Green Bride Guide's Green Leaf Rating System

Overview

The Green Bride Guide Green Leaf Rating System is our proprietary process for rating vendors' green practices. It has been designed to represent a company’s commitment to the environment quickly and easily. Every business in our Green Wedding Directory is assigned a Leaf Rating on a scale of one through five; companies must earn at least one leaf to qualify. 

The Leaf Rating System uses a self-administered questionnaire that each vendor must complete as part of the application process. The system then rates the response to each question and compiles the data before providing vendors with their final Leaf Rating from 1 to 5.

Constructed to accommodate large companies, independent artisans and non-profits alike, the Green Leaf Rating System provides our users with a relative indication of how many green or eco-friendly practices each company follows, and the company’s overall commitment to the environment. We encourage all vendors to apply for our system, whether they incorporate a few small green touches or are a certified green business. Since visitors to our website have a range of knowledge and interest in the green movement, we seek to provide a range of resources to meet everyone’s needs. We encourage companies to be as green as they can be, but we do not expect everyone that applies to earn five leaves.

The Application Process

During the application process, vendors are asked to evaluate each area of their business separately. This gives them the opportunity to show in detail what steps they are taking to green their general business practices, as well as the eco-friendly qualities of the products or services they provide.

The evaluation questions are divided into two sections: general business practices and industry specific practices. The general business practices are broken down into ten categories:
Mission Statement, Certifications, Offerings, Kitchen, Bathroom, Office Supplies & Marketing Materials, Transportation, Energy, Conservation and Health, Garbage & Recycling, and Community.

The industry specific section is focused on practices related to the vendor’s specialty. For instance, a photographer is asked a different set of questions than a baker or florist. A company’s rating reflects how green its practices are when compared to similar businesses.

A business that incorporates many general green practices, such as using recycled paper in the office, traveling by public transportation, or utilizing green web hosting, can earn a high Leaf Rating even if it does not exclusively offer green products or services.

To become an approved green vendor and be listed in our directory, a business must earn at least one green leaf.  However, there are no specific green practices that a company must have in order to be approved; many different combinations of eco-friendly practices equal one leaf.

Vendors who do not qualify are offered resources to help them green their businesses, and encouraged to reapply.

Self-Reporting Standards

As this is a self-reporting system, we trust our vendors’ integrity to report honestly. Businesses certify, by completing our application, that their answers are true and accurate.

Any vendor that over-rates a business or product will be removed. The Green Bride Guide compliance staff conducts random checks for accuracy, and visitors to the site are encouraged to flag companies that they believe are not honestly representing themselves. Flagged companies will be checked for accuracy as they are reported, and may be temporarily suspended during the investigation.  

Greener Business Resources

We encourage vendors to use the Green Leaf Rating System as a guide to help them adopt more green practices.

Using the Leaf System as a blueprint, vendors can review the specific criteria affecting their ratings, and see opportunities for incorporating more eco-friendly practices to increase it.  Green opportunities may range from small steps that can be implemented immediately for little cost, to larger investments that can be adopted over time.

No matter what their business’s model, budget, or resources, vendors can find ways to incorporate eco-friendly elements into their day-to-day operations. Our resources help each company find the green solutions that work for them to increase their Leaf Rating and lower their business’s impact on the environment.

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