ECOlunchbox has once again achieved a California Green Business Certification!

The California Green Business Network aims to create a vibrant green community by recognizing businesses that meet high standards of environmental performance. ECOlunchbox’s certified green business status reflects our continued commitment to minimize waste, avoid pollution, and reduce our carbon footprint.

From our plastic-free products to our back-of-house office operations, every area of our business is as eco-friendly as possible. Achieving this California Green Business Certification is challenging, but we're passionate about using our company to set a positive example for other businesses and make a positive environmental difference.

Our California Green Business status means we meet 57 requirements across six categories, including water, energy, waste, and pollution. Here are just a few green standards we adhere to:

• We recycle all paper, glass, metal, cardboard, and plastics accepted in our area.
• We don’t offer single-use bottles of water for employees or guests.
• We have low-flow toilets, low-flow water faucets.
• We measure our carbon footprint using greenhouse gas accounting and offset our electricity usage as well as travel and freight impacts by purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates and supporting carbon offset programs. Carbon is sequestered by the projects we support in the purchase of these certificates and offsets.
• We buy second-hand office furniture and items instead of new ones as much as possible to reduce waste. When we need to get rid of something, we post it for free online to our neighbors instead of clogging the landfill.
• We use LED lighting and low-energy printers and other equipment. Additionally, our computer is set to sleep when not in use to conserve energy.
• All our paper products, from laser printer paper to toilet paper, contain at least 30% post-consumer waste.
• We use non-toxic cleaning products that are earth-friendly.
• We keep our files digitally and have refused paper mailings from vendors to cut down on wasted paper. Our printers are set to default to double-sided printing.

ECOlunchbox was started by eco mom Sandra Ann Harris, who wanted to make available lunch ware for families that would help them reduce their dependence on plastics for health and environmental benefits.

“I wanted to protect my children from plastics and I ended up launching ECOlunchbox to make available plastic-free food containers for our family and everyone who wants to do the same,” Harris explained. “The estrogen-mimicking chemicals in plastics are poisoning people and polluting our planet. Lunchtime is an easy time to refuse to use single-use plastics and learn new plastic-free habits.”

Since 2009, ECOlunchbox has sold more than 700,000 ECOlunchboxes, and by using our lunch containers each year. Our ECOlunchbox community has averted the use and disposal of tens of millions of pieces of trash (mostly plastic) and we’ve had a positive impact on our planet.

If you're interested in learning more about what it means to be a California Green Business, click here.