CALENDAR

THE VILLAGE OF WINNETKA'S ENVIRONMENTAL, FORESTRY & SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION INVITES RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN ITS GREEN AWARDS PROGRAM. The purpose of the program is to recognize properties and households within Winnetka that demonstrate exceptional commitment to sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices. The Commission encourages residents to nominate homes or properties for any project that promotes sustainability and has been completed within the past five years. Project categories include:

• Energy/Building efficiency
• Land/Habitat
• Mobility/Transportation
• Waste/Recycling
• Water/Stormwater

Applying for the Award: If a recent project has helped make Winnetka a more environmentally-friendly or sustainable community, the Commission asks that you consider applying. Submit nominations by completing this form by March 11. 

Winners will be announced at the Village Council Meeting on April 21.

Please join the Evanston Environmental Association and the City of Evanston for their annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival this month. These inspirational and environmental adventure films will be screened at Rotary International, 1560 Sherman Ave, on the following dates:

Friday, March 13, 7 pm—Theme:  Wild Women
Get tickets

Friday, March 20, 7 pm—Theme:  Water Tales
Get tickets

Please note that the film lineup is different for each night. See you there!

Weaving decades of field observations with exciting new discoveries about the brain, Carl Safina's landmark book offers an intimate view of animal behavior that challenges the fixed boundary between humans and nonhuman animals.

In Beyond Words, readers travel to Kenya and witness struggling elephant families work out how to survive poaching and drought, to Yellowstone National Park to observe wolves deal with the aftermath of one pack's personal tragedy, and finally plunge into the astonishingly peaceful society of killer whales living in the crystalline waters of the Pacific Northwest.

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 questions.

Thank you to The Book Stall and the Winnetka - Northfield Public Library District for their generous support of our communities and these discussions!

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

Join the Kenilworth Union Church Green Team on Tuesday, March 17 in the Culbertson Room for a lively ST. PATRICK'S DAY SPEAKERS SERIES. Whether you’re a seasoned recycler or just curious, you’ll uncover the real dos and don’ts of recycling—and follow the fascinating journey your items take after they land in the bin. Discover how yesterday’s bottles, cans, and paper can be transformed into brand-new products, saving energy and giving our everyday items a meaningful “next life.” Not sure how to recycle something?  Bring it in and we can help!

You’ll hear insider insights from three leaders in the recycling world:
Theresa Greinig, Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC), Education Coordinator
Shea Spence, Flood Brothers Disposal, Marketing Specialist
Liz Kunkle, Recycle Coach, Customer Success Manager

Did you know that lawn signs cannot go in your curbside recycle bin? They have to be taken to specialized recycling facilities. So when we throw them in our trash they get sent to our landfills to slowly break down over the decades, gradually releasing harmful chemicals and microplastics into our soil and groundwater. Some may be incinerated, which releases toxic chemicals into our air as well.

NORTHFIELD
Drop off any hard lawn signs and their metal stakes in the marked containers at the Northfield Community Center or Village Hall March 17-22, and GGNF and the Northfield Park District will deliver them to their friends at Chicago Logistic Service in West Dundee. From there they will either be reused as shipping packaging or delivered to a specialized recycling facility.

Important note: Hard yard signs and metal stakes only (no flexible plastic signs or plastic stakes), and please separate the stakes from the signs. If you have more than 10 signs to drop off, please contact gogreennorthfield@gmail.com and they will advise you. Dumping is not allowed.  

WINNETKA
Please watch the Village newsletter for information on Winnetka's plan to recycle yard signs post-election. Not on their mailing list? Sign up here. 

Please mark your calendars for March 18 at 5:30 pm at the home of Liz Kunkle, 1303 Holly Lane.

Come discover what’s on the horizon for Go Green Winnetka in 2026, share your ideas, learn about volunteer opportunities, and connect with fellow environmentally-minded neighbors.

Everyone in the community is welcome—we’d love to see you there! Please email Go Green Winnetka with questions and to RSVP.

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.

Save the date for more details about a celebration. See you there!

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.