GUIDE TO CERTIFICATION

August 2021

Green Business Certification, Inc (GBCI)

Washington, DC
OVERVIEW
GBCI’s TRUE certification program helps projects define, pursue and achieve their zero
waste goals, cutting their carbon footprint and supporting public health. The certification
goes beyond diversion numbers and focuses on the upstream policies and practices that
make zero waste successful in any organization and beyond.

TRUE certified spaces and events are environmentally responsible, more resource
efficient and help turn waste into savings and additional income streams. By closing the
loop, they cut greenhouse gases, manage risk, reduce litter and pollution, reinvest
resources locally, create jobs and add more value for their organization and community.
TRUE certified projects:

• Save money: Waste is a sign of inefficiency and the reduction of waste reduces
costs.

• Progress faster: A zero waste strategy improves upon production processes and
environmental prevention strategies, which can lead to larger, more innovative
steps.

• Support sustainability: A zero waste strategy supports the three P’s – people,
planet and profit.

• Improve material flows: A zero waste strategy uses fewer new raw materials and
sends no waste materials to landfills, incineration (waste-to-energy) and the
environment.

Implementing the requirements and credits of TRUE certification has the following
benefits to any project looking for a better approach to resource use and operations:

● Helps eliminate pollution — in our air, water and land — which threaten public
health and ecosystems

● Improves their bottom line by reducing costs

● Cuts the ecological footprint by reducing materials, using recycled and more
benign materials, and giving products longer lives by increasing reparability and
ease of disassembly at end of life.

● Promotes positive forces for environmental and economic sustainability in the

built environment by protecting the environment, reducing costs, driving the
development of new markets, and producing jobs throughout our economy.

● Fosters strong total participation including training of all people and zero waste
relationships with vendors and customers

● Allows the project to showcase their responsibility to the local and global
community, and to the environment

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 Certification Levels

Certified: 31-37 points Silver: 38-45 points Gold: 46-63 points Platinum: 64-81 points

Overview of Categories & Points

Redesign 4 Leadership 6
Reduce 7 Training 8
Reuse 7 Zero Waste Analysis 5
Compost (Re-earth) 7 Upstream Management 4
Recycle 3 Hazardous Waste Prevention 5
Zero Waste Reporting 4 Closed Loop System 4
Diversion (Min 90%) 5 Innovation 3
Zero Waste Purchasing 9 Total Points 81

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DEFINITIONS
Project

Individual Project Campus Group Project Regional Group Project

(same site, certifying as one) (different sites, certifying as one)

1. Individual project: Refers to a single building that is pursuing TRUE precertification

and/or certification. The individual building must demonstrate full compliance
with the rating system requirements to achieve TRUE certification (and/or
precertification). An individual project can be one of multiple projects in a
portfolio or could be one of multiple buildings on a campus.

2. Group project: A group of buildings pursing TRUE precertification and/or

certification as one project. A group project may be of two types:

a. Campus Group Project (same site): Multiple buildings on a campus (on

one property) may receive TRUE certification as a group based on data
and documentation aggregated across all buildings. As a group, the
buildings must demonstrate compliance with all requirements to achieve
TRUE certification. Since recognition is being achieved as one project, the
campus may use the standard TRUE certification process to achieve
certification (the portfolio approach would not apply). Note information
for all buildings that are part of the group must be submitted at the same
time. Campuses that wish to certify buildings or groups of buildings
incrementally over time may be considered a portfolio and utilize the TRUE
Portfolio Approach (see the TRUE Portfolio Guide for further details).

b. Regional Group Project (different sites): Multiple buildings in different

locations (on separate properties) in a region may receive TRUE
certification as one based on data and documentation aggregated
across all buildings, provided all the following conditions are met:

• The properties are in the same region (less than 100 miles).
• They physically coalesce and manage materials together.
• They are functionally dependent and operate as one.
• All TRUE requirements are met using aggregate data and activities.
• All properties must be submitted at the same time.

Note that for both group project scenarios above, organizations must
message their recognition as a group recognition and not as each
building having achieved the recognition individually. The buildings should
be described as part of a group certification, and not individually
certified.

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Portfolio

Portfolio Projects may be located at AND/OR Portfolio projects may be located on

different sites the same site

A portfolio is a collection of individual and/or group projects owned or managed by a

single organization. Projects in the portfolio can be different sizes and located in different
regions across the world or on one property (such as a campus certifying incrementally
as a portfolio). TRUE certification is issued to the individual or group project within the
portfolio, the portfolio itself does not receive a combined certification.

Note: a portfolio may promote achievement of TRUE certification for the total
number/percentage of buildings in its portfolio. For instance, a portfolio organization may
indicate “a certain percentage of projects in their portfolio are TRUE certified.” Similarly, a
campus pursuing the Portfolio approach where TRUE certification is achieved for all
buildings on the campus over a period of time may indicate that “all buildings on the
campus are TRUE certified.”

The following decision tree may also be a helpful tool to understand the various options
for projects to engage with TRUE:

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Please see the TRUE Portfolio Guide for more details on the process for certifying a
portfolio of projects. If assistance is needed defining the portfolio(s) and the projects
within it, utilize the TRUE Portfolio Assessment Tool and/or contact us to be put in touch
with a TRUE team member.

ELIGIBILITY
TRUE precertification and certification are available for any physical facility and its
operations, including buildings owned by: businesses, property managers, schools,
government agencies and nonprofits. Tenants within a multi-tenant building or buildings
within a broader campus may pursue recognition from TRUE, so long as they are able to
quantify their individual waste generation and diversion tonnages. The project must have
achieved an average 90% or greater overall diversion from landfill, incineration (WTE),
and the environment for solid, non-hazardous wastes for the most recent 12 months to
qualify for certification. For a complete list of minimum program and credit requirements
for certification, see the TRUE rating system on the Resources webpage of the TRUE
website.

In addition to facilities, construction sites and events are also eligible to receive
recognition from TRUE. Any site currently undergoing construction is eligible for
precertification. Construction sites may also submit for certification after completion of
construction. Eligible events include public or private organized gatherings of people at
a predetermined time and place (such as conferences, festivals, entertainment or
sporting events, etc.) View the Technical Guide for Events on the Resources webpage for
more information on fees, review process, requirements, and more.

For any unique project types outside of an event, facility, or construction site please
contact GBCI at [email protected].

FEES
Registration fee: The registration fee is a flat fee charged on a per project basis and must
be paid at the time of registration.

Certification fee: The certification fee is charged on a per project basis and must be paid
prior to submitting your application for certification. For facilities, the fee is based on
facility square footage and includes the standard services described below. There are
discounts for USGBC Silver, Gold and Platinum level members; for completing
precertification, and for paying the registration and certification fees together.

Other fees: Other fees for optional services, including expedited and supplemental
reviews, may apply. The fees for precertification, recertification, events, and portfolios of
projects differ from the standard fees for facilities.

View the fee chart on the TRUE website for pricing >>

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CERTIFICATION PROCESS
The TRUE certification program rates how well projects perform in minimizing their non-
hazardous, solid wastes and maximizing their efficiency in the use of resources. First,
become familiar with the requirements and the available credits in the TRUE rating
system. If needed, an introductory call can be scheduled to answer any questions where
the information is not available in published guidance and/or the project has a unique or
complex scenario requiring additional discussion. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with
the rating system and assessed your readiness, you can register your project(s). It is
advised to register your project(s) at least 16-18 weeks (4 months) before any targeted
date to receive recognition by.

If your organization has a portfolio of more than 5 projects pursuing TRUE precertification
or certification, a streamlined documentation submission and review process is available.
Please contact us at [email protected] for more information.

1. Register
Register your project(s) by completing the registration form online and submitting
payment for the registration fee. Once you’ve submitted your registration form, you will
receive the necessary information and guidance via email to complete the registration
process.

When registration is complete, GBCI will provide access to additional certification

resources and information, a link to submit documentation, and forms to complete the
submission and review process. When contacting GBCI regarding your project at any
time during the registration and review process, please always reply to the latest email
from GBCI ([email protected]). This ensures that GBCI links all communications to your
project. Non-technical correspondence or questions unrelated to your project submission
should be sent to [email protected].

Determining Your Privacy Designation

During registration, you will be asked whether your project(s) should be considered
public or private. Each designation is defined below. You may change the privacy
designation for your project(s) at any time.

Public: the project name, address, identity of the owner, owner organization type,
project gross square footage, date of certification, and case study may be
included in TRUE project lists, publicity, and in the online project directory.

Private: the project name, street address and identity of the owner will not
appear in public TRUE project lists, publicity, or in the online directory. However,
certain other non-identifying information may be disclosed including but not
limited to: the city and state in which the project is located, the total project
square footage, the date of certification, and level of certification achieved. The
required case study will also remain private, unless an anonymized version is
made available or GBCI receives written consent to share publicly. For so long as
you elect for your project to be private, you agree that you will not represent your
project to the general public as having registered or applied for certification, or
as being certified.

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Documents, data, or forms submitted during the certification process will not be made
public without the express written consent of the project or portfolio owner. Please refer
to the TRUE Certification Agreement for more details.

Important Considerations

Precertification (optional pathway)

TRUE precertification recognizes projects which have implemented the fundamental

actions and policies needed to effectively pursue zero waste and have demonstrated a
commitment to achieving TRUE certification. Precertification is available to all projects
regardless of the level of diversion performance that has been achieved. It is an
optional, incremental pathway to TRUE certification that prioritizes the core actions
essential to getting a successful start toward zero waste. View the Precertification
Guidance document on the Resources webpage for more information on
precertification review process, requirements, and more.

2. Apply
To apply for precertification, certification, or recertification, your team will collect
information and documents, perform analyses, complete narratives in the application
form, take photos, and prepare new documentation demonstrating your achievements
of the selected credits. For documents in languages other than English, at a minimum the
section(s) of the document showing the credit requirement has been met must be
translated into English. Technical questions that arise while preparing your application
should be sent via reply to the most recent email from GBCI, or to [email protected].
Additionally, a pre-submission phone call can be arranged to answer any questions on
the application before submittal.

Before you are ready for review, submit payment for the certification fee (if it hasn’t been
pre-paid during registration). Please note that your certification fee payment must be
received and all documentation completed before your review can be initiated. After
you submit your documentation for any type of review (precertification, certification, or
recertification), it may take up to 10 weeks for you to receive your final results. Therefore,
it is advised to submit a completed TRUE Application Form and documentation for review
at least 10 weeks before any targeted date to receive recognition by. For tips on
planning your timeline, see our article How to meet your certification goal date.

3. Review
Preliminary Documentation Review (15 business days/3 weeks)

After you’ve submitted your documentation and the certification fee payment has
cleared, GBCI will review your application for completeness and compliance with the
TRUE rating system and attempted credits. GBCI will respond with its preliminary review
report within 15 business days (3 weeks), indicating which credits are awarded and
which are pending, with a request for more information for pending credits. Your team
can accept the preliminary review results as final if all minimum program requirements
are met and you are satisfied with the point total. Otherwise, prepare new or revised
documentation in response to the preliminary review comments, and/or attempt

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additional credits before submitting for final review. GBCI suggests that you submit all
updated documentation within 20 business days (4 weeks).

If needed, you will have the option of requesting a post-review conference call with your
assessor to discuss the review comments.

Final Review (15 business days/3 weeks)

GBCI will review revised or newly submitted credits. GBCI will prepare a final review report
indicating which credits have been earned, the final point score, and certification level
achieved. Once you have received this report, you may accept the results or choose to
attempt new credits via an additional, supplemental round of review (15 Business days/3
weeks, additional fees apply). Note: if new credits are added to the final review, they will
only receive one round of review with no opportunity for comments from GBCI or
submittal of additional information in response. The project team will have to submit for
additional supplemental round of review (additional fees apply) to submit any
clarifications.

Accepting the final review results is the last step in the review portion of the TRUE
certification process. Once you’ve accepted the final review report you can no longer
submit supplemental reviews or challenge a credit ruling.

Important Considerations

• During preliminary or final review, if there is missing or insufficient documentation

that prevents GBCI from finalizing the review, GBCI may issue a mid-review
clarification request for additional information. If requested, clarifications should
be submitted within 10 business days of receiving the mid-review clarification
request. Note a mid-review clarification is issued at GBCI’s discretion and may not
be requested by the project team.

• GBCI may also at its discretion, request for conference calls and/or site visits
(virtual or in-person) to ask for clarifications or verify the accuracy of information
provided. If this is done, sufficient notice will be provided to the project team.

• If you have any questions about your review comments or final credit rulings,
please contact us by replying to your results email. Our technical experts are here
to help and are on-hand to answer your questions.

• In instances where we are unable to completely resolve your concerns, and in

order to protect the integrity and fairness of the certification programs
administered by GBCI, you may formally challenge a ruling. Please refer to the
GBCI Review Challenge Policy for more details.

4. Certify
Upon accepting the certification results, GBCI will issue your certification and you will
receive an email with next steps, including: instructions on ordering an official award
letter, formal certificate and a glass plaque; a request to complete a project profile
page for the TRUE project directory; and instructions on submitting the required case
study of your certification (due within 30 days). The case study and project profile give

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you the opportunity to share your project strategies, photos, and insights; and play a
pivotal role in educating others. All inquiries after the certification process is complete
should be directed to [email protected] or via reply to the most recent email received from
GBCI.

After you’ve earned recognition from TRUE, we can help you celebrate and share your
achievement. GBCI will provide the TRUE Public Relations Guide and our Marketing team
can help promote your achievement on GBCI platforms.

Important Considerations

Certification Maintenance

To maintain your certification, GBCI requires you to continue the zero waste activities and
programs that achieved TRUE requirements. To demonstrate compliance and a
continued commitment to zero waste, you must submit waste diversion data to GBCI
annually. Events and construction projects are not subject to annual certification
maintenance requirements, as they are one-time occurrences. Precertification projects
also do not have any maintenance requirements (see the Precertification Guidance
document for more details).

In addition to annual maintenance requirements, some projects may need to recertify

every three years to maintain their TRUE certification. Policies on when the certification
expires and how to maintain certification will differ based on when the project was
registered.

Projects registered on or after September 1, 2020

TRUE certification remains valid for three years. The certification is maintained by
complying with the annual maintenance requirements, as stipulated in the
preceding section, and by recertifying every three years. If you do not provide
annual data for three consecutive years and do not recertify your project at the
three year anniversary, the project will no longer be considered certified. You will
be required to recertify the project by following the process and fees outlined in
the Certification Maintenance and Recertification Guidance document on
the Resources webpage.

Projects registered before September 1, 2020

TRUE certification has no set term of validity and no additional fees are due, as
long as you maintain certification by complying with the annual maintenance
requirements stipulated in the preceding section. Certified projects that were
registered before September 1, 2020 and do not provide annual data for three
consecutive years will no longer be considered certified. You will be required to
recertify the project by following the process and fees outlined in the Certification
Maintenance and Recertification Guidance document on
the Resources webpage.

Revocation of certification

In rare situations, TRUE certification may be revoked. We’ve also created the GBCI
Certification Challenge Policy to ensure that TRUE projects and subsequent assessments
by GBCI team members are done so with integrity, accuracy and truthfulness. A

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certification challenge may be initiated by GBCI or by any third party within 18 months of
a project’s certification. We recommend that you retain all project documentation
related to your certification for two years in case of a challenge. In the instance a
certification challenge is issued, GBCI may perform an additional site inspection.

5. Recertify

TRUE recertification recognizes projects that engage in a continuous improvement

process and demonstrate leadership after achieving TRUE Certification by maintaining or
improving their zero waste efforts. You may recertify your project to maintain
certification, reinstate a certification that is no longer valid, pursue additional points to
upgrade the certification level achieved, or after the facility has moved. If your project
was registered before September 1, 2020 and you elect to recertify to increase your
certification level, or recertify after a facility move, the new certification will be valid for
three years and subject to the certification validity policy for projects registered on or
after September 1, 2020. View the Certification Maintenance and Recertification
Guidance document on the Resources webpage for more information on recertification
policies, review process, requirements, and more.

Note: TRUE certified events are not eligible for recertification. Recurring events must go
through the regular certification process each time the event occurs.

RESOURCES & TOOLS

We offer a number of resources and tools to support you during the TRUE certification
process, most of which are available at true.gbci.org:

TRUE Advisor Certificate Program

Upcoming Events
Project Directory
Articles
PR Guidelines
Resources (rating system, application form, guidance documents, tools, and more)
USGBC Education Hub (TRUE and zero waste educational videos, courses, case studies
and more)
USGBC Membership

For more information, email us at [email protected].

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