Only a few years ago, Illinois had one municipal food scrap composting program. Today, there are nearly 25 municipal programs, ranking the state number four in the nation for communities with curbside collection (Streeter and Brenda Platt, 2017). According to the Illinois EPA, the state is also now home to 45 permitted composting facilities, over […]
Southside Occupational Academy: Honored ...
In May, the U.S. Department of Education honored 58 schools across the country as Green Ribbon Schools. The award recognizes schools, districts, and institutions of higher education that reduce environmental impact and costs; improve the health and wellness of schools, students, and staff; and provide environmental education. This year Southside Occupational Academy High School (SOA), […]
Campus Sustainability Webinar Series
In collaboration with the Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN), SGA has created a two-part webinar series on campus sustainability geared towards Illinois colleges and universities. The first of which on April 26 was titled “Conducting a Waste Audit on Campus.” It focused on state-funded colleges and universities as it discussed Illinois mandates for recycling and […]
SGA consults on compost pilot program at...
SGA is providing consulting services for a compost pilot program at the Lake County Adult Corrections Facility. This is part of a larger sustainability project — spearheaded by Quercus Consulting — for Illinois’ northeasternmost county: Lake County. The project’s main goal is to develop environmentally and economically sound practices for jail operations while engaging inmates directly with responsibility […]
Portage Park Elementary School launches ...
Portage Park Elementary School, a Chicago Public School located in the Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago, began 2018 with a goal of recycling more and reducing landfill waste. Teacher Mary Hobaugh reached out to Seven Generations Ahead’s Susan Casey for guidance on starting a recycling program at the school. The plan was to start with classroom […]
Getting to the heart of better soil thro...
Organized by Seven Generations Ahead, SCARCE, the Illinois Food Scrap Coalition, and Dupage and Kane Counties, the “Getting to the Heart of Better Soil Through Composting” zero waste forum took place Feb. 14 at the Cantigny Golf Club in Wheaton. The forum focused on the benefits of compost for improving soil quality for landscape and under […]
OPRFHS students conduct waste audit
The Oak Park and River Forest High School Environmental Club conducted a waste audit of the student cafeterias in late January. Seven Generations Ahead’s Zero Waste Schools Program Manager Susan Casey provided on-site support and guidance for the audit. The group of seven students, along with the club’s faculty adviser, collected trash and recycling bins […]
Busting Silos with Biocycle
Click here to read about SGA and Biocycle busting silos and making state-wide composting a reality!
Fans from around the world attend the 10...
Popular craft beer festival continues its zero waste tradition Under a perfect cloudless sky, more than 3,500 people—some from as far away as Belgium and Sao Paulo—poured through downtown Oak Park on Saturday for the 10th Annual Oak Park Micro Brew Review. This year, featuring more than 200 unique craft beers from 85 breweries, the […]
Illinois Soil, Water, Food and Compostin...
Thanks to everyone who attended the Summit! See below for links to the day’s presentations. Click here for the agenda. What are the hurdles as we work towards statewide composting? What would the economic impact be of a composting industry in Illinois? Read these two reports and know the facts: View presentations: Break Out Session […]