EcoBizNYC

CONTACT: Tara DePorte, Program Director, Lower East Side Ecology Center
Tara@LESEcologyCenter.org, (212)477-4022

DESCRIPTION: EcoBiz NYC is the Lower East Side Ecology Center's latest program to promote sustainability in NYC, one small business at a time. The Lower East Side Ecology Center is a community based non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, has had three objectives during its 21 years of environmental activism in New York City:
  1. Providing recycling and compost programs to supplement existing NYC curbside programs;
  2. Developing local stewardship of public open space; and
  3. Increasing community awareness, involvement, and youth development through environmental education programs.
EcoBizNYC's mission is to help small businesses, students, and the general public to actively reduce air pollution, carbon emissions and airborne environmental health hazards in NYC through environmental auditing, education, and action.

EcoBizNYC's initiatives will provide small businesses with resources on how to reduce their overall emissions, negative impacts on community health, and to increase their community support, while saving money and increasing their community involvement, including:
  • Training for area students in environmental auditing, monitoring, and community outreach;
  • Free workshops on "greening your business", including tips on energy efficiency, greenspace creation, and more;
  • A rating a certification system that gives an in-depth analysis of the emissions impact of participating businesses;
  • Thorough step-by-step recommendation guides for bringing environmental sustainability into small businesses;
  • Resource and vendor guides to assist with achieving recommendations;
  • A one-stop-guide to incentives available to small businesses in NYC for environmental sustainability;
  • Free advertising and community outreach for participating small businesses
  • and MORE!
EcoBizNYC participants include small businesses located in NYC.


WEBSITE: www.EcoBizNYC.org

FREE RESOURCES: The Lower East Side Ecology Center has received support from Community Board 3 to provide small businesses in the area of 6th Street to 14th Street, East of First Avenue with free lifetime participation in the EcoBizNYC Program. Upon completion of the first year of the EcoBizNYC Program, businesses who have taken significant action to reduce emissions from their businesses will be included in a Green Business Map, will receive an EcoBizNYC decal with their level of sustainability for their storefront, and will have access to free online and print advertising. The overall goals for the program are, as follows:

  1. Outreach and have free sustainable business practice education available to all small businesses in the community
  2. Enroll 20% of the local businesses in the program during the 2008-2009 period
  3. Establish baseline “environmental scorecards” for all participating businesses
  4. Train youth in air pollution, carbon emissions, advocacy, environmental assessment, and business marketing
  5. Have a 30% or more reduction in emissions from participating businesses as a result of recommendations and internal competition/marketing scheme for the program
  6. Provide qualifying businesses with “sustainability kits”/grants for retrofitting their establishments
  7. Provide participating businesses with information on over $2million in incentives for small businesses becoming more sustainable
  8. Provide participating businesses with NYSERDA-certified energy audits (provided by EME)
  9. Create a successful environmental sustainability certification and marketing program for small businesses in NYC
OTHER RESOURCES: Businesses located in other areas of NYC are able to participate in EcoBizNYC for a nominal fee. Community-based groups, B.I.D.s and other organizations are encouraged to sponsor local business participation.