‘Green’ Not Simply a Color

In the last fifteen years, ‘green’ has become a very common adjective. While I would like to think it has some relation to sustainability and environmental stewardship, no one is policing the use of the word. This has led to problems like greenwashing, in which a company with no commitment to sustainability decides to play up the only aspect of its product that isn’t harmful to the environment, and then slaps the label ‘green’ on it. One answer to greenwashing is making ‘green’ mean something, creating a standard to live up to.

Illinois Green Business Association Accreditation

In our state, the Illinois Green Business Association (IGBA) is setting that standard. They have created an accreditation program that requires businesses to not only commit to sustainable practices, but to make changes now to energy use, waste reduction, purchasing, and a host of other areas. Anyone can go to their website and see what accreditation involves. This shows the integrity of what the IGBA is trying to do. This isn’t a rubber stamp program, where a large donation equals certification. This means a company has decided to make a difference, not only how they talk the talk, but in how they function.

Taylor Studios started the certification program quite a while ago. As you know, we’re a small company, and these have been some very busy years. When I first told Betty that we could complete the program, I was a little unprepared for how involved the requirements would be. Fortunately, Betty was ready for the journey, and our whole staff was very supportive. Taylor Studios already had a strong sustainability ethic, so the new practices and policies needed for the IGBA were greeted by our staff as logical next steps. One of the best parts of the program is that almost every item required for certification will actually save Taylor Studios money in the long term.

Taylor Studios Inc. Earned Green Business Certification

Well, the Big News is that, this month, Taylor Studios has been certified as a Green Business by the IGBA. Party in the blog! Yay! I would like to thank Anthony Santarelli and Ryan Wolber from the IGBA for helping streamline and ease the certification process, as well as Cassie Carroll, the IGBA Executive Director. Now we move into the next phase. The spreadsheet that was a series of boxes to check off becomes a clear guide to everyday practices. And what about all the optional requirements we were unable to fulfill? We can set our sights on them! Because green isn’t a goal, it’s a better way of doing what needs to be done.