ECOSS

ECOSS is an organization founded in the 1990s that strives to educate and empower businesses and different communities by implementing environmentally sustainable practices. ECOSS has a goal to see thriving communities that are "environmentally sustainable and equitable". Through many forms of environmental education and because of the important work that ECOSS does, they are able to transfer information, and environmental knowledge to communities that would otherwise be neglected.

Environmental Coalition of South Seattle, or ECOSS, is an urban environmental non-profit based in South Seattle. The organization is a leader in multicultural environmental outreach and engagement, allowing for further outreach and education in stormwater infrastructure, clean energy systems, pollution and resource center. The organization states that one of the main causes of pollution is stormwater overflow which pollutes the Puget Sound and other waterways with contaminated rainwater. Their solution to this problem is education along with the ECOSS spill kit program. This program and spill kit were designed to help businesses with overflow pollution and prevention. Designed to save money for the companies and protect the environment, the spill kit program was designed for everyone worked for the business, as response training is offered in multiple different languages. By offering training in multiple languages, the organization is allowing education and action to become more accessible and attainable. Another project ECOSS is implementing is their RainWise Residential project to combat stormwater pollution. The goal of this project is to plant rain gardens on residential properties. A rain garden is the use of native plants and soil to absorb the overflow of rainwater so the runoff does not pollute the Puget Sound. ECOSS installs these natural collectors of rainwater and the rebates from this project can often cover 100% of the costs of installation. This makes a difference since many of the communities that are provided with these rain retention systems come from low income households that would previously be unable to install these systems on their own.

ECOSS, through its many outreach programs, is a relatively successful non-profit organization. A 2013-2015 pollution prevention report found several cases in which ECOSS has managed to raise awareness and efficacy in handling stormwater pollution. Before the outreach, 91% of businesses surveyed said they didn't have a written spill plan, which went down to only 17% after the outreach. Additionally, the percentage of business training staff on spill response rose from only 21% to 49%. In a more up to date 2019 annual impact report from ECOSS, it was reported that they engaged 1,165 community member around composting and recycling awareness, and delivered 534 complementary spill kits and training. Throughout its many programs, ECOSS has been effective and successful in helping to minimize the impact/severity of stormwater pollution, among other environmental issues.

This organization is important to the local community in several different ways. Because many of their programs are offered in different languages, they are accessible to many members of the community beyond the middle-class, white majority. This is one of the most meaningful organizations to donate to or work for because they give access to education and more sustainable and eco-friendly practices to those who would otherwise not have them. As seen in many case studies across the United States, such as the Flint, Michigan water crisis and the Coastal GasLink pipeline, environmental racism has and continues to persist to this day. ECOSS actively fights the infrastructural disadvantages faced by poor communities, most of which are made of people of color.