Green Business Designation Program

We are excited to introduce our new Green Business Designation Program!  We know that businesses located within Roswell are doing their best to be green and sustainable.  We want to recognize those businesses!
Our program is simple and based on a successful program in Monteray Bay, California.
Our goal for the first year is to have 100 businesses in Roswell be designated a Green Business.

How to become a Green Business 

• Pledge to commit to more environmentally sustainable practices. Hang pledge in office where employees and customers can see it.  Pledge included.
• Appoint one person to be the Green Business Designation contact for your company.  This is the person who will interact with Keep Roswell Beautiful Green Business Designation committee members.  Please include person’s name, email and phone number.
• Become a Keep Roswell Beautiful Business Partner.
• Check at least 3 items, that are appropriate to your business in each of the four categories, Pollution Prevention, Energy Conservation, Solid Waste Reduction and Water Conservation

Level 2: Complete all the requirements of Level 1 and an additional 3 items in each category.

 Pollution Prevention

1. Have employees label all storm drains on your business property with "No Dumping, Leads to Stream" decals and hand out information about the program to all employees and have it available for customers.  Contact the City of Roswell Environmental Education Coordinator for details and supplies.
2. Have liquids such as leftover beverages not placed in the garbage but emptied and the container placed in the recycled bin, if appropriate.  Post information so guests are informed.
3. Keep dumpsters tightly covered and impermeable to rainwater.  If there are no covers on the dumpster provide overhead coverage.
4. Report leaking dumpsters to the City of Roswell Commercial Sanitation Supervisor at 770.641.3807.
5. Keep receiving and storage areas, parking, landscape, and dumpster area clean and free from litter, oil drips and debris.
6. Ensure tallow, garbage, and other containers are emptied before they are full in order to avoid spills.
7. Ensure grease spills are wiped up rather than hosed down the floor drain.
8. Keep a spill kit handy to catch/collect spills from hazardous materials, grease, or leaking company, employee or guest vehicles.  Make sure there is adequate absorbent material to contain the largest possible spill.  
9. Develop and post a spill response plan for employees to use in case of emergency. 
10. Buy rechargeable batteries and appliances such as hand-held vacuum cleaners and flashlights.
11. Switch from commercial air fresheners to potpourri or vinegar & lemon juice.
12. Encourage employees to use alternative transportation such as bike, bus, or carpool to get to work.  Describe how you do this.
13. Help employees rideshare by posting commuter ride sign-up sheet, employee home zip code map, etc.  Assistance is available from Clean Air Campaign (www.cleanaircampaign.org).   
14. Offer telecommuting and/or flexible schedules so workers can avoid heavy traffic commutes.
15. Patronize services close to your business (e.g. food/catering, copy center, etc) and encourage employees to do the same.
16. If you have company owned vehicles, plan delivery routes to eliminate unnecessary trips.
17. If you have company owned vehicles, keep vehicles well maintained to prevent leaks and minimize emissions, and encourage employees to do the same.
18. Provide special parking for carpooling vehicles.
19. Sell bus passes on-site or at a discount to your employees.  Contact Clean Air Campaign for assistance (www.cleanaircampaign.org).
20. Encourage bicycling to work by offering rebates on bicycles bought for commuting.
21. Provide secured and enclosed bicycle parking for employees.
22. List other Pollution Prevention Programs that you are doing that are not listed above:

Energy Conservation

1. Arrange for an energy service to conduct a commercial energy audit of your facility to help identify which energy conservation measures to use in your business.
2. Complete regularly scheduled maintenance on your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems.  List what that maintenance includes.
3. Retrofit incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights.
4. Install a programmable thermostat to control heating and air conditioning.
5. Insulate all major hot water pipes.
6. Insulate refrigeration cold suction lines.
7. Retrofit exit signs with LEDs or fluorescent bulbs.
8. Select electrical equipment with energy saving features (e.g. Energy Star).
9. Plant native shrubs or trees near windows for shade.
10. Clean lighting fixtures and lamps so that they are lighting as effectively as possible (dirt can reduce lighting efficiency by up to 50%) and replace aging fluorescent tubes.  Then remove lamps where possible.
11. Set thermostat to 76°F for cooling, 68° for heating, and use the thermostat’s night setback.
12. Consider adding desk lamps or task lighting fixtures to work spaces in order to reduce the need for overhead lighting when only one person is in the office
13. Institute a policy that all electronic devices and lighting be turned off in non-occupied rooms (attach copy of policy).
14. Use light switch reminders to remind customers and staff to turn off lights.
15. Establish an energy saving policy such as "lights off/power down."

 Solid Waste Reduction

1. Eliminate the use of polystyrene containers.  Ideally, use only reusable containers.  Otherwise, utilize one of the following options:  paper, paperboard, compostable containers (starch-based sugarcane, rice hulls, and/or corn), or recyclable plastic.
2. Reuse or recycle everything for which a convenient collection or drop-off opportunity, such as:  cardboard, tires, metals, office paper, mixed paper, newspaper, plastics, bottles, cans, glass, unwanted electronic equipment, car fluids such as anti-freeze and motor oil.  The Roswell Recycling Center accepts all the above items (770.442.8822).
3. Where applicable, provide recycling containers at convenient and appropriate locations (i.e. lobbies, vending machines, kitchens, next to existing trash cans, individual offices/cubicles, etc).
4. Designate a storage area for spent electronics that may not be land filled (TVs, computer monitors, etc) and ensure that they are turned over to an appropriate recycler and are not put into the trash or recycling containers.
5. Keep a stack of previously used paper near printers; use it for drafts or internal memos, or designate a draft tray on printers with multiple trays.
6. Purchase/lease all new copiers and printers with double sided copying capability.
7. Encourage employees (with signs or memos) to use reusable lunch bags and containers and for leftovers from restaurant lunches.
8. Set all multi-page documents and defaults on printers and copiers to be double sided.
9. Use computer fax modems that allow faxing directly from computers without printing or use email rather than faxing.
10. Purge your mailing lists to eliminate duplication.
11. Set up a bulletin board or develop routing lists for bulletins, memos, trade journals to minimize the number of employees receiving individual copies.
12. Replace memos with email messages & discourage the printing of messages.
13. Request that marketing materials be printed on recyclable paper.
14. Recycle printer cartridges.
15. Recycle plastic bags or discontinue use of them all together.
16. Purchase office paper with at least 50% being post consumer waste.
17. Purchase paper towels for restrooms/break areas/kitchens with the highest recycled content available.
18. Have all employees use reusable mugs and cups.  In the lunch/break room eliminate disposables by using permanent ware (mugs, dishes, utensils, towels, rags, coffee filters, etc) and using refillable containers of sugar, salt and pepper, etc to avoid individual condiment packets.
19. Retailers: stock/sell products that are less toxic or less polluting than conventional products.
20. Retailers:  offer an incentive to customers who bring their own shopping bags, coffee mugs, etc.
21. Purchase recycled content business cards and/or other general office supplies.
22. Purchase recycled content carpet, storage bins and other containers.
23. Purchase mulch, soil amendments and compost made of plant trimmings or green waste.
24. Participate in the Adopt-A-Road program with Keep Roswell Beautiful.  Contact the City of Roswell Environmental Education Coordinator for details and supplies.

Water Conservation

1. Understand your water bill and review it monthly for indications of leaks, spikes or other problems.  Call your water utility if you notice any unusual increases in use or if you need suggestions on how to improve the efficiency of your water use.
2. Learn how to read your water meter.
3. Regularly check for and repair all leaks in your facility (toilet leaks can be detected in tank toilets with lead detecting tablets).  Train your staff to monitor and respond immediately to leaking equipment.
4. Use "dry sweeping" to clean concrete or asphalt surfaces instead of using water to wash down surfaces.  Use high pressure, low water techniques only when necessary.  Always send wastewater from pressure washing to landscaping or the sewer, not the storm drain.  Use a water conserving broom attached to a hose as an alternative to pressure washing where possible.
5. Install low flow aerators in faucets (1.5gpm) and showerheads (2.5gpm).
6. Install toilets manufactured to flush 1.6 gallons or less.  Your water utility may have a rebate program for low flow toilets.
7. Install urinals that are manufactured to flush at 1.0 gallon or less.  Or replace diaphragms in the flush valve, so that they flush 2.0 gallon.
8. Install low flow, self-closing faucets either infrared or spring-loaded,
9. Change window-cleaning schedule from "periodic" to "as required."
10. Use dry floor cleaning methods indoors followed by damp mopping, rather than spraying or hosing with water.
11. Instead of washing vehicles on site, go to a washing service that recycles water.
12. Under take regular pavement cleaning by sweeping manually or with an electric vacuum or blower, and properly disposing of debris.
13. Test irrigation sprinklers 4 times a year to ensure proper operation and coverage and eliminate leakage.
14. Repair all broken or defective sprinkler heads/nozzles, lines and valves.
15. Adjust sprinklers for proper coverage optimizing spacing and avoiding runoff onto paved surfaces.  Adjust sprinklers to achieve even water distribution.
16. Adjust sprinkler times and /or duration according to seasons, water during non-daylight hours (generally before 7:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m.).
17. Apply at least two inches of mulch to all non-turf planting areas.
18. Plant material is native or drought tolerant (water conserving).
19. Participate in the Adopt-A-Stream program with Keep Roswell Beautiful.  Contact the City of Roswell Environmental Education Coordinator for details and supplies.
20. Participate in Rivers Alive with Keep Roswell Beautiful.  Contact the City of Roswell Environmental Education Coordinator for details and supplies.
21. Demonstrate/describe your alternative water conservation techniques for landscaping:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

For more information on water conservation programs please utilize the following website:  www.conservewatergeorgia.net/documents/waterSense.html

 Other Environmental Initiatives that you are doing that are not listed in the categories above:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Each business that meets the criteria for the Level 1 Designation will receive a window cling for their window as well as a listing on the Keep Roswell Beautiful website with a link to their website.

Each business that meets the criteria for the Level 2 Designation will receive a window cling for their window, a listing on the Keep Roswell Beautiful website with a link, and recognition at a Roswell Mayor and Council meeting.

Each business that meets the criteria for the Level 3 Designation will receive all the items for Levels 1 and 2 and also receive assistance in media announcements to the press.

Designations are renewed each year and upgraded as necessary.

Keep Roswell Beautiful will be expanding this designation with higher levels.  Help us create those next levels by telling us what else you are doing to be environmentally sustainable or green in your business.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

Janet Liberman, Executive Director - jliberman@roswellgov.com

Vicki Culbreth, Environmental Education Coordinator - vculbreth@roswellgov.com 

The first round of applications is due December 1, 2010 with site visits planned during December/January.  The first designations will be given out during the week of February 1st at a breakfast meeting.

Please fill out the attached application and return it with the checklists either by email to Janet Liberman at jliberman@roswellgov.com or fax it to 770.641.3750 attention Janet Liberman.  You will receive a confirmation that your application has been received.  Please allow one week for us to espond and to set up your site visit.

Thank you for going green and being sustainable!