To become certified sustainable, a business must implement measures and practices in at least one of these categories:

• Energy Conservation
• Water Conservation
• Pollution Prevention
• Solid Waste Reduction
• Green Building

Each Category has a checklist with suggested measures and practices. Businesses can select measures on the checklist, or propose their own. The program allows for flexibility, as businesses are not required to fulfill all five categories at once, to become certified. The certificate reflects the category icons in which the business has been certified.

Most businesses will use the “general” checklist, but some specialized businesses (Restaurants, Automotive, and Printer/Copier) may use a checklist that addresses their individual needs.

Steps to becoming a Sustainable Business:

• Fill out an application and send to BERC
• Go through the checklists and identify measures to be implemented. (Use our Resource Guide for assistance)
• Once compliance is met on the minimum number of measures on a checklist, send checklist/s to BERC for review
• BERC staff will contact your business for a site visit and verification
• Upon verification, your business will be presented a certificate and window placard that exhibits your business’ level of sustainability

The second subcategory “Practice Changes to Conserve Water” addresses business practices that consume the most water. For example, use dry surface cleaning methods to clean floors and sidewalks and use “repeat cycles” for irrigation in order to reduce the amount of wasted irrigation water.