Anonymous
Submitted to edhat.com
The Santa Barbara County Green Business Program has recently revealed the Chumash Casino Resort as its latest Green Business Innovator. This prestigious certification indicates the casino resort has surpassed expectations and put extraordinary effort into adopting eco-friendly practices, fighting climate change, and improving social equity. “It has been an honor for our program to work with an organization that is continuously striving to be the best of the best. They are an inspiration to many in our Green Business Network,” said Kori Neilsen, Green Business Program director.
Achieving zero waste
The Chumash Casino Resort – owned by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians – is the seventh-biggest tribal casino in California, with the state currently being home to 67 Native-owned gaming casinos in total. In addition to the casino, the resort also features a hotel with over 300 rooms, fine-dining restaurant, five food outlets, and a spa. The casino resort also already has a long-history of eco-friendly behaviors. For instance, in 2014, they started implementing zero waste practices, and within just five years, were awarded TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) certification from the Green Business Certification Inc. A zero waste certification program, TRUE is “dedicated to measuring, improving and recognizing zero waste performance”. The casino resort specifically achieved TRUE Silver level – a rating held by just ten other operations in the country. It’s also the first casino in both Santa Barbara County and Indian Country to have TRUE certification, as well as the second business in California to achieve Silver. In 2021, the casino resort also increased reducing, reusing, and recycling, and consequently slashed their landfill waste by 93%.
Inspiring local businesses
The Chumash Casino Resort is an inspiration for other businesses looking to innovate in the area of sustainability. As many as 76% of Americans think businesses should care about climate change, while 87% will purchase from a company if they speak out about an issue they care about. Becoming a B Corp, in particular, is a great way a business can signify it’s committed to making a positive environmental impact, as well as turning a profit. Businesses under a year old can instead apply for Pending B Corp status – which involves taking a B Impact Assessment. Otherwise, for businesses not yet ready for this legal structure, an LLC is a useful option. LLCs let businesses take advantage of both partnership and corporation business structures, so they’re better protected from personal liability. A registered agent California can take care of the paperwork involved in LLC filing, and ensure everything is submitted correctly.
Innovative eco-friendly practices
When it comes to specific eco-friendly practice, the Chumash Casino Resort has implemented a host of innovative front-of-house green measures. For example, they work with the Clean the World Foundation to donate hygiene products to people affected by poverty worldwide. Not only does this prevent needless waste, but also makes sure vital, minimally-used products like soap go to a good cause. The casino resort also uses recycled materials where possible, along with biodegradable kitchenware. In the bathroom, paper towels have been replaced with Airblade hand dryers. As a result, over 18,000 paper towels are saved every year. In the Willows restaurant, a water purification system decreases the need for bottled water – the bottled water industry generates around 25 million tons of plastic waste every year. To further prevent waste, the casino resort has also drastically cut down on single-use packaging.
And, that’s not all. The casino resort has also implemented a myriad of back-of-house sustainable practices to further make a positive impact on the environment. In particular, they’re working with Central Coast Oil Management to collect and recycle waste cooking oil, while organic waste generated from landscaping is also used for mulch and compost. Staff are also encouraged to use reusable water bottles; hydration stations are available, so they can refill their bottles when needed – rather than relying on plastic water bottles. The casino resort also belongs to the EPA’s Food Recovery Program – winning two of the program’s awards in 2014 and 2016. As part of this program, the casino resort makes sure to compost paper and food scraps.
“As the original stewards of this land, our tribe remains committed to environmental sustainability,” said Kenneth Kahn, tribal chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. “We are proud of the local partnerships we’ve formed and our Chumash Casino Resort recycling programs that help divert significant amounts of waste from local landfills,” he said.
