Advice provided by: Sarah Gudeman, LEED AP, EIT, Morrissey Engineering, Inc.

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Carrie asks: There are several green restaurant certification bodies out there. I am aware of GreenSeal, EcoCrown, Dine Green and LEED for Retail. Which one is the most reputable and why? Is LEED a better option just because of the brand recognition?

Answer: Carrie, thanks for your question. The area of ‘green restaurant certifications’ is definitely one that doesn’t seem to have quite taken off yet. As I read through your list, the only two that stand out to me are Green Seal and (of course) LEED for Retail.

I suppose the question of which is more reputable is really dependant on the audience. I can speak for myself, as someone involved in the commercial building design community, that The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system is the preeminent green building design and certification program out there in terms of familiarity. And as such, I’ll assume everyone reading has a fairly detailed background on LEED already, so I’ll skip over that.

Of course there are alternatives to LEED, and of your list I’ll start with Green Seal, a self-described, “independent, non-profit organization that uses science-based standards and the power of the marketplace to create a more sustainable world.” I admit that prior to writing this article my familiarity with Green Seal was limited to its references in the LEED reference guides. IEQ credits for Low-Emitting Materials references Green Seal Standards for Commercial Adhesives GS-36), Paints (GS-11), Anti-Corrosive Paints (GC-03).

Right off the bat, I would be inclined to think that since Green Seal is referenced in LEED, it’s not a direct competitor. Upon further research, it seems that Green Seal has until recently only been in the business of certifying products, services and lodging. But two current pilot programs seem to be expanding on that. (An entire current certification list can be found at http://www.greenseal.org/findaproduct/index.cfm.) The Green Facilities Partnership aims to provide recognition based on implementation of an action plan that is specific to each partner organization’s particular challenges, opportunities and objectives. Also that “in order to achieve the highest level of the Green Facilities Partnership an organization will be expected to make all reasonable efforts to achieve LEED certification for its operations and maintenance program.” The preliminary partnership application for facilities can be found here: https://www.green-seal.net/secure/Forms/GreeningApp.aspx?type=2.

I’ve never heard of Eco Crown or Dine Green before, I’m sorry to say. But I did research both and it seems that Eco Crown leans more towards hotel and B&B certifications (though they do certify restaurants, lodges and vacation home as well) and this program comes with a $285 yearly fee. I watched the certification demo at http://ecocrownhospitality.com/second_good.swf.html and there’s no doubt that this questionnaire (multiple choice, checkboxes) is vastly less complex than LEED certification would be (which would require many hours of invested time and probably hiring a LEED consultant.

Dine Green, aka The Green Restaurant Association (GRA), is an organization I’m actually surprised to say I’ve never heard of before. The GRA is a “national non-profit organization, providing a convenient and cost-effective way for restaurants, manufacturers, distributors and consumers to become more environmentally responsible.

There are three types of certification under the GRA program: Existing Restaurants, New Builds and Events. The rating system mirrors LEED to an extent, including categories such as Water Efficiency, Waste Reduction and Recycling, Sustainable Furnishings and Building Materials, Sustainable Food, Energy, Disposables, Chemical and Pollution Reduction. More information at http://www.dinegreen.com/restaurants/. And, I think it’s worth mentioning that as a self-described foodie and locavore, I was planning on researching and visiting my local GRA certified restaurants (if I hadn’t already), before I noticed that there are none in Nebraska so far... in fact, the only certified restaurants I could find were an ice cream parlor in MO, and a pizza shoppe and grill (both in CO). So while this seems like a good program, it definitely hasn’t caught on yet.

And, as I’m sure you’re aware… LEED for Retail is still in pilot mode. So if you’re looking to build out your project in the near future, you may have to settle for another LEED rating system or an entirely different green building certification program.

Ultimately, I think if you’re looking for a simple program to help promote the fact that your restaurant is environmentally responsible, than the GRA might be the way to go. But if you’re trying to demonstrate an underlying dedication to the environment than a combination of several programs might be the way to go. LEED could make sense from a construction, energy, indoor environmental quality standpoint, while GRA or Green Seal certification would demonstrate an environmental interest in the way the restaurant and company is operated.

I suppose the fact that I had to research the other certification programs should also speak as to which is the most widely recognizable… but of course your restaurant clientele won’t all be mechanical engineers specializing in sustainable design either. Whichever route you decide to go, good luck!