When designing a building, many businesses now consider sustainability an imperative part of the planning process. Many builders and designers will consider the implications of the water usage, lighting choices, flooring options and building materials, but few consider what will happen with the waste that will forever be associated with the building and its inhabitants. There is now an organization that will help companies meet zero-waste goals.
The TRUE Zero Waste rating system is a compliment to the LEED green building rating system, and helps businesses and facilities define, pursue and achieve their zero waste goals. TRUE focuses on helping businesses, industrial sectors and schools quantify their performance and find additional ways to move toward zero waste. “Companies are becoming more and more aware of how waste is impacting business and they understand the triple bottom line benefits of pursuing zero waste goals,” said Stephanie Barger, director, market transformation & development, TRUE. “It is a journey and every step takes businesses closer to zero waste while finding new opportunities to save money and natural resources, create higher efficiency, engage employees and build customer loyalty.”
Read more in the Press Release below.
Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), the premier organization independently recognizing excellence in green business industry performance and practice globally, unveiled TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency), the new brand identity for its zero waste rating system. The TRUE Zero Waste rating system helps businesses and facilities define, pursue and achieve their zero waste goals through project certification and professional credentialing.
According to the EPA, the average American generates 4.4 pounds of trash each day. TRUE is a whole systems approach that helps organizations understand how materials flow through their facilities and identify redesign opportunities so that all products are reused. TRUE-certified projects meet a minimum of 90 percent waste diversion for 12 months from landfills, incinerators (waste-to-energy) or the environment. TRUE is administered by GBCI and serves as a compliment to the LEED green building rating system created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
“By driving the adoption of green practices at all levels of business, we significantly impact greenhouse gases, manage risk and improve the health and wellbeing of employees and the community,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC and GBCI. “By closing the loop on waste, organizations can become more resource efficient, discover potential new revenue streams and save money. TRUE delivers the business case for addressing waste.”
Currently, there are 88 TRUE-certified facilities around the world. TRUE focuses on helping businesses, industrial sectors and schools quantify their performance and find additional ways to move toward zero waste. Microsoft, Tesla, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Nature’s Path, Earth Friendly Products, Raytheon, Cintas and Northrop Grumman, among others, have facilities certified under the program. The TRUE Zero Waste certification, previously administered by the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council, was acquired by GBCI in 2016.
“Our goal is to help develop a zero waste economy for all that delivers financial, environmental and social benefits,” said Stephanie Barger, director, TRUE Zero Waste program. “The TRUE team is working with organizations across industries to help set benchmarks, track performance, educate employees and deliver innovative solutions that move them closer to zero waste.”
GBCI rating systems, like TRUE and LEED, are committed to driving the adoption of green business practices that foster global competitiveness and enhance environmental performance and human health benefits. From waste to responsible land development to sustainable power systems, GBCI rating systems work across all sectors, applying rigorous standards that verify performance and encourage sustainable practices that are economically, environmentally and socially responsible.
About Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI)
GBCI is the premier organization independently recognizing excellence in green business industry performance and practice globally. Established in 2008, GBCI exclusively administers project certifications and professional credentials and certificates within the framework of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating systems, as well as the PEER standard for power systems, the WELL building standard, the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES), Parksmart, EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies), the TRUE Zero Waste certification, Investor Confidence Project (ICP) for energy efficiency retrofits and the GRESB benchmark, which is used by institutional investors to improve the sustainability performance of the global property sector. www.gbci.org.
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