Award Recipients A-C
Excellence Award in Social Responsibility, 2002; Honorable Mention 2003
The 18th Street Arts Complex is a non-profit residential arts center in Santa Monica dedicated to issues of community and diversity in contemporary society. Since 1988 they have:
Provided facility space, studios, and services to artists and arts organizations.
Featured public events and presented new art work that furthers art appreciation and interaction between artists and the public; and offered an Arts Education Program that places trained art teachers in local public schools, for free.
Hosted international artists from around the world to foster inter-cultural collaborations and dialogue.
Sustainable Quality Award, 2006
The Ambrose is committed to protecting the environment and preserving natural resources. They are a Partner and Member of the Green Hotels Association, participant in Sustainable Work's Business Greening Program and California Sustainable 41 winner. They practice environmental stewardship by recycling and composting over 60% of their waste output as well as cleaning guest rooms using non-toxic biodegradable cleaners. They strive to purchase locally in order to support the Santa Monica economy. They promote alternative transportation via Beach Cruiser Bicycle rentals for guests and mini bars and guestrooms are stocked with natural, earth-friendly products. The Ambrose also regularly donates to non-profit organizations and highlights their accomplishments in their monthly e-newsletter.
Sustainable Quality Award, 2004
The American Red Cross of Santa Monica is led by volunteers. provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. To make the connection between human health and the health of the environment, it recently participated in the City of Santa Monica’s thermometer exchange program, which replaced over 250 mercury thermometers with non-mercury alternatives and it takes part in several material exchange programs. In addition, its staff uses electric vehicles for local errands, it offers several community classes at discounted rates and utilizes volunteers from a multitude of community groups.
Arbor View Rehabilitation and Wellness Center
Great Start Award, 2004
Arbor View Rehabilitation and Wellness Center officially opened their doors to residents on March 1st 2004 and have already integrated several sustainable actions into their workplace. Their Wellness Program integrates environmental issues such as organic cooking, recycling and the use of less toxic chemicals.
Special Recognition, 1996
[No additional information at this time]
Excellence in Stewardship of the Environment and Economic Development, 2009
Blair Graphics has been offering printing and digital services for over fifty years in Santa Monica. They demonstrate excellent Sustainable Economic Development by keeping up with innovative printing and graphic design services. Blair Graphics took an aggressive role in responding to customer needs by initiating a 'Green Program'. This service works with clients on identifying sustainable solutions for their presentation and marketing materials such as printing on both sides of posters and making scratch pads out of draft printed paper. They were amongst the first printers in Los Angeles to invest in new large Format Color Toner Based equipment to enable good quality prints on recycled content paper. Blair Graphics is a participant in Sustainable Works Business Greening Program.
Excellence in Stewardship of the Environment, 2008
Jesse Bornstein Architecture has been a leader in environmental design since 1989. Their "Green on 19" project in Santa Monica is the first market-rate multi-family green-build project on the Westside of Los Angeles. They strive to make all their projects as environmentally sound as possible. More than 60% of construction and demolition waste generated by their projects is diverted from landfill through recycling and reuse of materials. Their office landscaping demonstrates drought-tolerant xeriscaping, including a mixture of native species that resist pest infestation.
Excellence in Stewardship of the Environment, 2008
The Border Grill, featuring authentic Mexican cuisine, is a women-owned restaurant of celebrity chefs, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. Their environmental stewardship includes purchasing only locally grown ingredients, including certified organic rice, beans and avocados and fair-trade coffee. In efforts to reduce the use of plastic bottles, they purchased a water purification system that provides chilled sparkling and still water and serve in reusable glass bottles and / or jugs.
Excellence Awards in Stewardship of the Natural Environmental, 2004
SQA Grand Prize, 2009
Bryan Cave LLP is a leading business and litigation firm with a long history of success offering legal counsel and advice in virtually every area of interest to business and entrepreneurial clients. Bryan Cave's sustainable business practices, outlined in their Sustainability Policy, range from adopting the ABA-EPA Law Office climate Challenge to purchasing post-consumer content recycled paper supplies. The firm, world-wide, purchases mugs for over 1,000 employees to further 'Reduce and Reuse' efforts. Innovative, local and socially responsible sustainable strategies include partnering with local non-profits. They coordinate beach clean-ups with Heal the Bay and Green Living Workshops with Sustainable Works for employees to participate in during paid work hours. They are also hosting a 'Green Day Fair' this year on St Patrick's Day. Bryan Cave offers innovative employee programs such as online training, staff are promoted from within and 'job-sharing' where one position can be shared by two people. Coupled with an excellent benefits package that starts first day of hire, it's not surprising that they also won one of the 'Best Place to Work in LA' in 2008 by the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Excellence Awards in Economic Development and Environmental Stewardship, 2005
This creative business offers "Wash and Walk Service" where customers was and they do the drying and folding; this innovative service supports the local economy by allowing time to shop on Main Street. They are also a head of the game for selling eco-friendly detergents - even in bulk!
Excellence in Social Responsibility, 2009
Business.com is the leading business search engine, directory and pay-per-click advertising network, targeting over 40 million online business buyers. Business.com demonstrates excellent social responsibility by having an open-door policy among all management, offering excellent employee benefits including but not limited to tuition assistance up to $1k/ year, referral services for family assistance programs and Lunch N' Learn opportunities ranging from "How to be greener at home and in the office", to "First-time homebuyers' workshops". Leftover foods are donated weekly to Santa Monica West Side Food Bank. The company pioneered an employee 'Green Team' in 2006, consisting of roughly a dozen employees with a mission to introduce and sustain efficient business operations in order to obtain Santa Monica Green Business Certification (www.smgbc.org).
California Organic Cotton Company
Excellence Awards in Economic Development and Stewardship of the Natural Environment, 1999
This progressive retailer offers clothing, accessories, and home furnishings made of organic cotton, hemp, and recycled materials. It has grown from a small Venice Beach vendor in 1991 to a prominent retailer on the Third Street Promenade today. With 6000 products in stock and over 400 suppliers, COCC has helped develop a market for a wide variety of environmentally friendly products. Organic cotton, the hallmark product line of the company, is grown without the use of pesticides and herbicides, and is processed without harmful bleaches or dyes. Hemp naturally requires no chemicals to grow, requires less water than other crops, and is processed into products using less chemicals. The store even carries garments from fabric made of recycled plastic soda bottles. COCC's environmental commitment is also demonstrated in the design of the shop, which uses recycled materials in most of the fixtures and displays.
Great Start Award, 2005; Excellence Award in Stewardship of the Natural Environment, 2006; Excellence in Stewardship of the Environment and Excellence in Economic Development, 2007
California Recycles is a registered electronic waste collector located in West Los Angeles. This business prevents various electronic items such as cell phones, computers and printers from ending up in landfill by recycling the items and/or refurbishing where possible for resale or charity donations. In 2006, they collected 456,601 pounds of electronic waste - diverting almost 228 tons of hazardous materials from landfill! They also provide electronic waste recycling services for local municipalities and businesses as well as facilitate electronic waste collection events throughout the community.
California Recycles won the Great Start Award in 2005 for pioneering a cell phone recycling program that offers businesses the opportunity to raise funds for a charity of their choice.
Excellence Award, 2000
[No additional information at this time.]
Special SQA Pioneer Award, 1996; Sustainable Quality Award, 1997
Cleaner by Nature is a garment cleaning company that offers an environmentally-preferable alternative to dry cleaning. The cleaning process used at Cleaner By Nature replaces the chlorinated petroleum solvent perchloroethylene used in dry cleaning with computer-driven equipment and biodegradable, phosphate-free, chlorine-free, non-toxic soap products. This process safely cleans all fabrics, including those labeled Adry clean only@, while eliminating the pollution and hazards associated with the use of perchloroethylene. Cleaner By Nature opened in Santa Monica in February 1996 and has fifteen full-and part-time employees. Cleaner By Nature was awarded a Sustainable Quality Award in 1997 and a Special SQA Pioneer Award in 1996. For more information, contact Deborah Davis, Owner, at (310) 315-1520.
Excellence Award, 2000
[No additional information at this time.]
Community Corporation of Santa Monica
Excellence in Economic Development, 2009; Excellence Award in Social Responsibility, 2001
Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCSM) is a locally based, non-profit organization committed to developing and managing affordable housing. CCSM currently manages over 1,500 units serving over 3,000 residents in Santa Monica. CCSM purchases and rehabilitates existing buildings to preserve affordable housing and improve neighborhoods. Their goal is to extend the building's useful life by 40-50 years, to improve the quality of life for the residents, to upgrade the built environment in the neighborhood, and preserve rental units within the city of Santa Monica. CCSM also develops new properties throughout Santa Monica employing where feasible, a range of environmentally-friendly design, materials and technology such as water and energy conservation, energy production, and green building materials.
SQA Grand Prize, 2010; Sustainable Quality Award, 1996; Excellence Award for Stewardship of the Natural Environment, 1998; Sustainable Quality Award, 1999; Excellence Award, 2000; Excellence Awards in Stewardship of the Natural and Built Environment and Social Responsibility, 2001; Sustainable Quality Award, 2002
Co-opportunity is a natural foods grocer providing natural and organic foods to Santa Monica and the surrounding area since 1974. They were the first grocery store on the Westside to install a two-kilowatt, photovoltaic solar power system– back in 1999! They have a storewide purchasing policy to obtain organic products and locally California grown produce whenever possible. During staff trainings and meetings, they educate employees on current environmental issues such as the Pacific Gyre, commonly referred to as the “Pacific Garbage Patch”. Co-opportunity’s waste diversion has increase approximately 40% since educating and training their staff on recycling procedures. They provide 100% paid medical, dental, life and vision insurance for all full time employees and 95% of their employees are employed full time. Before making changes to their health plan, they check in with employees to ensure the new plan covers their needs. They also offer an Employee Assistance Program for mental health benefit. Co-opportunity hosts weekly Monday night speaker’s series and semi regular lectures at the Santa Monica Public Library. Co-opportunity also administers two $1,000 grants to local non-profit organizations every year.