The Starbucks Coffee Company location at 195 Blue Ravine Road in Folsom, California became the FIRST location in the nationwide chain to become a Certified Sustainable Business.

Starbucks was certified in four out of five possible sustainability areas: Energy Conservation, Water Conservation, Pollution Prevention, and Solid Waste Reduction. They implemented various measures to enhance sustainability and reduce their environmental footprint, including:

• Improving water conservation by completing a water use assessment; installing water efficient toilets & self-closing faucets in restrooms; and landscaping with drought resistant plants

• Adopting energy conservation measures such as utilizing software controlled lighting & HVAC systems; using an energy efficient printer; planting shade trees near the building; and programming thermostat to 78 degrees F for cooling and 68 degrees F for heating;

• Implementing pollution prevention measures such as checking for vehicle leaks, removing litter from the parking lot, and switching to environmentally friendly cleaning products.

• Reducing their solid waste generation by reusing scrap paper for scratch paper; establishing a composting program for coffee grounds; purchasing recycled content paper products & printer supplies; and implementing an onsite recycling program to reduce land filling of waste.

BERC Director Clark Whitten presented the award to Starbuck’s assistant manager Heather Jensen.

The Sacramento Regional Sustainable Business program is operated by the Business Environmental Resource Center (BERC) located at McClellan, California. It recognizes and promotes businesses that take voluntary measures to reduce pollution and conserve resources.

Over 100 businesses in Auburn, Davis, El Dorado Hills, Elk Grove, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Galt, Gold River, Granite Bay, Lincoln, McClellan, Nevada City, North Highlands, Orangevale, Rancho Cordova, Rocklin, Roseville, Sacramento, and West Sacramento are participating in the program.

This FREE service for local business is made possible through the support of the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (SRCSD), Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), the Regional Water Authority, and the Water Forum.

Information on becoming a Certified Sustainable Business is available on the website at

SacramentoSustainableBusiness.org, or by calling 916-649-0225.