BUSINESSES GOING GREEN IN THE CONEJO VALLEY

Green business certification is one of the best ways to cut costs, generate growth, increase employee engagement and separate your business from the competition. The City of Thousand Oaks is a member of the Ventura County Green Business (VCGB) Program, which recognizes and rewards small and medium sized Thousand Oaks businesses that demonstrate a substantial and purposeful commitment to environmental stewardship through solid waste reduction, energy and water conservation and pollution prevention. Recent studies show that up to 3/4 of consumers prefer to patronize green businesses and buy green products.

Best of all, it’s free to get certified!

The City wants your business to save green and grow green by going green. Benefits include:

• A competitive edge within the eco-conscious Thousand Oaks community • Listing on the California Green Business Program database – searchable by consumers • Lowered costs and streamlined efficiency • Positive PR to increase your visibility and customer base • More constructive relationship with the City • Improved employee motivation and productivity

Certified “Green Businesses” will also be publicized and highly visible to the Thousand Oaks community. Certification will be publicly awarded at a City Council meeting and certified businesses will receive the following:

• Free publicity in local newspapers • A framed certification plaque to display in your business • Certified Green Business window decals • Rights to use the Certified Green Business logo in your marketing

Visit www.greenbusinessca.org/resources for more information on how to join the green business community.

Conejo Awards

Conejo Awards recognizes that businesses can have a negative impact on the environment and there is a responsibility to improve and maintain clean, healthy surroundings in the community where we live and work. A commitment to help reduce this impact in the office and production area helps their customers feel comfortable knowing their purchases are responsibly produced.

It is their policy to comply and exceed with all relevant environmental legislation, regulations and requirements, recycle all waste material possible, reduce the amount of waste material produced and avoid the use of paper and postal services which saves on transportation and paper envelopes.

They recycle equipment that is no longer of use to the company and give away items such as computers and printers that are no longer used to local non-profit organizations such as My Stuff Bags in Westlake Village.

AMLI Spanish Hills

Located in Camarillo, every apartment home is smoke-free and includes ENERGY STAR® appliances, fresh air ventilation and WaterSense plumbing fixtures. Building and managing green apartment communities helps AMLI meet the growing demand for healthy and environmentally friendly homes. Additionally, the green features of this community helped the property achieve LEED Silver®, a third-party certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The 2019 AMLI Sustainability Living Index, an annual survey completed by current residents, indicated that 77% of AMLI Spanish Hills residents believe that living in a green certified community is beneficial to their health. Additionally, 45% of the residents said green features factored into their decision to lease with AMLI. AMLI anticipates a growing interest from both residents and employees and continuously integrates more green practices into design, construction, management and renovation of their apartment communities.

Kelly Bonanno, Eco Friendly Lifestyle & Wellness Coach

The green movement is growing and Kelly is honored to be a Certified Green Business. Her passion is educating, enlightening and inspiring others to treat themselves and the planet kinder by being more conscious about the environment and minimizing the body’s toxic burden. Sustainable business practices contribute to a healthier ecosystem that benefits marine life, wildlife, the waterways, flora, fauna, our soil, and future generations and she’s dedicated to helping businesses and families live a healthy, eco conscious lifestyle.