America Recycles Day, an initiative from Keep America Beautiful, offers a great moment for reflection and change regarding our recycling habits. Here in Cook County, the typical household recycles 1.9 lbs per day with 8.2 lbs of trash going to the landfill. Over a year, that amounts to the weight of a giraffe […]
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. – […]
Click here for more →Holiday decorations make this time of year a treat, but those twinkly lights 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 lights sold in the US this year were ENERGY STAR® certified, the energy cost […]
Click here for more →The Cook County Department of Environmental Control will present a free Lunch & Learn Series.
Bring your electric bill, enjoy light refreshments and learn about:
New programs to save money and energy with your Smart Meter Home weatherization and energy efficiency programs Rebates and freebies on in-home devices and appliances How to spot issues or mischarges […]
Click here for more →January is Radon Awareness Month and the Cook County Department of Environmental Control reminds you to be aware of the health risks of radon. Radon is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that comes from the radioactive decay of naturally occurring uranium in the soil. It can enter homes and buildings […]
Click here for more →An ordinance approved by the Cook County Board will require businesses that store hazardous chemicals such as acids, solvents and other highly toxic chemicals to report the type and location of the chemicals and how they are stored.
The information collected will be kept by the Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management […]
Click here for more →Cook County is doing its part to help stem climate change.
The county is exceeding its target for reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from its buildings, the County’s 2015 Sustainability Report shows.
The County’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions have decreased by 11 percent since they were measured in 2010, an achievement that surpasses its target of […]
Click here for more →Cook County’s award-winning Demolition Debris Diversion Ordinance was discussed by a group of architects, interior designers and reuse specialists on November 11. Hosted by DIRTT Environmental Solutions, the panel featured Cook County’s Sustainability Officer Deborah Stone; DIRTT’s Calgary-based sustainability leader Andrée Iffrig; Andrew Balster, an architect and executive director of nonprofit ARCHEWORKS, a Chicago-based, multidisciplinary, […]
Click here for more →The U.S. Department of Energy, through its Solar Market Pathways initiative, has awarded Cook County a grant to analyze the potential of community solar. A key goal is to develop five to seven demonstration sites for community solar.
Cook County is seeking rooftop and vacant land properties to potentially serve as host sites […]
Click here for more →Cook County is participating in a pilot program to test and develop new ways to save energy.
The pilot project, called Combined Capacity Asset Performance Project, is a collaboration of Environmental Defense Fund , The Accelerate Group, Citizens Utility Board and PJM Interconnection. It will show how strategically combining resources can […]
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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