Hello EEC friends, community members, and environmental stewards. Below in this message you will find the July agenda with associated materials, community connections, save the dates, and in case you missed it. 
On Wednesday, we'll hear about a fiscal sponsorship update and a new park coming to the neighborhood. Plus, dig into energy topics with residential and efficiency programs, and solar for all. We'll also talk about a many current and upcoming initiatives; from development to native plant starter kits to school partnerships and others!
A special thank you to all our community photographers that have submitted pictures including the ones you see above. 
​

MEETING AGENDA
View the agenda below for our monthly meeting on Zoom. We strive to keep the meetings to an hour and sometimes the conversation extends us to an hour and a half. 
 Meeting ID: 829 1770 2982 
By Computer: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82917702982 
By Phone: +13126266799,,82917702982# US​

VIEW AGENDA AT THIS LINK
SIGN IN SHEET

ENERGY FOCUS
CHECK OUT THIS NEW EEC BLOG ON REDUCING YOUR ELECTRIC BILL IS A GREAT WAY TO REDUCE OUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT! 
By new members Dave! It's reviews: The Hourly Pricing program / The Peak Time Savings program / The Central AC Cycling program
Join the Facebook discussion group Hourly Pricing to learn more and contact Dave Brost (david.brost3@gmail.com) if you have any further questions. Dave is a co-founder of the energy solutions company qilo. Follow qilo ​for updates on the development of an app that will optimize the use of Hourly Pricing. 

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO MAYOR LIGHTFOOT ON WHAT YOU WANT CHICAGO'S ENERGY FUTURE TO LOOK LIKE WITH HELP FROM DEMOCRATIZE COMED!


SAVE THE DATES​

 VIEW UPCOMING EVENTS TO RSVP HERE7/17, 8/21, 9/18, 10/16 : Vedgewater Work Day 10am-12pm (3rd Saturday of the month)
7/17, 8/21, 9/18, 10/16 : West Ridge Preserve Stewardship: Third Saturdays 10 AM
7/19: SOIL WORKSHOP @ VEDGEWATER
7/25, 8/29, 10/10, 11/21: HOLLYWOOD BEACH STEWARDSHIP
8/12 6pm: IEC North Side 30x30 Conservation Listening Session
8/11: Next EEC Wednesday monthly meeting, 9am
8/21: BIOSWALES & RAIN GARDEN WORKSHOP @ VEDGEWATER​
Mondays 3-7pm: Edgewater Farmers Market
Wednesdays 3-7pm: Andersonville Farmers Market
Last Saturday of the month: LITTER FREE EDGEWATER CLEAN UP


COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

A grassroots effort aiming to provide critical relief and engage in mutual aid practices with those in our community.

• Grow bag kits: We still have free grow bag kits to distribute. These kits include a 5 gallon grow bag, seedling, and healthy soil. Grow bags are a container for your plants to grow in that's actually better for them than a pot. If you’d like one, comment on the Grow Kits post in the Food Distro EMAN slack channel or message Leah at 414-469-4411. 
• Share what you grow: if anyone has produce from their own gardens to share, you can drop it off at the free food distribution every Saturday 12pm at Kenmore and Bryn Mawr
• A neighbor's mutual aid plot: an Edgewater neighbor has planted a mutual aid garden in the raised beds outside their home, anyone is welcome to stop by and take produce grown in the plots outside of 5549 N Glenwood
• Free produce: EMAN has a weekly free produce distribution - come pick up free veggies Saturdays at 12pm outside Edgewater Presbyterian Church (1020 W Bryn Mawr)

Looking for ways to get plugged into Edgewater Mutual Aid? 
Fill out our form - Become a recurring donor - facebook - instagram

Farmers Market Extended into July & August!
We need more volunteers to greet, welcome, and count, please sign up if you can help!​

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER HERE
Fall 2021 Sustainability Leadership Training
The Chicago Conservation Corps is now recruiting for its Fall 2021 Sustainability Leadership Training Series. Take part in an introduction to the unique, urban environmental challenges Chicago confronts by learning from community and environmental leaders, finding opportunities for change, and then leading a sustainability service project in your community with support and resources from the Nature Museum.
Attend an orientation to learn more; visit www.naturemuseum.org/c3 or call 773-755-5100x5277. to reserve a space


IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
SIGN UP FOR YOUR FALL TREE
We are recipient of an Openlands Treekeeper tree planting grant. This form is to collect candidate locations for the new trees in the neighborhood!

FIND FORM HERESURVEY OF ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION AFFILIATIONS FOR EEC
Please let us know the organization where you are a member or actively participating in. Also let us know whether we can use your name and email contact information on a list of these environmental organizations that we can share with our EEC core team. We are hoping that sharing this networking information will help make us stronger and more interconnected.

COMPLETE 3 MIN SURVEY HEREEEC ORIENTATION INTEREST 
Complete form below to express interest. 
Renee will then follow-up to schedule a time that works best for everyone.

SUBMIT INTEREST HEREA REQUEST FOR EDGEWATER PHOTOS! 📸
Help EEC out by sharing with us your Edgewater pictures to use in advocacy and for content, design, and marketing. Please feel free to ask any questions and share your photos with us by emailing sustainedgewater@gmail.com or replying to this email!

Hello Friends and Neighbors! 
Last week, we passed a resolution supporting the Water for All Ordinance. Check out the meeting summary for details! 
We also talked about action plans for summer and fall, upcoming events (there are many!), and received updates on the Indigenous People’s Day Coalition, composting, reuse, and plastics projects, 
We hope you will join us for our upcoming events and our next coalition meeting on Wednesday July 14th at 9am.

VIEW THE MEETING SUMMARY HERE
Highlights

• Action plan created for summer and fall
• Voted on a resolution supporting Water For All
• ​Contact your city legislators on the Urban Forestry Advisory Board. We thank Alders Osterman & Vasquez for being co-sponsors!  
• Star Farm Container Reuse, collected 146 containers used to grow seedlings for sale.
• Native plant planters are planted in Andersonville on Clark
• Housing/Development efforts on MCZ Development on Berwyn

EEC Wins Big Blue Stem Award for Environmental ImpactFor a project had a significant environmental impact. It serves as an example of how people working together can effect change for the better in our local and global ecosystems.
Every Halloween, over one billion pounds of pumpkins are tossed in landfills throughout the US where they are left to rot amongst other materials releasing methane. Edgewater Environmental Coalition, in partnership with SCARCE had an pumpkin composting initiative, Pumpkin Smash. 
We are always impressed by EEC's projects and the way they engage their community and are proud to have supported such an impactful community project embodying the Big Blue Stem Award for Environmental Impact. Congratulations EEC!


Save the Dates​

• 6/20: EEC Sunday Summer Solstice Celebration at Edgewater History Museum's Garden 6pm, 5358 N Ashland Ave
  
• 6/21, 6/28: Edgewater Monday Market 3-7pm
  
  • EEC Tabling/Fun 6/28
    
• 6/16 @7pm - EEC Commons Orientation @ Vedgewater
  
• 6/19 @1pm: Flax Feminism Workshop @ Vedgewater
  
• 6/19, 7/17, 8/21, 9/18, 10/16 : Vedgewater Work Day 10am-12pm (3rd Saturday of the month)
  
• 6/19, 7/17, 8/21, 9/18, 10/16 : West Ridge Preserve Stewardship: Third Saturdays 10 AM
  
• 7/14: Next Wednesday monthly meeting, 9am
  
• 7/19: Soil Workshop @ Vedgewater
  
• 7/25, 8/29, 10/10, 11/21: Hollywood Beach Stewardship
  
• 8/21: Bioswales & Rain Garden Workshop @ Vedgewater
  
• Wednesdays 3-7pm: Andersonville Farmers Market
  

VIEW EVENT DETAILS HERE

Community Connections
Illinois Environmental Council's Chicago City Council Environmental Scorecard
Receiving input from EEC and other Chicago based IEC affiliates, there is a newly released scorecard. Congratulations and thank you to the alders receiving 100% environmental scores, including our own Andre Vasquez!
VIEW THE FULL 2021 SCORECARD HERE

Use Openlands' Amplification Toolkit to spread the word on the Urban Forestry Advisory Board
I need your help and it should only take a couple minutes of your time. The City Council is going to vote on an ordinance to establish an Urban Forestry Advisory Board on June 23, 2021 - but it  won’t pass it unless they hear from people like you.

The Urban Forestry Advisory Board (UFAB) would bring together forestry leaders and City departments to create a strategic and cohesive plan and policies to increase, protect, and support our Urban Forest.


CDOT Shared Streets Mapping 
CDOT announced the return of Shared Streets. Shared Streets use temporary traffic control devices to create a more comfortable and spacious atmosphere for people to walk, bike, and roll safely through their neighborhoods. The program began last year in response to social distancing needs related to COVID-19 and we're bringing it back this year as part of the city's ongoing recovery efforts.
NEW THIS YEAR - you can suggest a Shared Street location by drawing a line on an interactive map and answering a few questions about what makes your suggestion a good candidate for a Shared Street. You can find the interactive map and learn more about Shared Streets by visiting chicago.gov/openstreets.


Bike Week, June 25th
Let’s make Chicago a better place for biking! Chicago Bike Week provides the perfect opportunity for learning how you can support the movement for better biking in your neighborhood and throughout the city.
Sign up now for one or more of these exciting events, all of which you can learn more about at activetrans.org/bikeweek.


West Ridge Nature Preserve Volunteer Workday, Saturday, June 19th, 10 AM
Saturday, June 19th is the third Saturday of the month.  This is an opportunity to volunteer at the Workday at West Ridge Nature Park.  First of all–pray for rain, the NP needs it much more than a workday.  If it’s not raining, however, we plan on removing Black Knot fungus from our red Chockberry trees, blocking an off-path trail, and moving some much into the Nature Play Space.
We’ll meet at 10 AM at the south end of the pond.  We’ll have gloves and tools, sunscreen, insect repellent and water.  An outdoor Potty is available.
If you plan on attending, it would be useful for planning to email Tom Murphy at tjm2040@rcn.com


In Case You Missed It


UPDATED ORGANIZATION STRATEGIC INTENTIONS
Summary Blog Post
View presentation
NEW STRATEGY ON WEBPAGE HERE


Town Halls
View post-meeting recap and materials here.


Website
Check out our recent blog posts.


Your Guide to Connecting and Sharing with EEC
This message is to support and guide you in newly connecting or staying connected with the EEC community!


Edgewater Monday Market
www.edgewater.org/programs/farmers-market

This is a summary from a November 2020 energy focused meeting along with information on energy resources, taking action, and getting help with energy issues.

Citizens Utility Board represents IL utility ratepayers & advocates for cheaper and cleaner energy.

Our guest speaker Christina discussed the Clean Energy Hierarchy (ranked from most impactful to least impactful)

​Clean Energy Hierarchy
1. Directly installing solar on your property; 
2. Community solar
3. Green plans

​Citizens Utility Board has an updated (and free) Guide to Home Savings. It’s  filled with tips on how to cut your energy and telecom costs at home.

​Visit CUB's solarinthecommunity.com for all the resources.
​
CUB's consumer hotline:  (800) 669-5556
​
To view Christina’s full presentation for EEC, visit here. 

Public Interest Research Group is a public interest advocacy group that has both national and state chapters, and they work on any issue that falls under that umbrella. Currently, they are focusing on gas utilities, specifically a surcharge enabled by the state in 2013 that allows the gas utilities to charge customers more for infrastructures that at the time was to address safety concerns, but unfortunately, they are not prioritizing safety and still spending billions of dollars in Chicago with People’s Gas. PIRG is advocating for a policy that will end this surcharge altogether. The bill that PIRG introduced in February, called the Heating Affordability and Utility Act represents a significant reform to the alternative retail energy supply industry. A summary of the legislation and a list of supporters can be viewed here.

ComEd Programs

• Home Energy Assessment: ComEd customers have opportunities to reduce energy usage with a FREE energy assessment that includes free and discounted products for your home. ComEd has partnered with your natural gas utility to bring electric and natural gas savings to you. Schedule your assessment today! ​
• The Hourly Pricing program helps us be mindful of electricity usage by showing the benefits of shifting our usage to different times.  To learn more and sign up, visit ComEd's Hourly Pricing Program.
• The Peak Time Savings program sends you notifications when electricity usage is the dirtiest and most expensive. To learn more and sign up, visit Peak Time Savings.
• The Central AC Cycling program reduces central air conditioning electricity usage when it is dirtiest and most expensive.
• To learn more and sign up, visit Central AC Cycling.

Customers who participate in Hourly Pricing can additionally participate in Peak Time Savings or Central AC Cycling; customers cannot participate in both Peak Time Savings and Central AC Cycling. 

Common Energy works with state-supported clean energy programs that lower emissions and offers guaranteed savings on your electricity. Because of limitations on roof access and roof suitability the majority of Americans cannot install solar panels or other clean energy technologies on their properties. Common Energy solves this problem by partnering with clean energy developers and local utilities to connect new clean energy to the grid. By signing up with common energy, you will: receive guaranteed savings on your electricity bill each month for up to 20 years, make a positive impact for your community by lowering pollution, and support local clean energy and local jobs. As an incentive to support the project, each month you will receive credit that lower your bill. 

To view Luke’s full presentation for EEC, visit here.

Take Action

To take action on energy legislation in Illinois, visit https://ilenviro.org/iec-action-alerts/ and The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition at https://ilcleanjobs.org/.

To learn and join the campaign to Democratize ComEd, visit https://demcomed.org/. With the democratization and municipalization of ComEd, an elected utility board could ensure programs such as these are more accessible, equitable, and meaningful, as well as, move to a decarbonized future. 

Get Help

Utility Assistance from Utility Companies

• Energy Assistance: Questions and Answers. Qualifying low-income households in Illinois can get help paying their energy costs.
• The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, LIHEAP is designed to help eligible low-income households pay for winter energy service.
• ComEd CARE Programs. ComEd’s programs provide financial assistance on electric bills for qualified customers.
• Warm Neighbors Cool Friends. This Energy Assistance Foundation program provides year-round energy bill payment assistance and home weatherization to make harsh winters and hot summers bearable for families in need. Eligible households can receive up to $700 a year to help pay for energy costs ($350 during the heating season and $350 during the cooling season.)
• Ameren Payment Assistance. Ameren Illinois offers several forms of financial assistance, including short-term, one-time payment extensions and fixed monthly payment agreements to settle past balances.

Democratize ComEd Resource Collection
https://www.demcomed.org/mutual_aid_resources/energy_shutoff

• Illinois Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
• ComEd’s “Helping Hands”
• ComEd 1 time $500 grants
• Shut off halt rules during COVID

Free Assessments
Several utilities offer energy assessments in which experts will install water- and energy-efficient items, such as faucet aerators, light bulbs, and a low-flow showerhead, for free (Peoples Gas/ North Shore Gas, ComEd, Nicor Gas)

​Resource Links:

• EEC's Home Sustainability Page
• Resource guide: greening your home
• Ready for 100 Chicago Collective
• Democratize ComEd
• Elevate Energy
• ComEd Smart Meter Online Management Tools
• ComEd Peak Time Savings
• ComEd Hourly Pricing Program
• Citizens Utility Board​
• Comed.com/waystosave
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Illinois Environmental Council

We are happy to be a community partner to the Edgewater Chamber in bringing back the Farmer's Market. We thank Andrew and his team for making this happen for the community!!! 

EEC will have a table at the market with educational materials and programming bi-weekly, on 6/14 and 6/28! We'll see you out there! Make sure to stop by and say hi!
​
We need volunteers to help at our table those days and with general market needs on all the Mondays. If you can help out on any of the days, please sign up to volunteer here or email sustainedgewater@gmail.com

Responsibilities: 

• Generally assist Chamber staff
• Handling of door/counting folks/line management 
• Gently enforce physical distancing
• Trash pickup (should be incredibly minimal) 
• Share about how great EEC, local farms, sustainable food & businesses are! (optional and awesome!)

Sign up for a volunteer slot here

Beginning Monday, June 7 The Edgewater Market is Back on a Brand New Day

While the farmers market was not held in 2020, the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce is excited to welcome back vendors for the 2021 season! The Monday Market will take place every Monday in June from 3 to 7 p.m. with quality meats, fruits, vegetables, fresh pastries, and prepared foods available at the Broadway Armory, 5917 N Broadway. 
​
The Monday Market is the perfect place to stop on your way home from work or as you make your way over to the beach.
    
Vendors Include:

• Urban Canopy
• Blaque Millennium Kitchen
• Anticonquista Cafe
• Global Garden Farms, which supports refugee families by giving them the opportunity to grow vegetables for urban distribution in a transformed vacant lot in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood.
• And many more!

Bringing the market back is an exciting moment in the community’s reopening, as we begin to slowly emerge from the shadow of COVID-19. Protocols are still in place as we are ensure that the market is hosted in a safe and secure way. Vendors’ tables will be properly spaced, queues will be clearly designated and all COVID-19 safety precautions will be closely monitored and followed.
​
Tell your family, friends, neighbors and colleagues to shop the Monday Market – our vendors need your support more than ever! We look forward to seeing you at the Broadway Armory and we appreciate your patronage!

Market Website Here

For Earth day this year, we had three priorities and activities.

First off, we had a wonderful beach stewardship event, more information below! We shared our sustainability with a tool kit found here. We had two Earth Day Litter Free Edgewater days. Sign up for the next Litter Free Edgewater Day here.
​
​

Hello Friends and Neighbors! 
During May's coalition wide meeting, EEC leaders presented on our recently finalized new strategic intentions. 
Our updated strategy:
Serve as a community voice on environmental issues
Advance tangible solutions for environmental challenges in our community
Align program activities with available resources
Provide opportunities and resources for direct action by community members
Focus on intentional partnership development to advance the above green initiatives.
View all the details here.
We also talked about the website refresh, and got a sneak peak at our new website. See highlights and summary for the full recap.
We hope you will join us for our virtual June events listed below and our next coalition meeting on Wednesday June 16th.

VIEW THE MEETING SUMMARY HEREHighlights

• Reviewed the 2021 Strategic Intentions, check them out in full here.
• Had several Vedgewater Workdays and they continue! We look forward to more more volunteering, new workshops, and continuing conversations at the gardens!
• Burton is looking for individuals to help with resource building, writing how-to guides, and writing about environmental topics for the new website. If you are interested in helping research or write reach out to him!
• Discussed the Chamber of Commerce grant to fund 10 storefront compost sites along Broadway.

Upcoming EEC Events
Planning Meeting to Mobilize for a New Era
In January we planned the action plan for the 1st half of our year, started the bridge. In May, we released an updated strategic plan and this is to plan out the rest of the year and next winter.
RSVP here.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://meetingtomorrow.zoom.us/j/91457789521
Meeting ID: 914 5778 9521
EEC Community Conversation on the Green New Deal
Join us for a presentation and discussion about the Green New Deal with one of the current EEC interns, Margaret!
RSVP here.
Community Connections
Hiring for the Next EEC Intern!
EEC invites energetic, community-minded individuals to join us as interns and help manage our local environmental sustainability projects and advocacy. This position entails a combination of project management, public and volunteer communication, marketing and public outreach, and administrative tasks.
This is a bi-annual position. Applications for the Jan–June internship are accepted during the prior November–December; for the July–Dec internship, April–May. 
For the July-Dec opportunity, applications are due by 6/15.
Please read this application document and then to apply, send your resume and a short cover letter to sustainedgewater@gmail.com.
48th Ward Accessibility Questionnaire
In an effort to make our neighborhood a safer place for all to enjoy, we’re sharing with you a questionnaire that will help us to better understand the accessibility needs of our neighbors. Please feel free to remain anonymous, and know that your responses are helping your neighbors to enjoy a more accessible community.

SURVEY HEREEdgewater Farmers Market
EEC is a community partner for the newly returned Edgewater Farmers Market, happening every Monday 3-7pm in June. All the info here.
We are looking for volunteers, email Renee if you are interested sustainedgewater@gmail.com.


Save the Dates

• 6/1 7pm: EEC Community Conservation on the Green New Deal RSVP here.
  
• 6/3: EEC Action Planning Meeting 5pm-7pm RSVP here
  
• 6/7, 6/14, 6/21, 6/28: Edgewater Monday Market 3-7pm
  
• 6/16: Next Wednesday monthly meeting, 9am
  
• 6/13, 7/25, 8/29, 10/10, 11/21 - Hollywood Beach Stewardship
  
• 6/19, 7/17, 8/21, 9/18, 10/16 : Vedgewater Work Day 10am-12pm (3rd Saturday or the month every month of season)
  
• 6/19, 7/17, 8/21, 9/18, 10/16 : West Ridge Preserve Stewardship: Workdays third Sat. 10 AM 
  
• 6/20: EEC Sunday Solstice Celebration
  

In Case You Missed It
Blog Post: Cork Recycling at In Fine Spirits
With a Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) grant, Edgewater Environmental Coalition (EEC) partnered with In Fine Sprits, a local independently owned spirit shop, on Clark Street in Andersonville to implement cork recycling for the store and its customers. 
Read blog post here.​
Blog Post: Town Hall Tuesdays Recap
With 6018North, we hosted for a series of Town Hall discussions with community experts and innovators to explore Chicago’s  most pressing issues to create a sustainable future. The Edgewater Environmental Coalition are community members and environmental stewards. Our mission is to bring a green voice to local challenges, empowering people to build and maintain a more sustainable future through action, organizing, education, and advocacy. We are rooted in advancing a healthy and verdant Edgewater. Town Hall Tuesday events supported by a COVID Response Grant from the Environmental Law and Policy Center.
Read blog post here.​
View post-meeting recap and materials here.
Donate Egg Cartons & Grocery Bags to Care for Real
Go green by sharing extra grocery bags and egg cartons with Care for Real. Care for Real is our neighborhood food pantry. They could use strong plastic or reusable grocery bags to help their clients who need another bag to bring their items home. They also need empty egg cartons to repack eggs that may have broken in the egg carton they've received them in. These donations can be brought to the back door at 5339 N Sheridan between 12pm-3pm Monday through Saturday. If you have questions, please send an email to info@careforreal.org. Thank you.


Flooding Issues?
Submit your site or spot with flooding issues in Edgewater using this survey form.
This information will be used by EEC to advocate on water and flooding issues in the neighborhood and prioritize areas for tree and native plantings.


Plastics Launch Pad
A hyper-document where you can find all the information about the EEC Plastics Initiative and follow an action plan to support it. Check the launch pad out here.


Transportation & Housing & ​Waste & Water Town Halls
View post-meeting recap and materials here.

In this article, we have collected current actions and resources with a goal to help reduce water pollution and educate the community on good stewardship practices for clean water.
We thank the speakers, innovators, and attendees from our March Water Tuesday Town Hall for their contributions!
If you have other resources for us to consider including or you'd like to do a project related to water in Edgewater, please reach out to us!
Take Action
1. Contact your legislators with these action alerts from the Illinois Environmental Council

• Protect Funding for Sustainable Farming and Freshwater Resources
• Replace Toxic Lead Service Lines NOW

2. Water Lead Test Kit

• Order yours here. Testing your drinking water for lead, you can make a service request for a Water Lead Test Kit. The kit is free and is mailed to your address with a set of instructions that can be requested in multiple languages. If you are in Edgewater, send us your results. 

3. Get a Rain Barrel from Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
4. Submit your Edgewater flooding spot to the EEC Flood Community Assessment
5. Sign up for Overflow Action Alerts
Resources
Flood Factor

• Flood Factor™ is a free online tool that makes it easy to find and visualize a home's past, current, and future flood risks.

Toolkit to Reclaim Your Water

• Whether you are appalled or intrigued by the Chicago River and canal, it belongs to you. According to Public Trust law, surface waters — those waters you can see above ground like rivers and lakes — are collectively held by those who live around them, other species in the ecosystem and future generations. Now that you know your role as steward of the water, what can you do? This toolkit guides you.

Regional Flood Susceptibility Index

• To help northeastern Illinois better understand and prepare for flood risks, CMAP (Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning) developed the regional flood susceptibility index. The comprehensive data resource helps communities identify areas that have experienced flood damage and may be at greater risk of flooding in the future.

Green Neighbor Guide for homeowners, landscapers to manage stormwater

• The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s (MWRD’s) Green Neighbor Guide offers instructions and tips to implement various green infrastructure installations.

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Recipes

• Also in Spanish. Making your own household cleaners can be easier and cheaper. By using this alternative, you will help prevent these toxins from entering our waterways and you will also be protecting your body.

RainReady Natives Sheet
RainReady Rain Barrels Sheet
RainReady Trees Sheet

• In communities, better water management means that homes, schools, and businesses are prepared for rain—whether
  too much or too little. RainReady programs keep residences secure and dry, services running, and rivers and lakes clean. 

Save the Source Water Audit

• Use this worksheet to keep track of the number of times you use water and in which way 

Water Resources in Chicago

• On conversation & storm water management, Lake Michigan, and the Chicago River.

​EEC's Air & Water Webpage

• Mission: Reduce air and water pollution within Edgewater/Andersonville, while educating the community on good stewardship practices for clean air and water.  

In Case You Missed It
Water Tuesday Town Hall
If you would like to watch the recording or share it with friends, the video is available here. 
Thank you to our speakers & innovators!

• Megan Vidis, Chicago Department of Water Management, https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/water.html 
• Iyana Simba, Illinois Environmental Council, https://ilenviro.org/ 
• Mariyana Spyropoulos, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago, https://mwrd.org/ 
• Sharon Louis, Chicago Black Water Council and South Side Lakefront Erosion Task Force, https://www.facebook.com/BlacksInGreen/posts/black-chicago-water-counciltomorrow-is-water-is-a-human-right-or-not-discuss-eme/2861524167295560/ 
• Tom Heineman, GET Beaches PAC,  http://getbeaches.org/
• Alaina Harkness, Current Water, https://www.currentwater.org/
• Mary Pat McGuire, The Water Lab, https://www.thewaterlab.org/
• Dom Marlow, Master of City Design at University of Illinois Chicago

With a Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) grant, Edgewater Environmental Coalition (EEC) partnered with In Fine Sprits, a local independently owned spirit shop, on Clark Street in Andersonville to implement cork recycling for the store and its customers. 

The project provided educational materials and a Terracycle cork recycling box to local spirits shop.

TerraCycle is a recycling company for recycling hard-to-recycle materials. They offer a range of free programs, as well as recycling solutions available for purchase for almost every form of waste. 

To make it happen, we followed this process: Reached out to the store, they were super excited, had been looking for somewhere to recycle corks meaning we didn't have to pitch it hard. EEC received updates and provided feedback. C3 ordered the box, gave store education on how it worked. Store installed box and people are using it! We provided the store with educational handouts on waste as well from C3.

How Terracycle works:

HOW IT WORKS

1. Order: Select a Zero Waste Box system and place your order.
2. Collect: Collect the accepted items to fill the system.
3. Ship: Send it back to TerraCycle with the prepaid return label on your system.* 
4. Reorder: Order your next Zero Waste Box system to continue to recycle everything.

This is the letter that was sent to the store's owner proposing the program.

Subject Line: Cork Recycling Proposal from Edgewater Environmental Coalition

Body: 
Renee Patten here, In Fine Spirits lover, wine lover, regular customer, and co-chair of the Edgewater Environmental Coalition (EEC). EEC is working at the local level on global challenges. At EEC, we are a coalition of community members and environmental stewards. Bringing a green voice to local challenges, we empower people to build and maintain a more sustainable future through action, organizing, education, and advocacy. We are rooted in advancing a healthy and verdant Edgewater.  

I have a proposal for you that will generate excitement for your business, give back to the community, and create marketing opportunities. It's also funded, all upfront costs will be covered by EEC. 

Problem to be addressed: Corks are not recyclable in the City of Chicago. By loving and supporting your local business, your customers have a lot of corks that are a valuable resource for recycling and don't have a way to recycle them.

Opportunity: Marketing & promotion with EEC, community asset & improvement, doing a socially and environmentally easy & responsible thing! This would be a pilot project for the organization that members would hope to showcase and replicate across the city. 

Solution: EEC purchases In Fine Spirits a Large (or any size) Terracycle Corks - Zero Waste Box. You host the box, customers/staff fill it up, and the shop ships it out when it gets full. Then the cycle repeats. 

Are you interested in exploring this with me? If not you, happy to discuss further and/or coordinate with one of your staff members. 

Thank you so much for thinking about it and I look forward to your reply.

Be well and take care,
Renee

Materials provided to the store: 

1. Alternative Methods of Responsible Waste Disposal  
2. Blue Cart Recycling flyers
3. Green Condo/Apartment Checklist
4. ‘What’s in the Trash?’ Waste Audit

Additional Cork Recycling Resource:

ReCORK recork.com info@recork.org

ReCORK collects and recycles natural cork wine stoppers into consumer goods such as yoga blocks and shoe parts. The company is a project backed by an alliance of businesses and individuals hoping to promote sustainable business practices and create environmental change.

Accepts: Natural used corks (any shape or condition)

Does not accept: Synthetic stoppers

Free dropoff at multiple dropoff locations (see website for locations)

Will accept large quantities of cork as direct mail shipment (at least 15 lbs of cork.