A growing number of businesses consider “sustainability” as an important strategy with financial and environmental benefits. According to EPA, sustainability is based on a simple principle – everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainable practices can accomplish the following:
- Lower regulatory compliance costs
- Increase operational efficiencies by reducing emissions and costs
- Improve sales by attracting new customers
- Improve public image and trust
EPA has recently published "Smart Steps to Sustainability," online resources for small businesses. In addition, below is a list of guides, tools and other resources that business might find helpful. For more industry specific information, see Sustainability by Industry Sector, Environmental Compliance by Industry Sector and Trade Associations.
General
- Beneficial Use Portal
- Chemicals, Safer Choice
- Pollution Prevention
- Sustainability
- Global Reporting Initiative
- Green Meeting and Conference Guide
- Pollution Prevention InfoHouse
- Smart Steps to Sustainability 2.0
- Sustainable manufacturing
Boilers
- Combustion Portal
- US Department of Energy Federal Energy Management Program, Covered Product Category: Commercial Boiler
Combustion
Energy
Landscaping
Lighting
Pests & Pesticides
Refrigeration & AC
Recycling
- American Recycler
- Carpet America Recovery Effort
- Cement Kiln Recycling Coaltion
- Construction & Demolition Recycling Association
- Earth 911
- ecofreek
- End of Life Vehicle Solutions
- Environmental Compliance for Automotive Recyclers
- Environmental Markets Association
- Fair Trade Recycling - World Reuse, Repair and Recycling Association
- Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC)
- Fiberglass World
- Freecycle
- getATstuff - the Assistive Technology Exchange in New England
- Global Recycling Network
- IMEC
- Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries
- IRN - The Recycling Network
- National Association for the Exchange of Industrial Resources
- National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER)
- National Vehicle Mercury Switch Recovery Program
- NORA, An Association of Responsible Recyclers
- Northeast Recycling Council (NERC)
- Northeast Resource Recovery Association
- Pacific Recycling Exchange
- Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange - Industrial Composting Topic Hub
- POLYchange.com: The Scrap Plastic Recycling Marketplace
- Recycler's World
- Recycling Offset Credits
- Recycling Works: A Toolkit for Reducing Waste in the Workplace
- Remanufacturing Industries Council
- REMEDY - Recovered Medical Equipment for the Developing World
- Resource Exchange for Eliminating Waste (RENEW)
- Resource Recycling
- ReUse Alliance
- Reuse Marketplace
- Scrap.net
- Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association
- Solid Waste.com
- Southern Waste Information Exchange (SWIX)
- State Beneficial Use Locator
- State Electronics Challenge (SEC)
- STEELchange.com
- Steel Recycling Institute
- SWAP - Surplus with a Purpose
- United Recyclers Group
- US EPA eCycling
- US EPA Recycling Market Development
- US EPA Sustainable Materials Management
- US EPA VendInfo (National Database of P2 Products and Services)
- US EPA Wastes - America's Marketplace Recycles
- US EPA Wastes - Resources Conservation, Recycle on the Go
- Wastechange.com - Waste Exchange Network
- Waste.net
- Waste & Recycling News
Waste & Materials Mgmt
Wastewater Management
Water Use & Mgmt
Rebates/Funding/Incentives
- CoolCalifornia.org, Funding Wizard
- Pollution Prevention Grants and EPA Funding
- Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency
Certification Programs
- CA Green Business Program
- CA Santa Monica Green Business Certification Program
- GreenSeal
- Forest Stewardship Council
- Safer Choice Program
Sustainability