Los Angeles Times - City of LA to certify green businesses
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One of the proposed criteria is that restaurants would need to recycle cardboard, paper, glass, metal and plastics but could choose whether to collect food waste for off-site composting.

They would be required to replace older "T-12" fluorescent lighting as part of choosing seven ways to save energy from the online checklist.

They'd have to operate dishwashers only when full, soak pots and pans instead of cleaning them with running water and serve guests drinking water only when requested.

The list, which also includes a requirement to educate other businesses, goes on and on -- but doesn't daunt VanKeuren of Gingergrass.

In the last 13 months, spurred by lessons learned on the green committee of the Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce, VanKeuren has gradually put in place environmentally friendly practices at the 45-employee restaurant.

Styrofoam to-go containers have been largely replaced with biodegradable alternatives. Most of the cleaning products have been replaced with Green Seal approved items. Incandescent light bulbs have been replaced with newer fluorescent lighting. And employees are encouraged to bring their own mugs, which are cleaned for them each shift, rather than using disposable cups and lids for beverages.

Customers and employees have appreciated the changes, she said.

"It's definitely helped increase business and it's improved morale," VanKeuren said.

Costs have been modest, she said, noting that the restaurant charges a 3% surcharge on to-go orders to cover the higher cost of the biodegradable containers.

"Thankfully, the Silver Lake community has been very receptive to this," she said.

The biggest change for the business, which plans to open a Burbank location next year, has been participating in the city's food waste composting program. VanKeuren said the cost of the service is subsidized for the first three years, including 50% in the first year.

L.A.'s new certification program is modeled on a Bay Area program started by several Northern California counties in 1997. That program has certified about 800 businesses. San Diego also has a green certification.

Los Angeles, with its huge number of businesses, including 11,000 restaurants, would be attempting green certification on a larger scale than ever before. That has raised concerns about potential backlogs and whether the program would be able to serve all the city's communities equally.

Alarcon acknowledged the concerns but said he hoped to expand the program slowly to make sure it was manageable.

Alarcon emphasized that the certification program would be flexible enough to give a small business a variety of ways to reduce waste and water and energy use to earn the green certification that is expected to attract customers.

"We believe if you have those kinds of strict guidelines, it will be a turnoff to businesses," he said. "The goal is to reduce the carbon footprint, not to get a business 100% perfect."

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