Program History

The Bay Area Green Business Program serves smaller, primarily consumer-oriented businesses. The Program was developed by San Francisco Bay Area local governments and regional agencies with participation and funding from US EPA and Cal EPA Department of Toxic Substances Control and in collaboration with the business community. Cal EPA continues to provide guidance. They and local foundations have provided grants for special projects.

Green For More Than a Decade

Launched in 1996, the Program combined the successful compliance-oriented Sonoma Green model with pollution prevention and resource conservation standards developed by Santa Clara County. Initial outreach was to auto repair shops in Alameda and Napa counties. In subsequent years, other counties joined. Since 2007, the Program has been available in all nine Bay Area counties.

As the Program expanded geographically, the types of businesses served also grew. We currently have standards and checklists for the following industries: auto repair and auto body, printing, hotels, restaurants, landscape design and maintenance, remodeling, garment cleaning (using wet cleaning or CO2 systems exclusively), dentists, wineries, custodial/cleaning, small manufacturing, and office and retail operations. Other businesses may be eligible. Counties may choose to direct their efforts to particular industries, based on local priorities.

More than 2,200 businesses, including dozens of government agencies, have been certified. And the pace keeps accelerating in the Bay Area and elsewhere in California. Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, San Diego and Santa Barbara counties, and the City of Santa Monica have all established programs. The City of Los Angeles is in the planning stage. Programs throughout the state formed the California Green Business Programs Network and meet regularly to share experiences, promote consistency and efficient operations. Network members collaborated on the development of a measurement and management system that will quantify environmental benefits, manage the process from the time a business applies until it achieves Green Business status, and provide searchable listings to allow potential customers to easily find Green Businesses throughout the state.

Green Business Program 2010 Objectives

• Add 500 new businesses to the listings
• Offer the program to more industries
• Implement a statewide measurement and reporting system
• Launch updated website with marketing toolkit and searchable listings

For more information about the Bay Area Green Business Program, contact Ceil Scandone at (510) 464-7961 or e-mail the Green Business Program.

For information about the individual county programs, contact the County Coordinators.

For links to other Programs in the Network, visit the Resources page.