Programs
Air Quality
- Promoting innovative transportation and renewable energy projects to reduce emissions
Awareness & Education
- Bringing information about sustainable practices to the region through education and outreach
Local Food & Green Living
- Promoting local agriculture, sustainable living, and active lifestyles
Green Business
- A network of businesses committed to sustainability
Green Schools
- Teaching earth-friendly behaviors and helping area schools to Go Green - with real results
Green Growth
- Promoting coordinated and cooperative regional planning
Recycling & Waste Reduction
- Promoting solid waste reduction, reuse, and recycling
Green Business Program
Shop Local...search for Certified Green Businesses in your area:
| Cumberland | Montgomery |
| Harnett | Moore |
| Hoke | Richmond |
| Lee | Scotland |
Interested in becoming a Certified Green Business?
Our Green Business Program is modeled on several successful programs across the country, but tailored to match our unique local business culture.
The Green Business Program Checklist is divided into 4 Sections:
- General - includes staff and customer awareness & education, purchasing, and transportation.
- Solid waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.
- Water conservation, efficiency, and reducing urban run-off.
- Energy conservation and efficiency.
Some of the certification benefits are:
- Recognition through press releases, quarterly newspaper ads, and in the Sustainable Sandhills' newsletters and on our website.
- A Sustainable Sandhills Green Business Decal to display at your business, as well as electronic logos to use in your own advertising and promotions.
- A free annual energy and water efficiency audit from your water and electric utility provider - a special offer for Green Business Program participants.
- Eligibiliy for our annual Awards program, coordinated with Mayors, Higher Education Institutions and Chambers of Commerce in your community.
- Participant in the Portfolio Manager energy use program.
How it Works
We're here to help you every step of the way, and have designed the program to work like this:
Identify the sector which fits your business best. If you don't find a perfect fit, we'll create one to compliment your operations!
Schedule an on-site visit by calling the Sustainable Sandhills Office at 910-484-9098 or emailing: info@sustainablesandhills.org
Our Green Business Consultant will then provide recommendations specific to your business.
When your checklist is complete and all your measures are in place, we will return for an on-site verification.
Congratulations! You're a certified Green Business and can begin to enjoy the benefits of certification.
Business Sector Checklists
See our Green Business Program: General Information Sheet, to learn the basics. Then call or email us to schedule a walk through of for greater informational detail.
We have developed specialized certification checklists for the following sectors:
Office and Retail - This sector includes all traditional office environments and non-food retail locations.
Restaurants and Grocers - This sector includes restaurants, coffee shops and large and small scale grocery operations.
Entertainment and Recreation - This sector includes, but is not limited to, private and public facilities dedicated to arts, entertainment, and leisure.
Hotels and Motels -This sector includes hotels, motels, inns, and Bed & Breakfasts.
Services - This sector includes cleaning companies, electricians, plumbers, and any other service-oriented business.
Institutions and Local Government -This sector includes large institutions such as hospitals and colleges, as well as local government offices.
Colleges and Universities - This sector includes colleges, universities, techinical schools, and other institutions of higher education.
Green Business Resources
Our Resource Page mirrors the structure of the Green Business Program Checklists to make it easy for participants to access resources for each checklist measure.