Sustainable Business

Finding resources and solutions to protect the environment and our communities together.

Sustainability with Seattle Good

Our Sustainability Vision

A woman, Estela Martinez, smiling while wearing a surgical mask and holding up a cupcake towards the camera. The image has an EnviroStars watermark.
Estela Martinez, owner of Liberated Foods, pictured holding an allergen-free cupcake from her EnviroStars-recognized business Askatu Bakery.

Seattle Good Business Network and its comprehensive programming is a cluster strategy working at the intersection of industry engagement, advocacy, and community-driven initiatives.

Through our Circular Economy programming, we work to strengthen interagency collaboration and de-silo efforts across the region to help build closed-loop systems and material supply chains.

Join us in strengthen Washington’s transition from a linear, extractive economy, to a more resilient and regenerative one through strategies that center waste prevention, reuse, and repair.

EnviroStars representatives sharing resources with businesses at 21 Acres, an EnviroStars-recognized center for sustainable agriculture education.

Green Business Resources

For a more comprehensive list of resources, please visit Sustainability Resources.

Find sustainable businesses near you using the GreenBiz Directory. From furniture to food, this directory has it covered.

Want to see your business listed? Get listed for free when you become EnviroStars-recognized.

EnviroStars is a one-stop shop for Washington businesses to access environmental assistance and gain recognition for being green.

Through the program, businesses can receive free technical assistance, connect with rebates and resources, and follow a clear path to sustainability.

Have questions about the program or need help on your application? Book a free 30 minute consultation here.

For Seattle businesses, claim free sustainability tools for your brick & mortar space here.

See testimonials and more info here.

Reuse Seattle Rebate – Apply for incentives to move your business from single-use to reuse. The rebate can be valued to up to $500.

King County Voucher Incentive Program (VIP) – The Voucher Incentive Program (VIP) pays 75% reimbursement up to a maximum of $599 per site to King County businesses that qualify as small quantity generators (SQGs) of hazardous waste for improving the way they manage their hazardous materials.

Washington businesses can easily access sustainability rebates in their city or county by starting an EnviroStars application and asking an EnviroStars representative for rebates by geography & category.

Additional rebates and cost-saving resources are listed in the main guide.

EnviroStars offers a free carbon calculator developed by UC Berkeley. Access the calculator in the “Reports” section of your EnviroStars profile. Get started with a profile here.

The B Impact Assessment evaluates how your company’s operations and business model impact your workers, community, environment, and customers.

Impacti is a digital platform for sustainability impact measuring and goal setting. They believe sustainability tools have to be accessible, affordable & connected to make sustainability everyone’s business.

Carbonalyser is a browser extension that allows users to visualize the electricity consumption and greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions that your Internet browsing leads to.

General – King County businesses and residents can find out where to recycle or dispose of a variety of items or appliances here.

Textiles – Textiles can be recycled in King County through ThreadCycle. Find the nearest recycling location here.

Plastic Bags – Locate the nearest plastic bag recycling options here.

Lumber – Clean wood can be recycled at some transfer stations in King and Pierce County, including the Shoreline Transfer Station.

Repairing Items – If you have an item or appliance in need of repair, check out this directory made by Zero Waste Washington’s Repair Economy program to find a business or fix-it cafe near you.

Want to help your customers and staff correctly sort trash, recycling, and compost? Contact your local municipality to get waste signage. Businesses in Seattle can get free waste signage from Seattle Public Utilities here.

The PreCycle Innovation Challenge is an annual online six-week pitch competition and training series for innovative startups working to prevent, reduce, or reuse waste in support of a more circular and just Washington State.

PreCycle is a collaborative program by nonprofit organizations Seattle Good Business Network and Zero Waste Washington.

NextCycle Washington offers two programs to support startups entering Washington’s circular eocnomy.

The Circular Accelerator Program consists of competitive challenges designed to identify and support promising circular businesses and projects. Applicants are selected for a six-month program to their ventures.

Renew Seed Grants are a great starting point for incubating new innovative businesses or projects within Washington’s circular economy. These grants combine an infusion of direct funding with expert technical assistance and mentorship for early-stage ventures.

Good Food Exchange – The Good Food Exchange (GFX) connects local food businesses and food security organizations with low-cost, good food collected from retail rejections. 

FreeCycle – A grassroots & entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving and getting stuff for free in their own Towns. It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Membership is free.

ReCapturIt – A platform made to amplify the flow of recaptured building materials into new construction and new use. Sellers and buyers can connect and keep valuable materials, one of a kind materials and historical artifacts out of the dump.

OfferUp – A simple platform to buy and sell items locally. You can download the app or use the website. OfferUp does not charge fees and is free to use.

While I've made numerous changes to my studio environment and how I work, more importantly, I've realized sustainability and ecologically minded practices have become integral to how I think about my business. Everything I do, I consider, what are the long term environmental impacts of this action or this design, can I do it better, make it less wasteful, use less energy. Thinking this way has now become second nature.
Lori DevineFounder & Lead Designer, LOLiDE
indi chocolate works to always be improving our sustainability, from the farms and farmers we work with, our packaging and home in Pike Place Market's only LEED Certified building, as well as our practices to reduce waste.
Erin AndrewsOwner, indi chocolate
EnviroStars benefitted PlantBaby prior to going to market by providing a sustainability, waste, and an environmental framework to consider while developing "who we want to be" in these areas. We decided we wanted our business to be one that can grow without any associated environmental harm. This is our north star.
Jay GalligherOwner, PlantBaby
An important component of WEND is our ability to transform old, unworn heirloom jewelry into pieces that they would love to wear. We re-use the metal and gemstones as often as we can - it is the truest form of recycling and keeping the heirloom's energy alive.
Wendy WoldenbergOwner & Lead Designer, WEND Jewelry
Since we took over ownership of Lawrence & Scott in late 2018, we have been able to lower our energy use by over 80% [through EnviroStars].
Leo LamOwner, Lawrence & Scott
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Defining the Circular Economy

A Circular Economy aims to redefine the way we live, work, and do business. It changes our extractive “take, use, and throw away” model, to a more environmentally and socially regenerative one.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Thank You to Our Circular Economy Sponsors and Partners