CURRENT INITIATIVES
- Our “Ban the Foam” Campaign, Download PDF and distribute freely!
- A Guide for Zero Waste Events » PDF
- Encouraging neighborhood cleanups
- Educating restaurants
- Presentations
- Promoting Zero Waste and Single Use Plastics Legislation
- Plastic Warrior Great Lakes Microplastics Campaign
COLLABORATIONS
» Coalition for Plastic Reduction
The Climate Reality Project: Chicago Metro Chapter has signed on as a member of the Coalition for Plastic Reduction (CPR). CPR is a coalition of environmental, consumer, and community organizations, cultural institutions, and businesses with a shared commitment to policy change supporting a circular economy that prohibits the sale, production, and use of single use plastic, and reduces the production of new plastic.
Climate Reality chapter members that have interest in attending monthly Coalition for Plastic Reduction (CPR) calls on Wednesdays at 4:00pm via Zoom. Please reach out to aeb925@gmail.com with subject line: Plastic Reduction.
» Green Dolphin Project Global
Green Dolphin Project Global is a local, Chicagoland organization led by CRP Chicago member Natalie Lichtenbert. Their goal is to connect people of the Great Lakes to the great oceans. Their first focus of intent is Microplastics in the Great Lakes.
Chapter members that have an interest in being included in the work of Green Dolphin Project Global can sign up for their email list.
» Shedd Aquarium's Let's Shedd Plastic
We work with Shedd Aquarium to eliminate single-use plastic on campaigns such as Let’s Shedd Plastic. Restaurants are encouraged to join the campaign to reduce plastics, provided learning opportunities for staff and patrons, and collectively advocate for more sustainable policies and systems.
Shedd remains committed to tackling plastic pollution for the long-term. Together, we can stop the flow of plastics into aquatic ecosystems to protect the animals and people that call these places home. Be sure to follow #sheddtheplastic.
TEAM LEAD
Team Email: 0wastewarriors@gmail.com
Please note, continuing members will be
asked to join our chapter.
MEETINGS
Check our calendar for more details.
MISSION
Our mission is to educate and engage communities to take action in the Chicago area, with the goal of eliminating excess waste and raising awareness about solutions to help mitigate the climate crisis. We promote waste reduction practices and work to accelerate responsible consumption.
VISION
To inspire zero waste within communities by connecting people to real, sustainable solutions.
WARRIORS IN ACTION
SOCIAL MEDIA
Litterati Challenge
You can use the Litterati app to create a cleaner planet by turning information into actionable insight. Set a goal of picking up trash, create your own teams and help reach a goal. Need more info?
» Litterati App explained: PDF
Upcoming Events
COMING SOON
» For this list of our latest and greatest zero waste and recycling recommendations as a downloadable document, click HERE.
REFUSE
- Junk mail
- Free gifts you will not use
- Excess hand wipes and bottled water on the airplane (bring your own)…food even!
- Single use utensils and extra napkins and condiments for carrying out. BYO!
- Bring your own bag when shopping for groceries and retail purchases
- Say no to straws
REDUCE
- Shop local from farmers markets to support farmers with less packaging waste
- Packaging by shopping items in minimal plastic or from zero waste stores
- Use cloth napkins. Thrift various patterns and colors for fun
- Learn how to cook with Ends and Stems to save time and reduce food waste
- Wash your clothes in cold water and air dry them
- On the topic of clothes washing, challenge yourself to wear clothes more often between washes, thereby decreasing your amount of loads!
- Turn off lights and unplug electronics when not using them
- Eat less meat – Meatless Mondays (or more)!
- Challenge yourself! Can you decrease the amount of recycles going to the curb?
REUSE
- Join your neighborhood facebook buy nothing group (search on facebook buy nothing and enter neighborhood to find)
- Shop second hand (poshmark and thredup great for clothing)
- Upcycle jars and cans for plants and flowers
- Use glass jars to store bulk items (seeds, nuts, etc)
- Shop or donate bikes at Working Bikes www.Workingbikes.org
- Turn empty food containers into leftover containers
- Before throwing an item away – ask yourself if the item can be repurposed
- Make your reusables more accessible (reusable straws & utensils in your purse/backpack, reusable bags by the door & in the car) and phase out single use items (hide them! See if you can get by without using them)
- Buy reusable silicone bags or reuse ziploc bags
RECYCLE / UPCYCLE
- Divert bread tags from landfills and get them to SCARCE for Danielle Cares for Chairs
- Bring American Flags to your local VFW, fire department, village/township hall
- Bring Eyeglasses + Hearing Aids to your local Lions Club
- Ink cartridges from printers can be refurbished and resold (no toner cartridges) through Planet Green Recycle Fundraiser www.planetgreenrecycle.com
- Vases can be repurposed for Flowers for Elderly and Sick Persons at The Douglas Center www.thedouglascenter.com
- Make homemade guitar picks out of used credit and gift cards with a pick punch – donate the picks to elementary and high school music teachers and music schools
- Ship your extra and unwanted sports and academic medals to be recycled with Sports Medal Recycling
- Donate unwanted craft, office or school supplies and materials to non profits like Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange or The Waste Shed
ROT
- Compost food scraps at home (backyard or vermicomposting), curbside (if available) or with a microhauler. Check out the Illinois Food Scrap Coalition for all the details
- Search for community food scrap drop off events or opportunities to divert food scraps from landfills. A few local examples to consider are select community gardens, urban farms, farmers markets, The Village Farmstand, and Evanston ReBuilding Warehouse.
- No composting? If you don’t have a lot, throw it under a bush!
LOCAL ZERO WASTE STORES
MISCELLANEOUS
- Composting: Collective Resource Compost, WasteNot Compost, The Urban Canopy and Block Bins
- Recycling in Chicago, everything you want to know. (recyclebycity.com)
- Book: An Almost Zero Waste Life: Learning How to Embrace Less to Live More by Megean Weldon
- Book: Zero waste home by Bea Johnson