Business Success Stories

Our collection of success stories are designed to give you ideas on how to implement your own climate success story. Use the filters on the left to narrow down your search by location, industry type, or action type. Many of our success stories are also Small Business Award winners, your business could be next!

 

Waste Less Living | A Business Built on Composting and Waste Reduction

Waste Less Living is an environmental consulting firm with a passion for waste diversion and composting. Located in Pasadena, California, Waste Less Living provides eco-friendly event planning services, zero-waste consulting, green school programs and much more.

Stanford's Restaurant | Sustainable Dining in the Bay Area

Stanford’s Restaurant, located in downtown Walnut Creek, has challenged themselves to be a community leader and provide other restaurants with a sustainable business model by showing a commitment to both helping the environment and remaining profitable. Stanford’s is a full service restaurant and bar with sales over $4 million annually.

Fetzer Vineyards | Creating Award-Winning and Sustainable Wines

Fetzer Vineyards is not only popular for its affordable and palatable wines; the company has been a recognized role model for sustainability since it formalized its commitment to the environment in 1998.

Fetzer Vineyards | Creating Award-Winning and Sustainable Wines

Fetzer Vineyards is not only popular for its affordable and palatable wines; the company has been a recognized role model for sustainability since it formalized its commitment to the environment in 1998.

Sun Harbor Marina | It’s Smooth Sailing for this Sustainable Business

Sun Harbor Marina, located at the America's Cup Harbor in San Diego, provides a safe and friendly docking facility to a variety of tenants.

In 2003, the original marina was demolished to make way for environmentally friendly renovations. In 2005, Sun Harbor Marina became the world’s only LEED certified marina. During demolition, half of the existing materials were sent to be recycled or reused, rather than thrown away.

Light and Motion Industries | Lighting the Way to Sustainability

Light and Motion Industries, Inc. is a manufacturing company located in a converted building on Monterey’s famous Cannery Row. They design, market, and manufacture two product lines: high performance bike headlights and high quality underwater video and digital camera housing and lighting. Light and Motion Industries, Inc. has demonstrated its commitment to sustainability by aggressively incorporating recycled materials into their products, purchasing ENERGY STAR® equipment and using green cleaners and solvents.

Casa Madrona Hotel and Spa | Combining Luxury and Sustainability

Casa Madrona, a sixty-three room hotel and spa, combines all the luxury of contemporary accommodations with the feel of a traditional inn, while staying committed to the environment. The hotel purchases environmentally friendly products, such as re-fillable amenity bottles and recycled-content paper. Casa Madrona takes resource conservation seriously by using water efficient fixtures, installing energy efficient appliances, and promoting public transportation to conserve fossil fuels.

Image of red outdoor chairs in a courtyard.
Cibola Systems Corporation | "Audio Visualizing" The Way to a Sustainable Future!

Cibola Systems is an audiovisual design firm specializing in creating business meeting environments while integrating AV technologies that inspire team communication.

Since 1971, Cibola Systems has embraced the accelerating changes in audiovisual and multimedia technology while remaining committed to the environment. They are recognized for their record in sustainable site development, water efficiency, energy, material and resource management, indoor environmental quality and innovation in the design process.

Weston Miles Architects | Sustainable Building Design

Weston Miles Architects, Inc. (WMA) is an award-winning landscape and architecture business that practices innovative and sustainable building design. WMA offers architectural services for the construction of educational facilities, civic, residential, and historical renovations. WMA has been recognized for nearly a decade by the Silicon Valley Business Journal as one of the top 25 architecture and design firms in the area. Concepts from the U.S.

Atlas Disposal Industries | Keeping Sacramento Clean and Green

Atlas Disposal Industries was founded on the principles of sustainability. People, planet and prosperity are the three principles that define the way they do business. Guided by these core values, Atlas has quickly emerged as the fastest growing waste and recycling hauling company in the Sacramento area. They strive to respond to urgent environmental challenges such as water conservation, waste reduction, and clean air.

Three Squares, Inc. | Planning Greener Events from the Inside Out

Three Squares Inc. (TSI) is leading the way as a sustainable business force that maintains balance between the people, economic growth and the planet. As a globally recognized environmental consulting firm, Three Squares specializes in developing sustainability plans for corporations, government agencies and academic institutions.

Fresh Air Yard Care | Green, Clean and Quiet Lawn Care

Fresh Air Yard Care endeavors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by providing yard care maintenance using only hand powered, electric and propane equipment. Fresh Air Yard Care uses brooms, rakes and push sweepers instead of gas-powered-blowers to clean walk ways and patios. They also use both both reel mowers and electric mowers that mulch clippings and organic matter.

Audio Visual Consultants | Going Green and Going Digital

Audio Visual (AV) Consultants is a Certified Green Business in Alameda County specializing in video production and editing. AV Consultants is reducing waste by using only recycled content “re-sleeves” for their CDs and DVDs. They also feature examples of their work online rather than mailing-out informational packets. AV Consultants uses web-based correspondence and production, editing and distribution of all the videos produced. Videos during the posted on YouTube to promote video sharing, while also reducing any waste that a hard copy CD would produce.

Citadel Environmental Services Inc. | Green Office with a Green Purpose

Citadel Environmental, an eco-friendly health and safety firm, is green inside and out. Not only is a sustainable lifestyle promoted, but its environmentally friendly office spaces feature innovative ecological design solutions that reduce operating costs, energy use, water consumption, and it’s carbon footprint. Citadel’s office building has been fully remodeled into a first-class, sustainable office with the goal of achieving a LEED® Platinum rating, as well as becoming the first privately held LEED® certified building in Glendale.

Royal Hawaiian Honey | Carbon Free Honey

Tropical Traders Specialty Foods, LLC, which produces the Royal Hawaiian Honey line, decided it could have a positive impact on climate change.

Norton's Green Cleaners | Green Cleaning

Norton’s Green Cleaners is leading the way in alternative dry cleaning methods by reducing their chemical waste and installing energy efficient upgrades. Norton’s Green Cleaners opened in 1971 as a dry cleaning service using the ‘less than environmentally-friendly’ perchlorethylene (chlorinated) solvent for over twenty years. In 2005, Norton’s made the change to 100 percent professional wet cleaning, thereby eliminating all chemical waste, as well as expensive and inefficient equipment.

Sapphos Environmental, Inc. | Balancing Development and the Environment

As an environmental consulting firm, Sapphos Environmental, Inc. has adopted a “walk the talk” philosophy. They have undertaken efforts to implement practical and measurable green building design, construction, operation, and maintenance practices recognized by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program of the U.S. Green Building Council. The firm’s new office building in Pasadena, California serves as a model of sustainable design and has inspired visitors to incorporate green building principles into their own projects.

Recon Recycling, LLC | Protecting the Environment from the Ground Up

Recon Recycling, LLC is located in the Barrio Logan community of San Diego. Recon Recycling provides waste diversion and customized recycling programs for multi-family households, offices, restaurants and bars, retail properties, and events throughout San Diego County. Recon shares their green tactics by offering environmental consulting to companies interested in practicing sustainable business methods.

Hero Arts | Creative Inspiration Every Day

Hero Arts, Inc. has a history of sustainability that dates all the way back to the mid-70s when founder Jackie Leventhal kicked off the business. Since then, her mission has been to design products that represent self expression, all while protecting the planet and preserving its natural resources.

Arkin Tilt Architects | Leader in Design and Sustainability

Anni Tilt and David Arkin began their northern California based architecture firm with a commitment to both designing and operating sustainably. Their expertise lies in designing beautiful buildings using alternative construction systems including building with straw-bale and rammed earth, renewable energy systems, greywater, and non-toxic and recycled materials.