details, and is handcrafted locally using all US-Sourced materials. By NOT outsourcing any of our processes or supplies overseas, we have a smaller carbon footprint by reducing global transportation costs AND we are supporting our local economy and manufacturing industry.
- Lifetime Warranty + Restoration Service: Our knives are backed by a lifetime warranty for all normal use, and we offer a new Knife Spa restoration service to repair accidental misuse – these services together fight against wastefulness and planned obsolescence.
We look forward to continued partnerships with brands that share our values, including our commitment to sustainability and earth-friendly practices.
