By Rachel Yoka, CAPP, LEED AP BD+C

Where you shop matters. As a wannabe foodie, I like farm-to-table, local, organic, and small businesses and co-ops.

Where you choose to spend your hard-earned cash matters. We make buying decisions based on our values (and the brands we prefer) all the time. We can choose to patronize business that support our values (for me, that’s Patagonia and REI—especially when I think about Earth Week).

The organizations you choose to join matter (and yes, of course Parking Matters). IPI has a productive, longstanding, and very important strategic relationship with the United States Green Building Council that began with Parksmart and runs throughout our programming. Our Green Star program highlights IPI Expo-participating companies that provide sustainable products and  services—some relate directly to Parksmart measures to assist facilities in pursuit of certification.

IPI and USGBC  encourage you to purchase where it matters and where the company matches your values. If those values include sustainability and a focus on people, planet, and profit, Green Star companies are a great place to start.

Rachel Yoka, CAPP, LEED AP BD+C, is IPI’s vice president of program development.