TRUE

1. Assess your current waste streams: Conduct a baseline waste audit to understand your facility's current diversion rate, material types, and disposal methods. This helps identify gaps before pursuing certification.

1. Register your project: Create an account on the GBCI platform (Arc Skoru or LEED Online) and register your facility for TRUE certification. Select the appropriate rating system version for your project type.

1. Engage a TRUE Advisor (optional but recommended): Consider hiring or designating a TRUE Advisor — a credentialed professional trained on the TRUE Rating System — to guide your team through prerequisites and credits.

1. Implement zero waste programs: Develop and document zero waste policies, establish source separation systems, engage staff and supply chain partners, and work toward achieving a minimum 90% diversion rate from landfill and incineration.

1. Collect and document evidence: Gather 12 months of waste diversion data including hauler receipts, waste audit reports, material recovery records, and evidence of zero waste policies and programs across your operations.

1. Submit documentation: Upload all required documentation through the GBCI online platform for review. Ensure all prerequisites are met and sufficient credits are earned to achieve your target certification level.

1. Undergo third-party audit: A GBCI-approved third-party reviewer evaluates your submitted documentation. An on-site inspection may be conducted depending on project scope and certification level.

1. Receive certification and maintain status: Upon approval, receive your TRUE certification mark and listing in the GBCI online registry. Plan for recertification every three years by maintaining performance records and continuing to meet diversion thresholds.

TRUE evaluates facilities across a comprehensive set of prerequisites and credits organized around zero waste principles and circular economy practices. To achieve certification, facilities must first satisfy all prerequisites — including establishing a zero waste policy, conducting a waste audit, and demonstrating a minimum 90% diversion rate from landfill, incineration, and the environment over a defined performance period.

Beyond prerequisites, TRUE awards credits across several key categories: Waste Reduction & Diversion (source reduction, reuse programs, composting, recycling, and material recovery); Zero Waste Planning (written zero waste plans, goal-setting, and staff training programs); Supply Chain Engagement (working with vendors and haulers to reduce upstream and downstream waste); Facility Operations (procurement policies favoring recycled content and durable goods, and maintenance practices that extend product life); and Community & Advocacy (engagement with local zero waste initiatives, public reporting, and education programs).

Certification is tiered based on the total number of credits achieved: Certified (at threshold), Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels reflect increasing levels of zero waste performance and program depth. The Platinum level is reserved for facilities demonstrating exemplary performance across all credit categories, including robust supply chain engagement and community leadership. Each credit category is weighted to reflect its relative impact on overall waste diversion and circular economy outcomes.

TRUE is the most widely recognized zero waste certification for facilities in North America and has growing adoption internationally. Administered by GBCI — the organization behind LEED, the world's most widely used green building rating system — TRUE benefits from significant institutional credibility and an established network of certified professionals and auditors. As of 2025, hundreds of facilities across manufacturing, higher education, retail, and commercial real estate sectors have achieved TRUE certification, collectively diverting millions of tons of waste annually. Major adopters include Fortune 500 companies like General Motors, Google, and Procter & Gamble, which lends the program strong corporate legitimacy.

The zero waste certification market is relatively niche compared to energy or water efficiency programs, but demand is growing rapidly as corporations face increasing ESG reporting requirements, investor scrutiny, and regulatory pressure around waste and circular economy performance. TRUE competes primarily with the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA) certification and Underwriters Laboratories' Zero Waste to Landfill Validation, but holds a competitive advantage through its GBCI administration, tiered structure, and integration with the broader green building ecosystem. LEED Zero Waste, also administered by GBCI, is a complementary rather than directly competing program.

The launch of TRUE v2 for public consultation in 2026 signals the program's continued evolution to address circular economy principles more comprehensively. Regional adoption is strongest in the United States, with growing uptake in Europe and Asia-Pacific as multinational corporations apply the standard across global facilities. The program's relevance is expected to increase as zero waste and circular economy mandates become more common in corporate sustainability frameworks and government procurement requirements.

TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) was developed by the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council (USZWBC) and launched in 2013 as the first comprehensive zero waste certification program for facilities. It was designed to fill a gap in the sustainability certification landscape — while programs like LEED addressed energy and water, no rigorous third-party standard existed specifically for waste diversion and circular resource management. GBCI (Green Business Certification Institute), the same body that administers LEED, took over administration of TRUE in 2016, significantly expanding its reach and credibility by integrating it into the broader green building certification ecosystem.

Since its launch, TRUE has grown to certify hundreds of facilities across diverse sectors including manufacturing, higher education, retail, and commercial real estate. A major milestone came with the development of the TRUE Rating System v2, which opened for public consultation in early 2026, signaling ongoing evolution of the standard. The program has been adopted by major global corporations as part of their sustainability commitments, and the TRUE Advisor credential was introduced to build a professional community capable of guiding facilities through the certification process.