CALENDAR

IN CELEBRATION OF EARTH MONTH, THE VILLAGE OF WINNETKA AND THE WINNETKA PARK DISTRICT ARE PARTNERING WITH ECOSHOP TO HELP GIVE GENTLY USED PACKAGING MATERIALS A SECOND LIFE. Throughout April, residents can drop off items such as bubble wrap, foam peanuts, air pillows, and packing paper instead of sending them to the landfill. Visit EcoShip's website for a list of accepted items.

As an alternative to discarding packaging from recent deliveries, bring your clean, reusable materials to the collection bins located at Village Hall (510 Green Bay Road, open 8:30 am – 5 pm, M–F) or the Nielsen Tennis Center (530 Hibbard Road, open 6:30 am – 10 pm daily). EcoShip will sort and redistribute these materials to small businesses and nonprofit organizations throughout the Chicago area for reuse.

Participating is simple and makes a meaningful difference. During regular business hours, stop by to leave accepted materials in good, reusable condition, in the collection bins.

Did you know that it is illegal in Illinois to throw certain electronic devices into the trash?  Electronics contain hazardous materials that should be kept out of the environment, as well as valuable and precious metals that can be reused, such as gold, silver, copper, zinc, aluminum, platinum, cobalt, nickel, etc.  

The Electronics Recycling Program in Winnetka will resume Thursday, April 2 and will be held each Thursday from 1 – 3 pm at the Public Works Yards at 1390 Willow Road until the end of November. Learn more about accepted items here. 

One Person’s Trash...
WINNETKA'S ANNUAL SPRING CLEAN-UP IS SET FOR APRIL 13–16. LRS will collect items from the parkway that two people can reasonably lift into a truck. Excluded items include electronics, yard waste, dirt, stone, logs, construction materials, batteries, paint, and other liquids—email us for disposal options. Items must be out by 7 AM on your scheduled pickup day; no call-backs. Find out more.

Another Person’s Treasure...
Before tossing items, consider donating to local rummage sales, thrift shops, animal shelters, or schools. Reuse, repurpose, or recycle when possible! Platforms like Nextdoor, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and Freecycle can help find new homes for unwanted items.

Plastic bags can be recycled at many local stores and through the Hefty ReNew program. Electronics and sneakers can be dropped off at Winnetka Public Works on Willow Road. Scroll down for information about recycling paint, batteries, and more.

From our friends at Go Green Northfield:

For most humans, nighttime is when we put on our soft clothes and become one with the couch. But for many other species, it's when they are most active, and that's only one reason the dark skies initiative is so important.

Commonly referred to as "light pollution," the over-lighting of our darkness has had measurable adverse effects on all species on earth. Just for example:

• Insects, including pollinators, rely on the glow from the moon, stars, and other planets to orient themselves as they fly. A recent study found that artificial light confuses them, resulting in exhaustion, disruptions in flying ability, and many times death. 
• Most songbirds migrate at night, using the same orientation methods as insects. "Sky glow" from cities causes them to veer off course, leading to collisions with buildings that have lit windows, as when almost 1,000 migrating birds crashed into McCormick Place in one night in October 2023 because their lights were left on. 
• Exposure to artificial light at night interferes with human circadian rhythm and disrupts melatonin production, increasing our risk of sleep disorders, depression, obesity, heart disease, and some cancers. 

Dark Skies Week is an international effort to call attention to light pollution and engage in local solutions. Instead of leaving your outside lights on all night, explore motion detecting lighting, use timers, or choose only one to leave on. Contact your municipality to see if public lighting can be modified to shine down instead of up. Start a "Lights Out" program in your village that would limit outdoor lighting during migration season. And then go out and enjoy the night!

EVER WONDER WHAT REALLY HAPPENS TO YOUR RECYCLING AFTER IT LEAVES THE CURB? Join Go Green Winnetka and LRS (Lakeshore Recycling Systems) for a behind-the-scenes tour of the LRS Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Northbrook—where the magic of modern recycling happens! 

MRFs sort and divert recyclables in the Chicagoland area. On the tour of this state-of-the-art facility, LRS will explore the technology and people power that makes recycling possible, identify recycling rules, and show how recycling is important to protecting our natural resources, combating climate change, and building a circular economy. 

Spots are limited—email Go Green Winnetka to register and with questions. Don’t miss this rare peek into the world of waste reduction!

JOIN US FOR A WASTE-RELATED PRESENTATION highlighting programming changes in Winnetka, including the introduction of the Recycle Coach app and the Hefty ReNew curbside collection for hard-to-recycle soft plastics, as well the sunsetting of the polystyrene drop-off collection at Winnetka Public Works.

Presenters will be:
Christina Seibert, Executive Director of the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County
Elyse Steiner, Sustainability Coordinator for the Village of Winnetka
Liz Kunkle, Customer Success Manager of Recycle Coach and President of Go Green Winnetka

This program is sponsored Go Green Winnetka and the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District. Registration required.

After completing the Greenhouse Gas Inventory for Winnetka, interviewing key stakeholders, and holding the community open house, the Environmental, Forestry & Sustainability Commission (EFSC) are developing a long-term emission reduction target and identifying feasible actions to help achieve it. THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN CONTAINING THIS ANALYSIS WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE VILLAGE COUNCIL FOR DISCUSSION ON APRIL 21. Any feedback from that meeting will be addressed and incorporated into the final report.

Also at the April 21 meeting, the EFSC will announce the 2026 Green Award winners.

After completing the Greenhouse Gas Inventory for Winnetka, interviewing key stakeholders, and holding the community open house, the Environmental, Forestry & Sustainability Commission (EFSC) are developing a long-term emission reduction target and identifying feasible actions to help achieve it. THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN CONTAINING THIS ANALYSIS WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE VILLAGE COUNCIL FOR DISCUSSION ON APRIL 21. Any feedback from that meeting will be addressed and incorporated into the final report.

Also at the April 21 meeting, the EFSC will announce the 2026 Green Award winners.

GO GREEN WILMETTE CELEBRATES ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR! Join us as we gather to thank all the people that have been part of our success - friends, volunteers, supporters, donors and partners.

Thank you to The Lawn Grill for helping Go Green Wilmette make this a sustainable event with low waste practices, food scrap composting, and a menu that includes locally sourced food and sustainable wines. The Lawn Grill Restaurant at the Wilmette Golf Club, 3900 Fairway Drive.

Brief program of recognition and thanks at 6:30 pm.

*Adults only

Go Green Wilmette is excited to hold its 12th annual Native Plant Sale fundraiser again this year! Plants will be available first come, first served. The sale will be IN PERSON at the West Park Maintenance Garage in Wilmette (NOTE CHANGE OF LOCATION!).

Look for signage to find the sale by the maintenance barn. They will have a large variety of plants and plenty of volunteers to help you make your selections.

The event will occur rain or shine.  Cash and credit cards accepted.

A list of plants expected to be available at the sale will be posted closer to the date.

Bill McKibben, one of the first to sound the alarm about the climate crisis, insists this precarious moment in time is also full of possibility. Energy from the sun and wind is suddenly the cheapest power on the planet and growing faster than any energy source in history—but we need to work to keep accelerating the pace.

Here Comes the Sun tells the story of the sudden spike in power from the sun and wind—and the desperate fight of the fossil fuel industry and their politicians to hold this new power at bay. Bil McKibben traces the arrival of plentiful, inexpensive solar energy, which also presents a chance to reorder the world on saner and more humane grounds. You can't hoard solar energy or hold it in reserves—it's available to all.

Go Green Reads is offered through a collaboration between Go Green Winnetka and Go Green Wilmette in partnership with The Book Stall and the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District.

Please register below and email gogreenreads@gmail.com with question.

Fee free to join us, whether or not you've read the book.

Bill McKibben, one of the first to sound the alarm about the climate crisis, insists this precarious moment in time is also full of possibility. Energy from the sun and wind is suddenly the cheapest power on the planet and growing faster than any energy source in history—but we need to work to keep accelerating the pace.

Here Comes the Sun tells the story of the sudden spike in power from the sun and wind—and the desperate fight of the fossil fuel industry and their politicians to hold this new power at bay. Bil McKibben traces the arrival of plentiful, inexpensive solar energy, which also presents a chance to reorder the world on saner and more humane grounds. You can't hoard solar energy or hold it in reserves—it's available to all.

Go Green Reads is offered through a collaboration between Go Green Winnetka and Go Green Wilmette in partnership with The Book Stall and the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District.

Please register below and email gogreenreads@gmail.com with question.

Fee free to join us, whether or not you've read the book.

THE ILLINOIS EPA HAS ANNOUNCED A FOUR-MONTH EXTENSION TO ITS ELECTRIC VEHICLE REBATE PROGRAM to the end of May. The Illinois General Assembly appropriated $14 million for the program to the Illinois EPA for fiscal year 2026, which ends on June 30, 2026. Actual funding amounts will be determined by the amount of money available in the Electric Vehicle Rebate Fund. 

For more information and program requirements, visit the Illinois EPA's EV Rebate Program website.

Go Green Winnetka is excited to announce that the VILLAGE OF WINNETKA IS EXPANDING ITS CLEAN ENERGY AND ENERGY SAVING REBATE PROGRAM for utility customers. Take advantage of the savings when you make qualifying upgrades to your home. New rebates starting in 2026 include the following:

• Up to $3,000 for solar energy systems
• $500 for Level 2 and 3 EV charging
• Up to $600 for efficient replacement air conditioners
• $100 to $500 for efficient electric appliances

Find out more on the Village's website.