Extended Deadline! Applications will be accepted through July 1, 2025

Certify Circularity NY (C2NY) supports businesses across New York State to adopt sustainable materials management practices and achieve TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Precertification and Certification for Zero Waste. This program drives environmental, economic, and social benefits by advancing workplace sustainability, boosting efficiency, and reducing waste.

Learn more about how the program works below.

Apply by July 1, 2025

About the Program

CSMM and GBCI will support up to six projects:

  • CSMM will provide project management and technical assistance to selected businesses and organizations.

  • Costs will be subsidized by both CSMM and GBCI. Awarded businesses and organizations will be responsible for a discounted project registration fee of $1,000 to be paid directly to GBCI.

  • One TRUE Advisor registration will be included for each selected project. TRUE Advisor accreditation must be completed prior to project kick-off.

Businesses and organizations MUST meet the following criteria:

  • Facility must be located in New York State

  • Small to medium size facilities preferred, but not required

  • Have strong waste reduction goals and policies

  • Have funds to cover discounted project registration fee of $1,000

  • Have at least one dedicated sustainability staff member to complete TRUE Advisor accreditation training (one registration included with program) and perform TRUE Certification application activities (~5-10 hr/week)

  • Projects located in environmental justice communities and MWBE-owned businesses will be prioritized

Project Partners that Achieved TRUE Precertification:

Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is a caring, local person-centered nonprofit organization that does a lot of good across the Greater Rochester community and the Finger Lakes Region. Goodwill upholds its mission of “Elevating people, community, and planet for a good today, and a better tomorrow” by creating employment opportunities for people with barriers to independence while generating revenue to support community programs and services. Goodwill of the Finger Lakes achieved TRUE Precertification in February 2025.

UBS Arena, the state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue that opened in November 2021, serves as the home for the NHL’s New York Islanders. The arena takes pride in their growing sustainability initiatives, all while providing fans with an unparalleled entertainment experience. UBS Arena is a LEED v4 certified venue and is a founding member of the Green Operations and Advanced Leadership (GOAL) program. UBS Arena achieved TRUE Precertification in January 2024 and then achieved TRUE Certification at the Silver level in March 2024.

Project Partners that Achieved TRUE Certification:

Chanel (5th Avenue Location), one of the world’s leading luxury brands leads their US operations out of New York City. Dedicated to exceptional creation, the company invests significantly in R&D, sustainable development and innovation.

Maison Jar is a small woman-owned, neighborhood low waste grocery and refillery serving the Greenpoint community in Brooklyn. They focus on not only providing a low-waste experience for customers, but also strive to reduce waste between the store and their vendors. Maison Jar achieved TRUE Certification at the Gold level in April 2025.

Re:Dish, a woman-owned New York based company, provides reuse-as-a-service to clients, supplying the warewashing infrastructure and software that makes reuse possible at scale. Re:Dish helps companies, schools, hospitals, senior living communities, production sets, arenas – all places where large numbers of people are dining – move away from single-use disposable packaging and towards an operations process that prioritizes reuse. Re:Dish's flexible reuse washing model allows them to address a variety of client needs, from reducing disposable packaging waste generated by cafeterias and other large food service settings to supporting the washing infrastructure and tracking for other reusable services. Re:Dish achieved TRUE Certification at the Gold level in August 2024.

An Earth Day Celebration Webinar:
One Year of Progress Toward Zero Waste

The Center for Sustainable Materials Management (CSMM) was joined by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to celebrate the success of the inaugural cohort of their partnership program and announced the launch of program's next round: Certify Circularity New York (C2NY).

During the webinar, Delaney Demro, CSMM Project Manager, and Celeste McMickle, USGBC Market Transformation Director for TRUE Certification for Zero Waste, discussed the origins of the program and how the partnership supports CSMM's and USGBC's organizational goals. Following the virtual fireside chat, we heard from Joyel Bennett with Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, Larasati Vitoux with Maison Jar, and Anita Schwartz with Re:Dish Co. about their experiences earning TRUE Precertification and TRUE Certification through the program.

"We are excited to share the lessons learned through these partnerships to increase public education and engage more New York employees and residents in workplace sustainability,”

- Kate Walker, CSMM’s Executive Director

“As markets continue to urbanize and industrialize, cities and businesses are faced with an increasing amount of waste that puts strain on resources and communities. By pursuing TRUE certification, these six projects are not only diverting 90% of their waste, they are also helping turn waste into savings and potentially new income streams.”

- Celeste McMickle, GBCI’s Client Relations Director with TRUE

Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE)

Administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), TRUE Certification helps facilities measure, improve and recognize zero waste performance by encouraging the adoption of sustainable waste management and reduction practices, which contribute to positive environmental, health, and economic outcomes. The TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) rating system offers a comprehensive framework to help facilities, portfolios, events, and even construction sites design waste out of their system and commit to a streamlined, circular model.

Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) 

GBCI is the world’s leading sustainability and health certification and credentialing body. Established in 2008, GBCI exclusively administers project certifications and professional credentials and certificates within the framework of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating systems, as well as the PEER standard for power systems, the WELL Building Standard, the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES), EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies), TRUE certification for zero waste and Investor Confidence Project (ICP) for energy efficiency retrofits. Visit gbci.org.