The Green Business Program of Santa Barbara County has announced the Chumash Casino Resort as its new Innovator Green Business.

Certified Green Business Innovators have met the highest verifiable standards of sustainability set by the California Green Business Network by going above and beyond the basic requirements of Green Business certification.

Four men separate coffee cups and lids as part Chumash Casino Resort's sustainability protocol.
Separating various types of waste, such as coffee cups and their lids, is part of the Chumash Casino Resort’s sustainability protocol. Credit: Courtesy photo

Owned and operated by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, the Chumash Casino Resort is the seventh-largest Native American gaming operation in the California marketplace, which currently has 67 Native-owned casinos.

The complex includes the casino, a 320-room hotel, a spa, a fine-dining restaurant, and five food outlets.

“As the original stewards of this land, our tribe remains committed to environmental sustainability,” said Kenneth Kahn, tribal chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.

“We are proud of the local partnerships we’ve formed and our Chumash Casino Resort recycling programs that help divert significant amounts of waste from local landfills,” he said.

In 2014, the casino began implementation to become a zero waste facility. TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) is a zero waste certification program dedicated to measuring, improving, and recognizing zero waste performance.

In 2019, the Chumash Casino Resort became the first casino in the world to earn TRUE certification from Green Business Certification Inc. It was certified at the TRUE Sliver level, joining just 10 other projects in the U.S. to achieve that rating.

The casino was the first in Indian Country and the first in Santa Barbara County to be TRUE-certified, and it was only the second facility in California to earn the Silver-level certification.

In 2021, the Chumash Casino Resort diverted 93% of waste from the landfill through reduction, recycling, reuse, and composting. In 2018, it was recognized by the EPA for diverting 2.9 million pounds of waste, representing more than 90% of its overall waste stream from local landfills. The resort reduced waste by 50%, about 4 million pounds over 10 years.

Sustainability initiatives in the front of house — the areas where the guests interface with the facility:

  • Decreased single-use packaging significantly.
  • Installed Airblade hand dryers in restrooms, eliminating more than 18,000 paper towels annually.
  • Installed a water purification system in The Willows restaurant to reduce the use of bottled water.
  • Increased the use of recycled content/biodegradable kitchenware.
  • Partnered with Clean the World Foundation to provide minimally used soap products to impoverished people around the world.

Some changes in the back of house, where only staff operate include:

  • Separating paper and food scraps from other waste streams as prescribed by their membership in EPA’s Food Recovery Program. The food and paper scraps can be composted. The Chumash won awards in this program in 2014 and 2016.
  • Using the green waste from landscaping to make compost and mulch.
  • Partnering with Central Coast Oil Management to collect and process waste cooking oil.
  • Installing hydration stations for staff that are used to fill reusable water bottles, which reduces bottled water usage. 
  • Partnered with Veggie Rescue to pickup, re-package and deliver leftover food to those in need.

Transportation initiatives accomplished include acquisition of electric and hybrid fleet vehicles, installation of electric charging stations and using an employee shuttle to save 700,000 car trips annually.

To achieve its waste diversion goals in 2021, the Chumash Casino Resort developed “close–the-loop” programs with local and national vendors that helped organize and recycle many difficult waste streams, including:

  • Dart Container Corporation: densified polystyrene cups were reprocessed into picture frames, crown molding and many other products.
  • TerraCycle: Cigarette waste was shredded and separated into plastics, papers and organics.
  • Los Angeles Fibers: produced carpet cushion product made from the casino’s post-consumer carpet material.
  • Textile Waste Solutions: took used uniforms and ships overseas to clothe the poor in developing countries or processed locally for shop rags.

Since 2004, the Total Waste Stream went from 7.2 million pounds per year to 3.02 million pounds per year in 2022. Recycling went from 6% to 92.7% in those 19 years of recycling operations. It is important to understand what is going through the casino’s waste stream at any given moment to adjust separation techniques and general recycling goals for the year. The casino’s recycling partner, WM-Santa Maria CA, helps the Facilities Department maintain this understanding by conducting annual waste audits to help further this knowledge.

“It has been an honor for our program to work with an organization that is continuously striving to be the best of the best. They are an inspiration to many in our Green Business Network,” said Kori Nielsen, Green Business Program director.

Those interested in becoming a Green Business in Santa Barbara County can join the Sustainable Business Challenge for a chance to be eligible for a $500 cash incentive if certification is completed between July 15 and Nov. 15.

In addition to the $500, newly certified Green Businesses will receive free digital promotion, directory listing, a certificate, and a marketing toolkit upon completion. Sign up for a free 30-minute information session by contacting Nielsen at knielsen@environmentalin.com.