Businesses Going Green in North County

On October 6, 2015 at the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors meeting thirteen businesses in Santa Cruz County were awarded the Green Business Certificate. Among this group was Scotts Valley Cycle Sport at 203 Mt. Hermon Road, in ScottsValley.
In order to receive this commendation, the businesses had to meet and exceed environmental standards, while conserving natural resources. The County states that “the Green Business Certification Program is a soil, water, and air pollution prevention effort intended to create a positive relationship between government, the public, and the business community. This is an incentives-based program designed to encourage businesses to meet and exceed environmental standards, while conserving natural resources.”
Brittany Cavaletto and husband Andrew Cavaletto own Scotts Valley Cycle Sport. Brittany said the process of becoming certified as a green business is really simple. You go on the website Monterey Bay Green Business webpage (www.montereygreenbusiness.org), sign up, fill out a form, and a very helpful person comes to your business to complete a checklist of items.
In Scotts Valley Sport’s case, they were in a new building so the lighting and low-flow toilets were already “green.” They were also printing on recycled paper and using no bags in their business. Their helpful person, Ana Maria Rebelo, Sustainability Program Coordinator with the County of Santa Cruz, suggested that, although some of their cleaning products were “green,” they could use more “green” products. She also suggested that if sometime in the future they were going to re-paint, they use EPA-approved low-toxic paint.
Environmental scientist and ScottsValley resident Jo Fleming is the Executive Director of California Green Business Network. She says that there are now 21 Green Business Programs in California run by counties and cities that have certified over 2800 businesses. Most of these businesses saved some money in the process. California Green Business Program’s research shows that 30,000 people visiting their website every month are looking to find a green business in their directory listing.
Their website states that, “This year, the California Green Business Program has saved 822,677 metric tons of CO₂ with a total savings of $3,083,277. That’s the equivalent of planting 43,583 acres of urban trees a year for ten years.”
Some of the businesses in our area which have the green certification are: Glen Arbor School, The Green Room Salon in Ben Lomond; New Leaf Community Market, Future Directions Co., Inc., Web of Life Field School and YMCA Camp Campbell in Boulder Creek; and, besides Scotts Valley Cycle Sport, other green Scotts Valley businesses are the following: Bean Creek Studio, Brunetti’s Interiors, Central California Alliance for Health, City of Scotts Valley, Cruz’n Cellular, Edward Jones, Cheryl Rebottaro, CRPC Financial Advisors, Environmental Innovations, George Allen & Sons, Kings Village Wash and Dry, Noli N Nali, Professional Touch Auto Body, Santa Cruz County Bank (Scotts Valley Branch), Scotts Valley Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Scotts Valley Transmission.
Want to become a certified green business? Go to www.montereygreenbusiness.org.