Do you ‘think green’ everyday?
It’s easy to find ways in your home and community to reduce negative impacts on the environment. One example is curbside recycling programs.
Simple actions are being used to promote sustainability. We are putting a spotlight on several initiatives.
The Chicago Southland Green Committee’s first Repair Café is the newest initiative. It gave people a chance to have items fixed that otherwise would be discarded.
Gaia’s, a shop in Homewood, gives residents a chance to shop ‘green’ items and replenish their soaps, etc.
Residents, such as Steve Ploum, are choosing to install solar panels as a great way to generate renewable energy. If your house can’t accommodate solar panels, you can still earn solar credits off your utility bill. Information is at the Citizens Utility Board website at citizensutilityboard.org.
Leading the way
Architects designed Homewood-Flossmoor High School’s new Science Wing to be a Net Zero space able to generate its own power. They included solar panels, geothermal system, a green wall in the building growing plants and specially designed windows to reduce UV rays.
Everything is operating according to plan, according to Jim Patterson, director of operation. He uses an app to monitor solar output. There are no comparison figures because the building is less than a year old. Patterson said the app has measured output since April and “the panels have had an environmental impact of 314,102.2 pounds of CO2 emissions saved, which would be equivalent to 2,373 trees planted.”
Patterson said the geothermal system “worked great through the heat of the summer” to cool the building. He will now be monitoring how it operates as a heating system.
The Homewood-Flossmoor Park District is beginning its investigation into whether solar panels can be added to the H-F Racquet & Fitness Club. An architectural analysis of the building to assess its capacity for more than 1,000 panels will determine if the conversion to solar energy is possible.
A new recycling center
Two years ago, Cook County established the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (commonly referred to as CHARM) at South Suburban College, 15800 State St. in South Holland. Staff created a deposit center on the north end of SCC’s parking lot. The center accepts household recycling items, electronics and small appliances, clothing and textile, cardboard and clean Styrofoam.
The CHARM Center is open 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays, 1 to 5 p.m. Thursdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.
Volunteer initiatives
Carrie Malfeo of Flossmoor is chair of the Chicago Southland Green Committee representing Homewood, Flossmoor, Olympia Fields, Park Forest and Richton Park. It hosts three initiatives a year: community clean-ups in April, the Repair Café and the great pumpkin smash the Saturday after Halloween where kids recycle their pumpkins by tossing them into a dumpster. The committee also serves as a means of sharing information.
Flossmoor’s Recyclepalooza, hosted by the Flossmoor Green Commission, is the annual fall event giving residents a chance to recycle items by bringing them to the Parker Junior High location.
Chicago Southland Green Drinks is a two-hour get together around an environmental topic. Malfeo, co-chair of Green Drinks, said the group gathers about 10 times a year, but the date depends on a speaker’s availability. Check the group’s Facebook page for updates.
