May 2019 Eco-Extraordinaires

Check out this month’s local leaders in green.

Do you know a DuPage County organization or person that deserves some green kudos? Email [email protected] to explain who you think should be one of our next Eco-Extraordinaires.

Wheaton North Environmental Club Installs Storm Drain Medallions to Protect Water

In April, students in the Wheaton North High School Environmental Club installed twenty storm drain medallions in the neighborhood around their school. The medallions educate community members about the direct and negative impact on waterways from dumping waste down storm drains. Their effort is part of SCARCE’s on-going storm drain medallion project which seeks to engage youth and organizations to take action locally to protect clean water. Thank you and well done Wheaton North Environmental Club!

Room & Board Oak Brook Awarded the Ecology Flag

In a ceremony on April 11th Room & Board Oak Brook was presented with the Ecology Flag by SCARCE and DuPage County. They earned the certification by developing practices that go above and beyond basics of recycling and waste reduction. The Oak Brook store began a butterfly garden to support pollinators, they volunteer for Adopt-a-Highway and reuse scrap wood in-house. To address waste without a simple recycling answer, green team members forged connections with local community groups: a local animal shelter reuses seat cores as dog beds and a local refugee organization takes fabric samples for reuse in their professional development program. Congratulations Room & Board Oak Brook!

St. Marks Green Team Hosts a Waste-free Meal for 65 People

The Green Team at St. Marks Episcopal Church of Glen Ellyn hosted their third annual zero-waste, meatless meal during lent. The Green Team prepared a vegetarian meal from scratch for 65 people and served it on real dishes, with real silverware, glasses and cloth napkins! They made placemats with eco-friendly tips to educate attendees on ways to reduce waste and awarded zero-waste themed prizes such as a reusable straw and a refillable water bottle. The Green Team partnered with the Boy Scout Troop #44, and the Glenbard West Key Club to help wash up and collect food scraps for composting. Way to show how to feed a crowd without feeding the landfill!

Wheaton North Girls Track & Field Team Dedicated a Workout for Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day, the Girls Track team at Wheaton North High School decided to take their usual running workout and and go “plogging” instead. Plogging is an activity that combines picking up litter with jogging. The girls on the track team wanted to move at a faster pace so they creatively changed the name to “plunning” (picking up litter + running). The coaches report that the athletes had a blast and collectively picked up at least 8 full bags of garbage around town. Keep up the pace!

Glen Ellyn Public Library Awarded a Water Quality Flag

SCARCE and DuPage County Stormwater Management awarded the Glen Ellyn Public Library with a Water Quality Flag on April 15th. In addition to staff training in methods to conserve and protect clean water, the library worked in partnership with SCARCE on an interactive summer-long rain barrel exhibit and water-themed educational programming for their patrons. Way to go!

DuPage County Health Department Slashes Waste By Eliminating Single-Use Plastics

The DuPage County Health Department recently decided to target single-use plastics in their effort to go green in the workplace. They found that in 2018 alone, they purchased 35,000 disposable forks, spoons, and knives for their break rooms across their 6 locations. That’s a lot of trash! They let employees know about the change and encouraged them to be a part of the effort to reduce waste by bringing reusables from home. By eliminating single-use plastic, they are saving landfill space, reducing litter, conserving resources, preventing pollution, protecting wildlife and saving money! Way to take a stand for an eco-friendly office!