WNC and GreenUP! form Nevada Green Business Network to help cut down on pollution

Western Nevada College and greenUP! announced Monday the formation of the Nevada Green Business Network, part of a statewide effort to generate a green business certification program.

This collaborative of agencies and organizations are committed to improving the overall environmental performance of the state of Nevada by working directly with businesses to reduce energy usage, solid and hazardous waste disposal, and the amount of water used during business operations. This will help make Nevada a cleaner state, reduce its direct impact on natural resources and achieve its climate action goals.

Partners include greenUP!, WNC, Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Incline Village General Improvement District, Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful, Envirolution, GreenACTnv and GRN Vision. Combined, these agencies and organizations support businesses across the state in becoming certified in the Nevada Green Business Program.

The program utilizes the GreenBizTracker database to collect outcomes that measure the impact certified businesses are having toward resource conservation, pollution prevention and environmental protection goals. Through education, networking and collaboration, the Nevada Green Business Network will assist in finding new ways for businesses to be more efficient, healthy and attract new customers.

WNC was recently selected by the Environmental Protection Agency as a national grantee of the 2020-22 Pollution Prevention Grant Program. In addition, greenUP! received a Source Reduction Assistance grant for the same grant period. As part of the grant commitments, WNC and greenUP! will partner to train manufacturers in Pollution Prevention techniques.

The network has set a goal to certify 75 businesses and manufacturers by 2022, providing assistance to a wide range of sectors and creating a comprehensive directory of green businesses on the GreenBizTracker database.

“The Nevada Green Business Program and Network will help assist businesses to improve their bottom lines while reducing the use of hazardous materials, water and energy,” said greenUP! Board President Donna Walden. “We are most grateful to EPA for providing continued funding and to our partners who will accelerate this important work and enhance environmental performance in Nevada.”

“Western Nevada College looks forward to working with our partners to prevent pollution through implementation of best practices,” said Dr. Georgia White, director of Professional and Applied Technology at WNC. “We are also funding internships to provide students with technical knowledge and work-based experience as WNC continues to document businesses and environmental results through GreenBizTracker.”

GreenBizTracker is a web-based and mobile tool that motivates businesses to make voluntary behavior and facility changes that net positive and measurable environmental outcomes. Easy-to-use resources and tools, as well as one-on-one assistance from program partners, are provided to the businesses to help them along the way.

As a business moves through an online checklist of verifiable environmental actions, metrics are calculated such as greenhouse gas emissions reduced, energy conserved, gallons of water saved, tons of waste diverted from the landfill and hazardous materials reduced.

Once businesses have completed the checklist, they are green certified and added to an online, searchable directory, which the public can use to find and patronize these businesses. For more information on the Green Business Program and Network, visit NVGreenBusiness.org.

Since the passage of the Pollution Prevention Act 30 years ago, industry, government and the public have been focused on reducing the amount of pollution through cost-effective changes in production, operation and raw materials use. WNC, greenUP! and the program partners of the Nevada Green Business Network are committed to helping Nevada make strides in becoming a leader in green operations.

Partner comments
Envirolution: K-12 Schools, Truckee Meadows & Carson City
“We became a partner in the Nevada Green Business Network so that we can get our schools recognized for the work they are doing to make their buildings more sustainable,” said Vanessa Robertson, Co-Executive Director for Envirolution. “We are getting students involved in the certification process so that they can learn how to do energy audits as part of our Project ReCharge student projects, providing real world job skills to our future workforce.”

GreenACTnv: Douglas County, NV
“Already, we have three businesses certified green in Douglas County including North Sails, Katherine Winans, CMP, and d'Terra Law, LLC,” said Katherine Winans, President of GreenACTnv. “We are working with the chamber and other organizations to help spread the word to Douglas businesses and manufacturers. Douglas County is a beautiful region and we will work together to keep it a Nevada treasure.”

GRN Vision: Clark County, NV
“We at GRN Vision believe in giving back and actively working to improve the quality of life and environment where we live and work” said Rick Van Diepen, Principal. “As a way to support and to quantify the core-value commitment, GRN Vision is in the process of joining the growing number of socially-conscious businesses nationwide known as Benefit Corporations and we are now part of the NV Green Business Network to help other businesses across the state improve their environmental operations.”

Incline Village General Improvement District: Incline Village and Crystal Bay
“Incline Village GID’s Waste Not Program is pleased to serve as a Tahoe regional liaison for the new Nevada Green Business Program. Recognizing sustainable business leaders in our communities complements our community environmental education and outreach efforts. Green Business is good for Tahoe!” – Madonna Dunbar, Resource Conservationist, Incline Village General Improvement District.

Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful: Reno Sparks Metropolitan Area
“Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful is dedicated to creating a more sustainable and beautiful region through waste reduction, education and active community involvement,” said Christi Cakiroglu, Executive Director for Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful. “Working with businesses to help them reduce waste, save water and energy helps to create a more environmentally responsible community. All of us at KTMB are excited about this opportunity to promote and support companies that are working towards being more sustainable.”

Nevada Division of Environmental Protection: Rural Nevada
“NDEP is committed to protecting the environment of the state and the people who live here,” said NDEP Administrator Greg Lovato. “This program will encourage businesses across Nevada to join that effort by conserving resources and limiting the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.”