Guaranteed Green

Welcome to the home of "Guaranteed Green"

The new program that allows Chicago diners to identify and support certified restaurants that have achieved a high level of environmental responsibility.

Click HERE to view a list of Guaranteed Green Chicago restaurants.

Guaranteed Green is available to any licensed foodservice establishment that becomes certified by either the Green Restaurant Association (www.dinegreen.com) or Green Seal (www.greenseal.org), two independent, national non-profits that have created comprehensive environmental standards for restaurants.
 
In order to earn certification in either program, a restaurant must achieve standards in the areas of sustainable purchasing for food, cleaning products, food serviceware and furnishings, as well as management of energy, water, waste and air quality. 
 
Once a restaurant has gotten its certification from either organization, a Guaranteed Green emblem will be placed in their front window next to the emblem from the certifying agency. They will also be recognized in numerous print media and on multiple websites, including city and state tourism sites.  Chicago Magazine will include the fork and leaf icon as part of its regular restaurant listings.

To view some of the press generated by the launch of the program, click here.
To put your restaurant on the path to becoming "Guaranteed Green," or just to learn more, information on each certification, and a side-by-side comparison, are provided below.

Green Seal

PDFGS-46 Steps to Certification – PDF-File, 66.0 KB
PDFGS-46 Standard – PDF-File, 569.7 KB
PDFGS-46 Impact Sources Savings and Solutions – PDF-File, 107.5 KB
PDFGS-46 Summary of Standard – PDF-File, 129.3 KB

The above information, and much more, can be accessed at Green Seal's GS-46 resource page: http://www.greenseal.org/certification/standards/gs46_restaurantfoodsvcs.cfm

Green Restaurant Association

PDFGRA 4.0 Standards – PDF-File, 423.9 KB

Full information on the GRA 4.0 standard can be found at http://www.dinegreen.com/restaurants/standards.asp.

Comparison Information

PDFGRA, Green Seal Comparison Sheet – PDF-File, 35.3 KB

LOGO: "Guaranteed Green" logo design by John Beske Communications, http://www.johnbeske.com/

DISCLAIMER: The GCRC endorses both the GRA 4.0 certification standards and the Green Seal GS-46 Certifiction Standard as effective means to certify that a restaurant has made significant, quantifiable steps to make its operations more environmentally friendly, and it does NOT favor or endorse one program over the other.  A restaurant that achieves either certification will be recognized as "Guaranteed Green."