What does the California Green Business Program do?
The Green Business program is making it simpler for consumers to decide if their dollars will go to businesses that are certified as green. Local governments participating in the California Green Business Program award a seal of green certification to businesses that complete a rigorous set of criteria. The seal lets consumers know that a business has taken significant steps toward doing what’s safer for our health and what’s better for the environment.
The California Green Business Program’s network targets small businesses employing less than 200 people. Companies must pledge to comply with existing laws and regulations and then go beyond compliance when it comes to energy use, wastewater reduction, solid waste reduction and pollution prevention.
Who’s in the California Green Business Program?
The California Green Business Program is a network partnership of local governments and the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). Cities and counties in northern California were the first to join the network which then expanded to the San Francisco Bay Area, the Monterey Bay Area and on to Southern California. Fourteen counties and one city currently participate in the California Green Business Program.
The network first targeted automotive repair shops and printing companies. Now, there are more than 120 categories of businesses engaged in the program and more than 2600 have earned their seal of green certification.
How does the California Green Business Program Work?
DTSC recognizes that the success of the California Green Business Program depends on collaboration with its network of cities and counties. These local governments establish individual green business programs that fall under the umbrella of the California Green Business Program.
Support from DTSC helps cities and counties establish their certification process, recruit businesses to apply for certification, and simplify record keeping. DTSC created and now maintains a database of all businesses and organizations that have entered the certification process. Management of this vast amount of information allows local governments participating in the California Green Business Program to cost effectively process green certification applicants.
When businesses apply to the participating city or county in their area, a criteria checklist is created that the business must complete to earn a green certification seal. The seal is generally valid for three years, at which time the business can apply for recertification.
Why participate in the California Green Business Program?
For businesses, making the switch to green can mean big savings in energy, water, and waste hauling. The seal of green certification can give companies a competitive edge as more consumers are looking to do business with vendors who are certified green.
For cities and counties, the California Green Business Program fits perfectly the core objective of local government‐ to encourage and develop initiatives within their communities for improving the quality of life.
The Bay Area Green Business Program, a founding member of the California Green Business Program distinguishes small businesses that protect, preserve and sustain our environment.
Our partnership of local environmental agencies and utilities assists, offers incentives, and verifies that participating businesses conserve energy and water, minimize waste, prevent pollution, and shrink their carbon footprints.
Businesses that meet our standards are officially recognized as both Bay Area and California Green Businesses.
Little Stars Preschool meet the standards and now to be a California Green Business. As a preschool, we are teaching the green concept to our future stars. We build in the 4R idea to them when they are young. With the green concept in their mind, they will in turn to be more environmental cautious when they grow up. In our facility, we are saving as much paper and energy as possible. We use electronic sign in to save a lot of paper. We email our newsletter and notes to parents. We are starting to purchase our supplies from the green vendors. We are changing our light system and water consumption hardware to be able to save energy.
Go to this page and search “Little Stars Preschool” will see our certification information.
