TRUE Certification

1. Assess readiness: Conduct an internal waste audit to understand your current diversion rate, waste streams, and operational gaps. Determine whether your facility can realistically achieve the 90%+ diversion threshold required for certification.

1. Register your project: Create an account on the GBCI online platform (true.gbci.org) and register your facility, campus, event, or portfolio as a TRUE project. Select the appropriate pathway (facility, campus, event, or portfolio).

1. Engage a TRUE Advisor: Consider hiring or designating a TRUE Advisor — a GBCI-credentialed professional trained on the TRUE Rating System — to guide your team through the credit requirements and documentation process.

1. Implement zero-waste programs: Establish a formal zero-waste policy, set up recycling, composting, and reuse infrastructure, train staff, and engage suppliers on closed-loop purchasing. Begin tracking all waste streams systematically.

1. Collect 12 months of data: Document at least 12 consecutive months of waste-diversion data, including weights and destinations for all waste streams (landfill, recycling, composting, reuse, etc.), ensuring contamination controls are in place.

1. Complete credit documentation: Compile documentation for all applicable credits across the TRUE Rating System categories (Leadership, Redesign, Zero-Waste Purchasing, Training, Closed-Loop Systems, Innovation, and others) and upload to the GBCI platform.

1. Submit for review: Submit your application and documentation to GBCI. Third-party reviewers will assess your 90%+ diversion compliance and evaluate your total point score to determine certification level (Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum).

1. Receive certification and maintain: Upon approval, receive your TRUE Certification seal and listing in the GBCI online registry. Plan for recertification every 3 years by maintaining ongoing data collection and program documentation.

TRUE Certification evaluates facilities against the TRUE Rating System, which awards up to 81 points across multiple credit categories. Projects must first meet a mandatory prerequisite: diverting at least 90% of non-hazardous solid waste from landfill, incineration, and the environment over a minimum 12-month period. This diversion threshold is non-negotiable — no amount of points can substitute for it.

The point-based credit categories include: Leadership (organizational commitment, zero-waste policy, and management accountability), Redesign (upstream waste prevention, product design for longevity, reparability, and disassembly), Zero-Waste Purchasing (procurement policies that favor recycled content, closed-loop suppliers, and reduced packaging), Training (staff education, engagement programs, and behavioral change initiatives), Closed-Loop Systems (composting, reuse, material recovery, and supplier take-back programs), and Innovation (exemplary performance, pilot programs, and novel approaches to zero waste). Additional credits may address waste-stream-specific performance, community engagement, and supply chain collaboration.

Certification levels are awarded based on total points achieved: Certified (at the base threshold), Silver, Gold, and Platinum (for the highest performers). The review process is conducted by GBCI-approved third-party reviewers who assess all submitted documentation, waste-diversion records, and credit evidence through the GBCI online platform. Reviewers verify both the quantitative diversion data and the qualitative program elements to ensure holistic zero-waste management rather than simple landfill diversion.

TRUE Certification occupies a specialized but growing niche within the broader sustainability certification landscape, focusing specifically on zero-waste performance for facilities and organizations. Launched in 2013 and administered by GBCI — the same body behind LEED — TRUE benefits from significant institutional credibility and an established global network. As of the mid-2020s, approximately 400 certified projects exist worldwide, a relatively modest number compared to LEED's tens of thousands, reflecting the program's more demanding operational requirements and narrower focus. However, the program has seen consistent growth as corporate sustainability commitments, extended producer responsibility regulations, and circular economy mandates have pushed waste diversion up the agenda for large manufacturers, retailers, universities, and event venues.

The program's strongest adoption has been in North America, particularly among large industrial facilities (automotive, consumer goods, food and beverage), corporate campuses, and higher education institutions. Notable certified organizations include Subaru of Indiana Automotive — one of the first TRUE Platinum facilities — as well as facilities operated by General Motors, Unilever, and Target. Internationally, TRUE has gained traction in markets with strong circular economy policy frameworks, though it faces competition from regional zero-waste standards and ISO 14001-based environmental management systems that are more familiar to non-U.S. organizations.

TRUE's primary competitors include the Zero Waste International Alliance's facility certification, LEED Zero (a complementary GBCI program), and ISO 14001. TRUE differentiates itself through its specific 90% diversion threshold, tiered achievement levels, and the breadth of its rating system covering upstream redesign and purchasing — not just end-of-pipe diversion. The launch of TRUE v2 (open for public consultation as of early 2026) signals ongoing program evolution to address emerging circular economy priorities and maintain relevance as zero-waste regulations tighten globally.

TRUE (Total Resource Use & Efficiency) Certification was developed by the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council (USZWBC) and launched in 2013 in response to growing demand from businesses and facilities seeking a credible, third-party framework for validating zero-waste performance beyond simple recycling metrics. The program was designed to address a gap in the market: while environmental management systems like ISO 14001 addressed broad operational impacts, no widely recognized standard specifically quantified and verified zero-waste achievement at the facility level. TRUE established the now-industry-standard 90% diversion threshold as its core prerequisite, paired with a holistic rating system covering upstream redesign, purchasing, and closed-loop systems.

In 2016, administration of TRUE Certification was transferred to Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), the organization that also administers LEED, SITES, EDGE, and other leading green building and sustainability programs. This transition significantly elevated TRUE's market profile, integrating it into GBCI's global certification infrastructure and professional credentialing ecosystem (including the TRUE Advisor credential). Under GBCI, TRUE expanded its scope to cover not just individual facilities but also campuses, events, and portfolios, and grew its certified project count internationally. By 2025, the program had certified hundreds of projects across multiple continents and announced TRUE v2 — a major rating system update opened for public consultation in early 2026 — reflecting the program's continued evolution alongside circular economy policy and practice.