Washington, D. C. (July 28, 2008) - Occasions Caterers became a Certified Green Restaurant™ Caterer on July 14, 2008 becoming the first catering company in the nation to meet this environmental mark. Leading the eco-friendly charge, Occasions Caterers achieved certification of green status upon implementation of environmentally sustainable practices in accordance with the Green Restaurant Association's rigorous guidelines.

As part of the initial certification phase, Occasions Caterers took these four steps in an effort to reduce its environmental footprint and increase sustainable practices:

1. Installed Low Flow Spray Valves in their kitchen for water conservation
2. Implemented Recycled and Chlorine-Free Menu & Office Paper
3. Replaced all Styrofoam products
4. Developed a Recycling & Composting program internally and at all off-site events

Occasions Caterers will continue to meet the marks provided by the Green Restaurant Association by implementing four new environmental steps per year.

For certification, The Green Restaurant Association assesses each restaurant's existing sustainable practices and then creates an individually-tailored plan. "Occasions Caterers should be proud of their accomplishments thus far and their environmental leadership as a catering company" says Michael Oshman, executive director of the Green Restaurant Association. "All of Occasion's environmental steps have gone through a transparent process of verification by the Green Restaurant Association".

"We are excited to have accomplished our goals so quickly towards becoming an environmentally sustainable business. We are looking forward to continued success with the GRA" says Mark Michael, Co-founder and Owner of Occasions Caterers. "Our hope is for other caterers in the DC area to sign up with the Green Restaurant Association to become credible partners in environmental stewardship.

About Green Restaurant Association
The Green Restaurant Association (GRA), a national non-profit organization was founded in 1990 to help the restaurant industry achieve ecological sustainability. The GRA is endorsed by America's major environmental organizations and works with restaurants across the continent. Through its eleven environmental guidelines, the GRA provides environmental consulting, education, and certification to make it easy for individual operators, restaurant groups, and chains to improve their environmental practices in a profitable manner. In over 30 states and Canada, The GRA has 235 restaurants certified and in the process of becoming Certified Green Restaurants™.