Green Business Bureau Announces New Retail-Focused Certification Program

July 27, 2010 - PRLog -- HOUSTON – The Green Business Bureau (GBB) today announced the latest addition to its best-in-class green business certification platform. GBB Eco-Industries Program for Retailers (E-IPR) features initiatives and information to help members gain an edge in the competitive retail industry.  

“Consumers are becoming more aware of environmental practices and shoppers are developing more of a green attitude. ” Marcos Cordero, GBB CEO and co-founder. “ Retailers need to be there to meet those needs.”

Cordero says that, because more than 50% of consumers identify themselves as “green” and the market for green products and services has topped $400 billion and continues to grow, retailers stand to profit substantially from their move to more sustainable business practices.

“This is an industry that stands to benefit significantly by incorporating sustainable business practices both in the store and the back office,” says Cordero.  “At the GBB, our mission is to help these businesses realize the economic and environmental benefits of going green.”

The E-IPR features the standard menu of GBB initiatives designed to help businesses become more sustainable, and adds an additional 28 retail industry-specific initiatives.  The E-IPR includes initiatives that:

•   Address retail store and office operations.
•   Offer a wide range of approaches for managing energy use.
•   Guide the recycling of retail-specific products, such cardboard and plastic packaging.
•   Improve customer satisfaction in addition to increasing environmental efforts.
•   Adapt green initiatives to the brand and product selection.

“We are excited to expand our Eco-Industries program to include retail, “ says Cordero. “Green is no longer a fad or marketing ploy, it’s the real deal when it comes to revenue growth and cost savings.”

For more information about the E-IPR, visit the GBB at www.gbb.org.

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GBB is a national third-party program providing certification for businesses that follow environmentally responsible practices. Started by a group of environmental and business professionals who recognized a need in the marketplace for a trusted green certification for small- to medium-sized businesses, GBB fosters environmental awareness among businesses and promotes business practices that are both environmentally responsible and commercially beneficial.