Eleek's efforts towards sustainability

"Anything worth doing is worth doing one step at a time."
–Sattie Clark, Co-founder, Eleek, Inc.

We are committed to understanding and reducing Eleek's impact on the natural environment. Toward that end, we are continually seeking out cleaner and greener materials and processes. We are incorporating these changes as quickly and thoroughly as we can feasibly do so. We are using the principles and framework of The Natural Step Network in order to define our goals and gauge our progress. We are working with our customers, our vendors and our peers to raise the environmental consciousness and standards of our industry.

Our Processes

  • Eleek's shop and office operate on 100% habitat-safe green electricity from Pacific Power.
  • Eleek prints on recycled paper using soy-based inks whenever possible. All in-house printing and copying is done on 100% recycled stock. We strive for high post-consumer recycled content.
  • Our silicone molds work for several thousand pours (more uses than are ever likely to be required) and when those pours are finished, the silicone is recycled as filler in new molds.
  • Eleek patterns are made from a combination of discarded lumber, salvaged wood and new wood, depending on availability (at least 70% discarded and/or salvaged).
  • Metal products are finished using reusable abrasive media and re-circulated water.
  • We strive to reduce our garbage output, to reuse whatever materials we can, and to recycle whatever materials we can.
  • Packaging is minimized. We purchase recycled products whenever possible which are then reused as long as possible. We will take back shipping containers. Shipping pallets are reused.

Our Products

  • Eleek products are durable and timelessly beautiful, designed for non-obsolescence from the start.
  • Eleek castings are made of recycled metals whenever possible, with the highest possible post-consumer content. Pewter, bronze, cast iron and aluminum remnants are utilized in casting. We recycle all other scrap metal.
  • Eleek designs and manufactures many light fixtures which incorporate state-of-the-art energy-saving lamps and electronics.
  • 80% of our supplies come from within 50 miles of our shop. Buying locally allows us to support the local community and reduces the environmental impact of trucking our supplies from far away.
  • Lumber for architectural beams and custom furniture is from reclaimed or salvaged sources.
  • Salvaged waxes and/or oils are used to finish our castings and wood products.
  • We are researching ways to incorporate recycled glass into our light fixtures.
  • Eleek will take back any product it makes in order to dismantle, reuse and/or recycle its materials.

Our Organization

  • Eleek, Inc. is a member of The Oregon Natural Step Network and as such is working to understand and improve its environmental footprint.
  • Eleek recently relocated its shop and offices to an Urban Renewal/Enterprise Zone. This allows the company to contribute jobs and other community resources to an economically challenged area of Portland, while enjoying its diversity, vitality and old neighborhood feel.
  • Eleek offers living wages as well as medical and dental benefits to all its employees.
  • Eleek's company car gets 50 mpg and runs on biodiesel. Our shop van also runs on biodiesel.

Awards & Selections

UNDERSTANDING SUSTAINABILITY

  • Understanding how our choices affect the world is the first and most important step we can take on the path to sustainability. We highly recommend the following video link which takes about 20 minutes to watch. We encourage you to forward it to other people too."The Story of Stuff"

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  • 2326 N. Flint Ave., Portland, Oregon 97227 | (503) 232-5526