By Judith Amber
There are many products and businesses that have anointed themselves “green,” but the question is by whom and by what standards? ECOSLO’s Green Business program, which is part of the California Green Business Network, has clear standards for businesses to earn “green” certification. The SLO Food Co-Op, Agrarian Hotel, and Pismo Veterinary Clinic are just three examples of the over 35 businesses that have met the standards and can display a Green Business window decal. Check out the full list of businesses.
Nia James Starr, ECOSLO’s Sustainability Coordinator, goes to chamber mixers and events, such as the annual Bioneers conference and Earth Day, where she meets businesses that might be interested in the program. She explains the process for gaining green business certification and hands out program material and an enrollment form.
When a business decides to enroll, they meet with Nia to go over a “checklist” assigned to them based on their industry. The checklist categories are: Energy; Pollution; Solid Waste; Transportation; Waste Water; and Community. Under each category, there are “core measures”---the standards--- that must be fulfilled to be certified. There are also a number of elective measures. The businesses work through the list on their own and may also seek technical advice from Nia. Once they have completed the core measures, Nia does a site visit to verify that the measures were completed correctly.
There are many advantages to being certified as “Green.” According to the program outreach material, it is a step-by-step pathway to:
- Lower energy, water, and waste bills.
- Access rebates and incentives to make upgrades more affordable.
- Gain statewide recognition and local marketing benefits as a certified California Green Business.
Once a business is certified, certification lasts for four years. Three months before their certification expires, the business is notified and given a new checklist to go through the process again for their business.
The accomplishments are impressive and so is the number of enrollments. According to the Program’s December 2025 newsletter, in just one year:
Green Businesses helped prevent more than 3.27 million pounds of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere, saved nearly 3.82 million kilowatt-hours of energy, reduced over 822,000 pounds of waste, conserved 1.07 million gallons of water, and cut 98,261 therms of natural gas use in just one year. These collective impacts reflect the work of all currently certified businesses whose four-year certifications continue to deliver measurable benefits, alongside 11 businesses newly certified in 2025 and 12 new businesses that enrolled and began their sustainability journey this year.
In addition to the benefits listed above, there is the fun of having a celebration once certification is complete. Staff of the business and of the Program hold a ceremony that Nia laughingly described: “We call it a green ribbon cutting with a ribbon that we pretend to cut. It is held together with Velcro so we can take it to the next ceremony.”
Such ceremonies are a public acknowledgement that a business has been through a process leading to a better environment for all of us. And they help spread the news to other businesses----and perhaps our readers can do that too.