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Bay Area Certified Green Business
The Bay Area Green Business Certification Program is a partnership of environmental agencies, professional associations, waste management agencies, utilities, and a concerned public, working together to recognize and assist businesses that operate in an environmentally friendly manner. To be certified "green," participants must be in compliance with all regulations and meet program standards for conserving resources, preventing pollution and minimizing waste.
Some of the general requirements include:
o Monitoring and recording rates of water and energy consumption and waste generation
o Providing incentives and opportunities that encourage employee participation
o Informing customers of our efforts
o Assisting other companies and organizations in their efforts to become "green"
There are 4 areas of conservation and prevention that the organization uses to test a business for Green Certification, each with its own requirements:
1. Water Conservation
- Assess indoor and outdoor water balance
- Implement basic conservation measures
- Implement at least 3 industry-specific conservation measures
2. Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling
- Assess solid waste streams
- Adopt measures to reduce, re-use and recycle solid waste
- Cut down paper waste in 5 different ways
- Implement recycle or reuse programs for 5 other types of materials
- Identify and purchase 3 different types of recycled materials
3. Energy Conservation
- Commercial energy assessment performed by local utility agency
- Adopt maintenance schedule for all heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems
- Introduce 2 alternative technologies and 5 process changes that help conserve energy
4. Pollution Prevention
- Assess operations and identify prevention opportunities
- Adjust, change or eliminate 6 operations practices to help reduce pollution
- Adopt 3 changes in materials, products or processes that will help reduce pollution
- Reuse and/or recycle hazardous wastes in at least 3 ways
- Eliminate contamination of storm water and runoff in 4 ways
- Reduce vehicle emissions in at least 3 ways
In addition, there are specific guidelines we follow that are unique to the printing industry. These requirements include:
o Completely computerizing prepress operations to remove photochemicals, thus saving water and energy
o Establishing a recycling program for solvents
o Using alcohol-free printing to reduce chemical usage and improve air quality, health and safety
o Printing on treeless and recycled content papers (saves trees, energy, water; promotes new agriculture and reduces landfill waste)
o Promoting green practices to customers
o Using low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) inks (helps reduce air pollution, increases safety)
o Implementing paperless internal communications
o Using energy efficient equipment
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