The New Jersey Green Auto Repair Program (NJGARP) was recently honored at the Small Business Environmental Assistance Programs’ (SBEAP) State Partner Training conference held in Raleigh, North Carolina. NJGARP received the Trade Association Environmental Leadership Award, presented by SBEAP’s National Steering Committee, made up of representatives from State Small Business Environmental Assistance Programs across the country.

Recognizing exemplary performance and leadership by a trade association to enhance members’ compliance with applicable environmental regulations, the Environmental Leadership Award encourages stewardship of the environment.

“This recognition of the NJGARP program is a testament to the dozens of facilities that have already achieved green certification,” says Alex Yankaskas, President of the New Jersey Green Automotive Repair Council (NJGARC). “Our hope is that the hundreds of repair facilities scattered throughout the state that are actively benefiting from their environmental stewardship will be eager to receive the recognition they deserve. And we hope other facilities might be inspired to learn the many benefits- cost savings, new revenue streams, customer goodwill—they might enjoy by going green.”

NJGARP developed a comprehensive checklist of green initiatives for auto repair and auto body repair facilities to use when evaluating their facility. Each initiative is assigned a point value for various pollution prevention, resource conservation, and auto body repair (if applicable) efforts to qualify for, and maintain, green certification by NJGARP.

For additional information and a complete list of certified Green facilities, visit NJGreenAutoRepair.org.