Conscious consumers look for authentic seals that stand for businesses deeply committed to both environmental and social justice. Green America’s Green Business Certification is one of the oldest and most reputable consumer trustmarks in the marketplace and the first to include both social and environmental criteria.

It is also holistic in another way – we examine the entire business’s practices and policies, not individual products or corporate divisions.

Green America’s Green Business Certification offers consumers assurance that businesses bearing the Green America Seal have met industry-specific standards relating to the environment and social justice. The Certification offers businesses a thoughtful, efficient way to earn a meaningful consumer-facing business certification.

It is not mandatory for Green Business Network members to become certified. But we do recommend that members explore certification because it opens up an additional slate of benefits, like a profile on our Membership Directory and opportunities to advertise in our nationally-distributed green living magazines!

Each Certification assessment is specific to a company's industry. View our standards by industry.

Before applying, we require that your business has a website, has green practices in place, and has been fully operational for at least four months.

Subsidiaries that meet our standards may be certified, even if the parent company does not meet our standards, if those subsidiaries have their own sustainability criteria that meet our standards. Brands, which are fully part of a company with no separate governance structure like a subsidiary, do not qualify for our certification unless the parent company qualifies.

Reasons for ineligibility include :

• If a business operates in or is dedicated to advancing any of the following industries: weapons, pornography, gambling, gas/oil/coal/nuclear, or tobacco.

• If formal legal complaints exist in these areas: product integrity, worker/labor abuse, fraud, or financial mishandling.

• If a product base is primarily composed of or uses significant amounts of the following:

  • Conventional products with no extraordinary sustainable aspect or contribution to community/workers/customers; or,

  • More toxic chemicals such as pesticides, “poison plastics” like PVC and vinyl, chlorine, PFOA (non-stick coatings), or industrial chemicals.

Businesses that have all their sustainability information at their fingertips and their website site fully updated with comprehensive and specific information on their social and environmental achievements can finish the assessment quickly.

Some companies will have to do additional work on their websites or ask suppliers some questions, so you do not have to complete the assessment in one sitting.

Once you have submitted your assessment, Green America will review it and respond within 10 days.

Businesses who are not approved will receive a customized "Pathway to Certification" plan.

Green America aims to ensure that businesses source materials and products from vendors with trusted and transparent supply chains that have verified fair labor practices.

When applying for a Green Business Certification, if an applicant is sourcing goods from a third party e-commerce or wholesale website there must be an additional assessment to verify manufacturing claims. This will include a review of manufacturer’s website as well as third party verification by approved agencies (choose agencies/3rd party verification approved by Green America). Verification from the e-commerce site is not sufficient to attain a Green Business Certification.

In the event of certification complaints or appeals, we will use the procedures outlined in our Complaints and Appeals Standard Operating Procedure. 

A review may be triggered by a change in the following: ownership, industry standards, or business’s operations (such as business model or supply chain). Serious and/or multiple complaints can instigate a review. The review process includes recertification and may include interviews.

Companies need to ensure their Green Business Network membership remains active (by paying timely dues) to continue using the seal. This level of due diligence is why ethical shoppers use our frequently-visited Member Directory.

The Seal may be used:

• on your website

• on brochures and printed business collateral such as letterhead or business cards

• on product packaging or hangtags

• at retail locations, the seal may be placed in the store window, on in-store signage, and displays

• on your banners or poster displays

• in your business-specific advertisements

• in an e-mail newsletter

• directly on your products

The Seal may NOT be used:

• to denote safety or quality of a specific product

• as an endorsement of an individual as separate from their incorpo­rated business (i.e. The business seal is to be used by Bob’s Shoes, but not by Bob)

• with any modifications of the seal itself (text or image portions)