Oregon mandates cage-free eggs by 2024
The new law mandates that all eggs produced or sold in the state must come from cage-free hens by 2024.
Pacific Northwest
Washington State becomes first in the United States to allow human composting
The practice reduces the environmental impact and saves land from being taken up by cemetery plots and headstones.
Scientists claim to have created an environmentally friendly alternative to Styrofoam
Scientists at Washington State University say they have developed an experimental foam made primarily from nanocrystals of cellulose – the most abundant plant material on earth.
Microsoft pledges $500 million for affordable housing in Seattle area
Microsoft’s money represents the most ambitious effort by a tech company to directly address the inequality that has spread in areas where the industry is concentrated. It will fund construction for homes affordable not only to the company’s own non-tech workers, but also for teachers, firefighters, and other middle- and low-income residents.
B.C. government to provide transgender surgery
The British Columbia government announced Friday it will provide reconstructive lower surgery for transgender people.
Washington state abolishes death penalty
Washington has become the 20th US state to ban the death penalty, after its Supreme Court ruled the punishment was applied in an “arbitrary and racially biased manner”.
The Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative debuts a bottle that can be cleaned, refilled, and resold without being broken down
It’s the first such system in the country, according to the report, and could vastly decrease the environmental impact of beverage sales.
Minimum wage increases around Oregon
The new minimum wage for Lane County is $10.75. The Portland area totals to $12 per hour, and non-urban counties are at $10.50 per hour.
Seattle becomes the first major U.S. city to ban plastic straws
Seattle has become the first major city in the U.S. to ban plastic straws and utensils. Businesses that don’t comply with the ban can now face a $250 fine.
Seattle passes new tax on city’s biggest companies to combat housing crisis
The tax will raise $45 million a year over the five-year life of the tax to build more affordable housing and support services for the homeless.