Green Consultants Certify Green Businesses

by R. Michael Richmond

It is difficult to know what all is involved in achieving Green Business certification because this process can be complex and confusing. Some experts claim that Going Green is about saving energy and water. Others claim that the process is mostly about the sustainable issues. Green does include something called Indoor Air Quality, and changing out the cleaning chemicals in use. There is concerns for source reduction, recycling, and pollution issues. To do it right, there is a number of key issues to address that should culminate in a ever more Green business.

Year by year, the urgency to Go Green has haunted businesses as federal, state, and municipal regulations appear on the books, and the public awareness factor makes an impact. Going Green, therefore, has a practical side of making the workplace healthier, and there is a greater goal of not harming the world outside our doors. After a score of years, the message is becoming more than a concern for the rainforests of Brazil or the population of the humpbacked whales. The fact is that we have been harming ourselves and our families through a constant and pervasive exposure to chemicals and pollutants that were once grossly ignored.

With this awareness comes a sense of bewilderment trying to understand where it all went wrong, and how to put it all right. Businesses are not as worried about Going Green as they are the cost and intrusion into their business of the Greening process. We are hearing of Green products and Green buildings, but how does a business Go Green?

Well, the answer is not easy for most harried business people. The duties of work and the other necessities to operate a business are immense and consuming. Add to that concern the fact that Going Green is a kind of science that takes a progressive transition to new practices, Green is often left to a token and disassociated effort that is little better than doing nothing.

The Green Consultant is able to step into any business as an outsourced adviser and map out a simple and effective way to take any business to a Green Business certification. Green business is not the same as a Green building. Green businesses deal with the operational part of the business as well as the physical plant. It is true, that a Green facility may have a number of non-Green practices in place.

The big hesitation in Going Green is frankly the cost and intrusion of these conversion program that are done as a massive program. In fact, taking a business Green can be easily planned to bring in low-cost ideas and operation changes that are not costly at all. For example, adding one of ten plants capable of eating up volatile organic compounds is very simple, or changing to recycle trash bags is a zero-cost change that has point values toward Green Business certification.

A business may earn its Green Business certification by accumulating 100 points in as little as three months but no longer than twelve months. Using a monthly report called the Green Management guide, the business reports all existing or newly implemented improvements to their operation. That makes this more a a lock-step program, but one that actually allows the business to Go Green in a way that is best for that business. Each business also is allowed to participate in the Green Business League which encourages members to “Buy Green, Hire Green” to make Going Green more profitable for all involved.

About the Author:

Tags: , , ,

Leave a comment

Name: (Required)

eMail: (Required)

Website:

Comment: