Certification Standards

Green America awards Green Business Certification to companies and organizations that meet or exceed our standards for social and environmental responsibility.

Our certification ensures:

Companies operate a “values-based” social enterprise according to principles of social justice and environmental sustainability.
Companies are environmentally responsible in the way they run their operations and facilities—and in how they source raw materials, manufacture products, and market them.
Companies are active at the time of application, i.e. they are selling products or services when applying for Green Business Certification.

All companies seeking certification must meet or exceed all required standards in their industry.

Our Certification Standards by Industry

A sewing workspace with black and white houndstooth fabric, pink measuring tape, pink pincushion, and orange scissors.

Apparel and Textiles

A wall-mounted woodworking tool storage with various hand tools including chisels, mallets, and clamps.

Architects and Builders / Construction

Two people shaking hands over a wooden table.

Banks and Credit Unions

Assorted handmade soap bars on a wooden tray, tied with blue and white string, with a blurred floral background.

Body and Personal Care

An amber glass candle jar with a black label reading 'Calmness' and a white candle wick inside, placed on a white surface with blurred decorative items nearby.

Candles

Young cannabis plants growing in black pots in a greenhouse.

CBD (Cannabidiol) Products

Aerial view of solar panels on grassy land.

Clean Energy

A person holding a spray bottle labeled 'Everdrop' with pink liquid inside, against a plain background.

Cleaning Products

Series of industrial washing machines with digital controls in a laundromat.

Cleaning Services

Laptop on a wooden desk with decorative items including a gold geometric sculpture, a potted succulent, and a gold wire cube.

Computer Services

Person writing on a transparent board with business and strategy diagrams, including a lightbulb, charts, graphs, and flowcharts.

Consulting, Marketing, and PR

A person sitting on a couch holding a tablet displaying Microsoft Edge browser on a scenic landscape background, with a pink mug in hand.

Electronics

Set dining table with red napkins, floral centerpieces, wine glasses, and white plates on a beachside outdoor setting with string lights overhead and water in the background.

Events and Event Planning

Colorful woven fabric on a loom with multiple strands of thread.

Fair Trade Gifts

U.S. paper currency and coins scattered on a surface.

Financial Advisors and Planners

Fresh green chayote, cucumbers, carrots with greens, red and green chili peppers in baskets on a dark surface.

Food Products

A bouquet of mixed flowers including roses, lilies, and greenery on a white surface with a cloudy sky in the background.

Funeral Services and Death Care Products

A person practicing yoga outdoors on a sunset by the water.

Health and Wellness

Modern living room corner with a yellow armchair, a tall gold floor lamp, a white side table with purple flowers, a framed abstract art piece, and a white TV stand on a wooden floor.

Home, Housewares, and Furniture

Information and Non-Paper Media

Multiple colorful beaded bracelets hanging in rows, featuring black, gold, white, and multicolored beads.

Jewelry

Fresh tomatoes, green bell peppers, a lemon, and a banana on a stone surface outdoors.

Landscaping, Gardening, and Farming Services

A small log cabin in a forest with a hammock tied between two trees in front of it.

Lodging and Resorts

Indoor warehouse with various construction materials and equipment, including metal frames, pipes, wood, and tools, along with vehicles and storage shelving.

Manufacturing

A bedroom with a bed on the left side and a nightstand on the right. The nightstand has a modern table lamp with a transparent shade and warm light. The bed has multiple pillows with different designs and colors, including black, white, beige, and blue.

Mattresses and Futons

A glass jar filled with coins and a small green plant growing out of it, placed on a wooden surface with a wooden background.

Mutual Funds

A woman with short brown hair and glasses browsing books on a shelf in a library.

Nonprofit Educational Institutions

Blue shop window sign with a beige and blue 'OPEN' sign hanging above the word 'SHOP' printed on the window.

Online and Retail Stores

Close-up of an open plain cardboard box on a peach-colored surface.

Packaging

Close-up view of a printing press machine printing colorful newspapers or magazines.

Paper, Publishing, and Printing

A happy black and white Border Collie dog with its mouth open and tongue out, standing outdoors.

Pet and Livestock Food

Person in a snowy landscape taking a photo with a camera, dressed in a snow-covered hooded coat.

Photography

Front view of a modern red and gray three-story house with a small front porch, surrounded by green trees and bushes, in a residential neighborhood.

Real Estate, Realtors, and Brokers

Four color-coded trash bins in yellow, blue, red, and green lined up outdoors against a gray wall.

Recycling Products and Services

Chef plating dishes in a professional kitchen with multiple white plates, using tweezers to carefully place food.

Restaurants, Cafes, and Catering

A white lotion pump bottle, a rolled beige towel, a small lit candle, and a bunch of pink tulips on a white surface against a beige wall.

Spas

Three electric scooters parked at a dock on a city sidewalk with buildings and a cyclist in the background.

Transportation

An airplane flying in the sky viewed from below.

Travel

Person filling a water bottle at kitchen sink with fresh produce in foreground.

Water Saving and Purification