Gwinnett County continues to uphold its commitment to sustainability, earning recertification as a Green Community at the Platinum Level by the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Developed in 2009, the Green Communities Program is a voluntary sustainability certification program that helps local governments implement measures that reduce their environmental impact through actionable measures.

As a Green Community, Gwinnett earned recognition for the implementation of sustainable policies, practices, and programs, including:

• Conducting building condition assessments for all facilities, allowing the county to prepare a capital improvement plan to replace aging equipment with newer, more energy efficient equipment and systems
• Continuing to implement its Countywide Trails Master Plan that outlines the development of a high-quality network of greenway trails that connect and preserve greenspace, providing with improved walkability and access to exercise space
• Partnering with Waste Pro USA to install glass recycling containers at OneStop Norcross and Pinckneyville Park, diverting more than 35 tons of glass from landfills in the first six months of the program
• Completing in-house water audits of 3,500 fixtures in government-owned buildings and identifying maintenance needs on just over 4 percent of all fixtures audited, with just 1.4 percent deemed in need of replacement
• Developing The Water Tower, a new center for water innovation with a mission to bring together the public and private sectors of the water industry, side by side with academia and nonprofits to tackle the industry’s greatest challenges

The recertification recognizes Gwinnett’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and leadership in sustainability practices for a stronger, greener community.

Gwinnett first earned certification as a Green Community in 2010 and became the first county to be certified at the Platinum Level in 2018.