In 2018, twenty Culver City business achieved Sustainable Business Certification, eight of whom achieved Certified Innovator status.
Collectively they save 98,019 kWh of electricity and 853,549 gallons of water annually, the equivalent of 43 swimming pools.
The awards ceremony was held on March 21, 2019 to recognize these businesses, which was graciously hosted by Servicon.
Businesses achieving Certified Innovator status:
- Cuningham Group
- Envoy
- La Visual
- Law Offices of Elsa Martinez
- Poon Design Inc
- Reformation HQ
- Reformation Culver City
- Servicon
Blue Water Photo and Travel is a premiere underwater photo and video store that sp
ecializes in individual travel, group travel, and underwater photo workshops. They have a large inventory of housings, strobes, and accessories in stock and they are eager to help you take the perfect underwater photo or provide a video system that meets your needs.
Blue Water’s program accomplishments include adopting a sustainability policy and posting energy and water conservation prompts throughout their office. They committed to purchasing eco-friendly paper and cleaning products and started to search for alternative eco-friendly packaging materials for their shipments.
Coolhaus Awesome Ice Cream is a woman-owned business whose roots began in a food truck. They make their ice cream with organic sugar and chocolate and hormone and GM0-free dairy products.
Coolhaus’s program accomplishments include applying window film to reduce heat gain, switching to a green cleaning supplier, using paper products with recycled content, and commencing with a recycling program. They installed aerators on all of their faucets, and with the help of Golden State Water, installed high-efficiency toilets that save them 36,000 gallons of water annually. Coolhaus intends to replace their lighting with LED and to phase out using stickers on their ice cream cups to reduce landfill waste. They also plan to establish an incentive program to encourage their clients to deploy reusable coolers at local events.
Through active listening, creativity, collaboration, innovation, and designing beautiful places, the Cuningham Group aims to uplift the human experience by creating memorable and resonant environments for families, coworkers, friends, and neighbors to grow, work, learn, and thrive.
The Cuningham Group’s program accomplishments include reducing their eco-footprint by switching their cleaning products to non-toxic and eco-friendly brands and installing high-efficiency aerators on all their faucets. Their hard work has earned them Certified Innovator status.
At Eco-Dive Center, they believe that as scuba divers they have a unique responsibility to be advocates for the ocean. They strive to embody that mission in their everyday operations as a shop that sells top notch dive gear. Their Credo is to Explore, Educate, Observe, and Conserve in Primo Dive Gear. They host boat trips to rich kelp forests, offer scuba diving courses, and play an active role in community efforts to conserve and restore the environment.
Eco Dive Center’s program accomplishments include installing low-flow toilets and high-efficiency aerators on their faucets, saving an estimated 11,100 gallons of water annually. They now purchase paper products with recycled content and green cleaning supplies, and they have posted eco-conservation signs to increase staff awareness.
EcoSmart Fire creates safe, eco-friendly fireplaces that use bioethanol fuel. They provide a green alternative to traditional fireplaces and they offer a line of ventless fireplaces with unique designs created by the world’s top designers and architects.
EcoSmart Fire’s program accomplishments include retrofitting their toilets and faucets, saving 12,000 gallons of water annually. They switched to a non-toxic pest control service and they are committed to using green cleaning supplies and paper products with recycled content.
Envoy is the leading provider of shared electric vehicles that are available online. Envoy vehicles are located in dedicated parking spaces at apartment complexes, hotels, workplaces and other locations and are entirely accessible via the "Envoy There" mobile app.
Envoy’s program accomplishments include installing high-efficiency aerators on all their faucets and implementing a recycling program and designating e-waste storage areas in order to divert waste from landfills. They adopted a sustainability policy and posted conservation stickers throughout their facility. In addition, Envoy’s robust employee commuter program and their staff’s commitment to avoid using single occupancy vehicles to commute to work has earned them Certified Innovator status.
After many years of travelling and working in Japan, founder Adam Guttentag opened Harajuku Taproom restaurant to share his love of traditional Izakaya food and culture in Culver City. Izakaya consists of a wide variety of small plate dishes, beer, and sake. Most of the fish served at Harajuku is sourced from Japan.
Harajuku’s program accomplishments include replacing lighting fixtures with LED and eliminating the use of plastic straws, instead using only marine-degradable straws made of hay. Harajuku hosted a Culver City Chamber “Business After 5” mixer at his restaurant and serves farmers market sprouts, organic wines, and sake.
For over a decade, La Visual has forged a strong reputation for helping large corporations develop their own, unique branding.
La Visual’s program accomplishments include adopting a new environmental policy to guide staff’s integration of sustainability into their daily activities. They now purchase green cleaning products and use reusable rags and they have implemented numerous energy and water efficient systems. In order to divert solid waste from landfills, they established a recycling service, not only for themselves, but for all the tenants in their building. They offer their employees two paid days per year to volunteer at an organization of their choice and provide instruction to underserved youth to learn their trade, all of which has earned them Certified Innovator status.
The Law Offices of Elsa Martinez specializes in U.S. immigration law and they have successfully processed thousands of cases and boast a high level of success for their clients. They have decades of experience assisting individuals, families, and businesses with all types of immigration-related matters. Their passion for immigration law and their genuine concern for each of their clients distinguishes them from other firms.
The Law Offices of Elsa Martinez’s program accomplishments include installing over 100 LED lights, annually saving over 3,000 kilowatt hours of energy. More than half of their cleaners are green-certified and all their paper products have been switched to those with high levels of post-consumer recycled content. Their dedication to empower the immigrant community in a sustainable manner has earned them Certified Innovator status.
Marina Martial Arts is a school dedicated to helping their students find their 'True Strength.' The studio features programs for all ages and levels of experience, focusing on fitness, self-defense, character development, and life skills.
Marina Martial Art’s program accomplishments include going almost paperless through their deployment of digital billing, ordering, and communication systems. They retrofitted their incandescent lighting to LED and they now use green cleaning supplies and paper products containing recycled content. They also cut their water use by 75% by installing high efficiency aerators on their faucets. Additionally, Marina Martial Arts strives to engage students in their waste reduction efforts, so the studio offers refillable bottles and water stations.
Osteostrong is a new, natural way to strengthen bones and muscles, which improves balance and eliminates joint and back pain. It also strengthens the skeletal system and increases bone density, creating better posture, and improving balance and athletic performance.
OsteoStrong’s program accomplishments include transitioning to LED lighting and green cleaning products. They initiated a recycling program for their entire building, diverting 50% of their solid waste from landfills, and they will soon begin using digital forms instead of paper. Osteostrong installed high-efficiency toilets and faucet aerators that now save them 113 gallons of water annually. Their customers receive free reusable water bottles that may be refilled from their water filtration dispenser and they provide reusable mugs and glassware for customers, thereby eliminating the need to purchase single use disposable bottled water.
Founded in 1991, Poon Design Inc. is a LEED-accredited, multi-disciplinary practice, offering services in architecture and interior design, planning and programming, furniture design, music, and many other endeavors. Their award-winning designs serve national and international clients, and they have built over 300 projects serving residential, commercial, religious, educational, and cultural communities.
Poon’s program accomplishments include installing water saving devices and smart power strips equipped with infra-red motion sensors that significantly reduce their consumption of electricity. Poon has demonstrated their commitment to be a sustainable business by ensuring all their in-house events are zero waste and vegetarian, and they have hosted Chamber of Commerce mixers. Through these efforts, Poon Design has become a Certified Innovator.
Rainbow Acres is a locally owned market that has been operating since 1981. They are a friendly, one-stop shop offering healthy, healing, and organic food products and plant-based, ready-made nutritious food.
Rainbow Acres’ program accomplishments include completing a comprehensive lighting retrofit through SCE’s Direct Install program, replacing 290 fluorescent fixtures with LED, and saving 6,039 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. They adopted a zero-waste program that includes recycling and composting, and they installed high efficiency spray nozzles on their faucets. Rainbow Acres is also proud to announce that half of their workforce either carpools, walks, bikes, or uses public transportation to get to and from work.
Rediscover Center’s mission is to foster children's creativity through hands-on craft-making using sustainable materials. They pride themselves on being an outlet for everyone who wants to acquire or donate reusable materials.
Rediscover’s program accomplishments include adopting a new environmental policy to guide their operations and they plan to serve organic fruit at their summer camps. They are implementing a comprehensive lighting retrofit project to replace their exiting fixtures with LED, which will reduce their use of electricity by 57%.
Reformation’s feminine clothing line uses sustainable fabrics and every step of their operation integrates environmental sustainability. For example, they use recycled paper hangers to lessen the demand for new materials, and instead of plastic bags, Reformation uses reusable totes. In addition, Reformation is a net zero company who offsets their company-wide energy consumption by purchasing Renewable Energy Credits.
Reformation’s program accomplishments include installing high-efficiency toilets and faucets, adopting a sustainable purchasing policy, and adding water and energy conservation signage to raise awareness. They also implemented an integrative pest management system that solves their pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment. Both Reformation’s headquarters and their retail clothing store in Culver City earned Certified Innovator status in 2018.
Rekon Productions is a well-established production company providing production services, equipment, and studio rentals for a wide array of media projects.
Rekon’s program accomplishments include installing low-flow toilets and high-efficiency aerators on all their faucets, which saves 12,000 gallons of water annually. They installed LED lighting throughout their entire building, saving 4,700 kilowatts of electricity annually, and they now use paper products containing recycled content.
Sage Bistro is a beloved farm-to-table, seasonal, plant-based restaurant that opened its doors in 2013. Sage proudly partners with local farmers who are committed to practicing organic, pesticide-free farming and regenerative agriculture. Sage recently acquired Sow Heart Farms in order to grow their own organic produce for the bistro. The farm is a closed loop system that makes compost from Sage’s food waste to grow their produce. Sage also partners with ‘Kiss the Ground’ foundation to raise money to educate farmers on sustainable practices.
Sage is committed to operating a zero-waste facility and they were one of the first restaurants in Culver City to discontinue use of plastic straws, switching to compostable paper straws. Their program accomplishments include implementing energy efficiency measures, such as installing LED lighting and Energy Star rated equipment that save over 800 kilowatts of electricity annually. They also retrofitted their faucets and toilets with high-efficiency devices that annual save over 28,000 gallons of water.
Servicon is an innovative custodial provider that pioneered the concept of “green cleaning.” They are the leading facilities maintenance contractor in the aerospace, industrial, hi-tech, and commercial sectors in Southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico, servicing over 100 million square feet.
Servicon’s program accomplishments include adopting a new sustainability policy and installing hundreds of LED lights, saving 14,000 kilowatt hours of electricity each year. They have diverted waste from landfills by providing common sorting stations, eliminated liners for paper recycling, and switched to paper products with recycled content. Servicon Systems is a Green Business Mentor whose staff volunteers at community events and they continue to integrate sustainable practices into their everyday operations earning them Certified Innovator status.
Simple DCP is a premier provider of theatrical, broadcast, and digital deliverables. No matter what your platform, they deliver your content where it needs to go. From Academy Award winners to breakout web series, Simple DCP serves a diverse, global clientele with tailored solutions and one-on-one attention.
Simple DCP’s program accomplishments include adopting a sustainability policy that guides their operations and encouraging staff to use alternative transportation by promoting bike events and providing safe bicycle storage. They also reduced their solid waste by eliminating the use of garbage bag liners in their dry trash bins.