Portland’s reputation as a trend-setting green city is well deserved. Mountains to the east. Forests all around. A river through the center of town. And an environmental philosophy that puts sustainability and livability at the top of the list.

Back when green was just a color — and not a national movement — Melvin Mark was committed to sustainable practices, both internally and externally. We have a sustainability coordinator in our own office who runs an in-house green team. These eco-innovators search for ways to make our office systems more efficient, as well as strategizing on ways to improve green efforts throughout the properties we manage. A philosophy of reuse, reduce and recycle is as simple as it is timely.

Take our ground-breaking recycling program at Robert Duncan Plaza, for example. Here, tenants can recycle everything from batteries and styrofoam to cardboard, newspaper and office paper. They even compost food waste. Another example of “melvinizing” is the means by which Melvin Mark has creatively figured out ways to get tenants engaged in recycling. As a result, there’s now an e-waste collection program at every Melvin Mark building.

For Melvin Mark, it’s easier than ever being green. Promoting buildings and building practices that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Sustainability is more than a buzzword, it’s a growing — and necessary — part of life.

Portland, Oregon, is hailed as one of the most livable cities in the country. From its pedestrian-friendly half-sized city blocks to its resolute use of parks and green spaces to its nationally renowned transit system, the downtown core and surrounding environs are as dynamic and vibrant as the people who call this area home.