Become a completely remote company, requiring no office space or regular transportation to/from work

Upgrade from older fluorescent T12, T8 and T5 lamps to LED alternatives

Rent or purchase a building that is close to public transportation stops and bike paths

Implement a green procurement policy

50-74% of your workdays are remote

Implement a comprehensive recycling program

Install faucets with controls that turn off automatically (motion sensors)

Implement a sustainability process and standard for all meetings, conferences, and events

Optimize your on-premise servers and business systems by ensuring the hardware is up-to-date and energy efficient

Create a fund/scholarship for local youth to pursue higher education

Create a pathway program for local youths to intern and eventually become employed at your company

Create an executive leadership team with women, minorities, and people from underrepresented communities in top leadership roles

Meet if not exceed Federal and State regulations for your industry

Eliminate all single-use paper, styrofoam or plastic cups, plates, and utensils in the kitchen area. Use reusable mugs, dishes, and silverware instead

Schedule regular maintenance on company vehicles to ensure each vehicle is operating as efficiently as possible to reduce emissions

Perform a yearly assessment of all suppliers/vendors’ environmental and social practices in comparison to your company’s commitments

Provide a product or service, as part of your company’s core strategy, that delivers a social or environmental benefit and/or focuses on an underserved part of the community.

Provide a benefits package that meets the needs of employees, and is well-defined, accessible and transparent to all workers

Provide a living wage for all employees, at all levels of the organization including both full time and part time workers

Donate surplus meals and edible food items

Use chlorine-free and FSC-certified paper products

Purchase all office paper products made from 50-100% recycled materials

Arrange the workspace to take advantage of areas with natural sunlight

Purchase or lease used or recycled office equipment and furniture

Philanthropically donate a percentage of your revenue or profits and/or company time to an environmental cause

Reserve at least one day a year when your company volunteers for local environmental or community projects (e.g., Habitat for Humanity, Earth Day, Save a Tree)

Purchase ENERGY STAR qualified or similarly highly efficient appliances

Develop an office thermostat policy that maintains internal air temperature within the recommended temperature range, and eliminates A/C and heating usage when the building is not occupied

Provide equitable opportunities to ensure women have equal access to employment, leadership roles, and pay

Provide fair and appropriate breaks for workers based on hours worked and enforce a strict policy that they must take them

Institute a policy for providing training, certification, and professional development opportunities to employees

Adhere to labor, child labor, forced labor, and reasonable working hour laws and practices

Properly dispose of all hazardous waste materials including batteries, paint and chemicals, lightbulbs, aerosol cans, and electronics

Install a filtered water tap or water bottle refill station that provide high-quality drinking water

Become an annual sponsor, making a substantial contribution to a meaningful event promoting sustainability in your area

Significantly limit the amount of physical marketing materials you produce

Use environmentally-friendly, non-toxic, bio-based cleaning products

Replace regular light bulbs with LED bulbs

Establish a paperless billing program for your customers

Have accessible green space somewhere onsite or in close proximity to grounds

Regularly evaluate employee satisfaction through interviews, surveys, or calculation of employee net promoter score

Choose paperless billing with vendors, business partners, and suppliers when possible

Eliminate unnecessary paper usage as much as possible including forms, contracts, meeting agendas and materials, proofs, and drafts

Conduct exit interviews to gain insights on company culture and operations and make improvements based on feedback

Give opportunity for all employees to provide feedback of any kind and feel secure and empowered to do so

Place a company employee on the organizing committee for a sustainability event

Become an active member, either by serving on the board, donating or volunteering time for an organization that continually works to improve the environment

Recycle or sell your used toner cartridges

Purchase recycled or remanufactured toner cartridges

Reduce junk mail by removing your organization’s name from national direct marketing databases

Use reusable cleaning products such as towels and sponges, eliminating paper towels

Print and copy double-sided only

Choose bio-based, reused, recycled, recyclable, or FSC certified boxes and bags for shipping

Reuse, sell, or donate used or unneeded furniture, equipment, and office supplies

Use virtual meeting platforms to replace travel when possible

Communicate your social responsibility initiatives with customers and other stakeholders in a way that clearly defines your company values, policies, objectives and actual performance

Add shades/window covering to reduce heat gain

Provide regular formal review, linked to a comprehensive development plan, with clear and constructive feedback to all employees

Provide a trusted, impartial and empowered 3rd party for the remediation of significant conflicts arising between employees and the business/business leaders

Uphold your company’s responsibility to shareholders through shareholder meetings

Conduct regular cyber/data security checks

Accept and evaluate employee’s feedback about violations of your corporate ethics and conduct policy

Create and implement an employee code of conduct

Train employees on your cyber/data security policies and what to do in case of a potential breach

Purchase trash liners made from 50-100% recycled materials

Assist at least one other business in learning about sustainability, social responsibility, and environmental business efforts and encourage them to join GBB

Commit to inviting, receiving and acting upon customer and community feedback in a welcoming and constructive way at all times.

Implement a conflict of interest policy for your board of directors and senior management

Organize a sustainability committee to lead your organization’s sustainability program

Complete the GBB getting started steps

Develop a sustainability mission statement for your business and define your company’s core commitments

Populate your company’s sustainability accomplishments in your profile

Announce your commitment to GBB to all employees

Use natural odor elimination

Relax the office dress code to allow for attire that doesn’t require dry cleaning