After exceeding last year’s goals with more than 120 properties committed to installing solar, the Solarize Chicagoland program kicks off this week for residents in Cook County.
For the second year in a row, Cook County is co-sponsoring Solarize Chicagoland, a program aimed at making solar more affordable and easier to attain for […]
Click here for more →Join Cook County’s Department of Environment and Sustainability and Citizens Utility Board for a webinar about how to save money and energy at home. This webinar is being co-sponsored by Cook County Commissioners Alma E. Anaya, Luis Arroyo Jr., John P. Daley, Bridget Degnen, Brandon Johnson, Donna Miller, Kevin Morrison, and Larry Suffredin. […]
Click here for more →Although flattening containers, like cartons, plastic bottles, and cans, may save room in your recycling bin, please don’t do it. Crushing these items leads to issues in single stream recycling systems. However, you should flatten cardboard & corrugated boxes (see benefits of flattening boxes below).
Single Stream Recycling
If you put all your recyclables into […]
Click here for more →CCDES is a member of the Illinois Recycling Contamination Task Force, a group that addresses pressing recycling issues throughout the state. To answer specific recycling questions, the task force has launched the Dirty Dozen Campaign. Each month, a different recycling issue will be addressed. This month, we are exploring biohazardous materials.
There is a lot of […]
Click here for more →If it’s made from paperboard, it must be recyclable, right? Not always! Frozen food boxes pose a challenge to the recycling process. Paperboard boxes that were designed for freezer foods, such as frozen pizza and entrées, are impregnated with a plastic polymer to protect against freezer burn. The plastic prevents the box from […]
Click here for more →Have a busted strand of lights? Cat attack the tree again? Before you send the strand to the landfill, consider visiting a recycling drop off location. The copper, metal, and plastic from the lights will be separated and recycled in these specialized processes. Due to the specific process needed, be sure to keep holiday […]
Click here for more →CCDES is a member of the Illinois Recycling Contamination Task Force, a group convened to handle the pressing recycling issues throughout the state. To answer specific recycling questions, the task force has launched the Dirty Dozen Campaign. Each month, a different recycling issue will be addressed. For November, we explore the plastic bag dilemma.
Plastic […]
Click here for more →Join Cook County in celebrating Earth Day at the following events:
April 16, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Domestic Violence Courthouse, 555 W Harrison St., 1st floor lobby. April 17, 8 a.m. – 10a.m. – Cook County Building, 118 N. Clark St., 1st floor lobby April 18, 11:30 a.m – 1:30 p.m. – […]
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Want to save money on your utility bills? Are you a senior who lives in Berkeley? Join Cook County’s Department of Environment and Sustainability, Citizens Utility Board (CUB) and Elevate Energy to learn […]
Click here for more →One of the best parts of the holidays are the decorative lights that adorn our homes, but those twinkly lights can come at a price. Holiday lighting in the United States alone uses enough electricity to power 200,000 homes for up to a year. If all the decorative […]
Click here for more →A Message from the President
I believe that Cook County should be a world-class model of sustainability. We are working not only to boost sustainability practices throughout County government, but also to join forces with local governments, nonprofits and business, to accomplish more than we could separately in making each of Cook County’s communities sustainable. To further this work, I appointed Deborah Stone as the County’s first Chief Sustainability Officer, and as Director of the Department of Environmental Control. I also recognize that Cook County needs to share ideas and collaborate with a diverse group of community leaders and sustainability experts. In March 2012, I appointed the Cook County Sustainability Advisory Council to help lift our vision higher and give us access to best practices. You can meet the Council members and read more about their mission in the “Advisory Council” section of this website. Toni Preckwinkle,Cook County Board President
Contact Us
Cook County Chief Sustainability Officer
69 W Washington
Room 1900
Chicago, IL 60602
312-603-8200 (o)
312-603-9828(f)
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