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Go Green Greater La Grange Monthly Update:
January 2026
"Recycle the present, save the future." ~Anonymous
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Tip of the Month:
When winter weather arrives, use salt sparingly on sidewalks and driveways—shovel first, spread only what’s needed (about a 12-oz cup covers ~500 sq ft), and sweep up leftover salt after the ice melts.
Click here to learn more.
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President's Note:
This time of year always seems to bring a range of emotions. For me personally, it is a time of joyful chaos followed by deep reflection as the house quiets down. Entering a New Year I can easily become overwhelmed by the amount of work that lays before us, but those fears seem to disperse when I reflect on how much our community alone was able to accomplish in the past year. "Perseverance" is the word I keep coming back to.
Back in March of 2025, I shared an article with all of you discussing how uncertainty in funding was causing a potential delay in an ecological infrastructure project on the Des Plaines river. I have been personally following the story but realized I never followed up with all of you. As of May, the projects funding, and land were secured with the most recent update from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources being released this October.
Thinking about all of the people involved behind the scenes pushing to make sure the project was continued to move forward made me think of all of you. Everytime you show up to one of our events or collections you are working to consciously push our community forward. Each time you save a bread-tag, cork, pair of shoes or scrap of clothes you have been making an impact and it has added up. In 2025 alone our Go Green Greater La Grange community has diverted nearly 50,000 pounds of material from our landfill. Showing up matters. Your decisions to actively engage matter. As an individual, I know it can feel tiresome at times, but, as a community we are making a very big difference.
Happy New Year everyone, keep showing up!
PS- Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our volunteer webmaster we are excited to share our new website, GoGreenGLG.org! You can still navigate the resource page for any recycling, repurposing needs and will now also have access to our archived newsletters from the previous year. Make sure you go and check it out.
Warmest regards,
Alexandria Zuck
Board President
Go Green Greater LaGrange
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Illinois one step closer to keeping invasive carp out of Great Lakes
"For decades, local, state and federal officials have worried the carp could bypass Chicago and breach the Great Lakes, possibly reducing populations of native species that locals like to fish. The feared spread could wreak havoc on the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem and the multibillion-dollar tourism, boating and fishing industries that rely on it. Carp, which can out-eat and outgrow native fish, can also leap out of the water and startle boaters.
The fight to keep the carp under control and out of the Great Lakes may be getting easier. Recently, Illinois announced it had acquired land needed to move forward with a $1.15 billion barricade aimed at keeping the voracious Asian carp from entering the channel that connects the Mississippi River Basin with the Great Lakes.
The barricade, called the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, is an underwater defense system long hailed as the solution to the carp problem."
Click here to read more!
| | | | Community Spotlight Series: | |
Scott & Ania
Scott and Ania Boggs have served faithfully in Christian Ministry for the last 20 years while raising their 3 kids Joshua, Natalie and Caleb in Bridgeview IL. As worship leaders Scott pursued his biblical education and they founded together The Potter’s Church in 2007.
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The Potter's Hand Thrift Store
Our Mission
The Potter's Church and Potter's Hand Thrift Store has been meeting spiritual and tangible needs in The Chicagoland Area by offering affordable clothing and other household items to families and leading a weekly worship experience and bible study for all. With all of your love, generosity, and support, we have been able to make a real difference.
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2026 Upcoming Meeting Dates:
-Board Meeting: Thursday January 15th, 2026 7:00PM (Thomas Ford Public Library)
-Board Meeting: Thursday July 16th, 2026 7:00PM (La Grange Public Library)
-Board Meeting: Thursday October 15, 2026 7:00PM (La Grange Park Public Library)
2026 Collection and Program Dates:
-Spring Clothing & Textile Take-Back: March 15, 2026 (St. Michael's Lutheran)
-Earth Day Seed Exchange: April 11, 2026 (La Grange Public Library)
-Spring Electronics Recycling: May 9th , 2026 (La Grange Park Public Works)
-Sandal and Shoe Share: June 6, 2026 (La Grange Public Library)
-Annual Going Green Fundraiser: June 20, 2026 (Milk Money Brewing Company)
-Sustainable Summer Expo: August 8, 2026 (Plymouth Place, Dole Hall)
-Native Plant Sale: September (TBD)
| | | | Find a holiday light recycling location close to you! | |
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Crafters for Climate:
Let's "make-it" happen!
Makers, we are looking for ideas about what our next workshop should be.
If you are a maker and would like to share your craft please reach out to us directly at:
info@gogreenglg.org
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Know your impact:
Use this interactive calculator to
learn your carbon footprint and actions you can take to reduce it.
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Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act Democrats in Congress passed last year, there are new energy cost-saving benefits available right now, including:
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30% back for the cost of many clean energy upgrades to your home, including solar panels, water heaters, and battery storage, no matter the price.
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Up to $1,200 to add insulation, install new exterior windows and doors, or other improvements that increase the energy efficiency of your home.
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Up to $2,000 for a new heat pump (which can provide efficient air conditioning and heating) as well as a heat-pump water heater.
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30% off the cost of installing a new electric vehicle charger if you live in a rural or underserved community.
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Go Green LaGrange had the pleasure of listening to this Webinar hosted by the Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability on Recycling guidelines in Cook County. We hope to share it with any interested participants. Click here if you are interested in hearing more!
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Looking to continue cleaning out your home or business in an environmentally conscious manner? Consider this:
Center for Hard to Recycle Materials
Cook County has partnered with South Suburban College to create the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM Center). This is a permanent recycling drop-off facility available to Cook County residents that helps divert millions of pounds of waste and other hard-to-recycle items from regional landfills and water systems. More information about materials accepted at the CHaRM Center can be found below.
This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number ALN 21.027 awarded to Cook County by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Location
15800 State St., South Holland, IL 60473. The drop-off site is located on north side of campus in the overflow parking lot. Enter at traffic signal on State Street.
Hours
- Every Tuesday: 7 a.m. - noon
- Every Thursday: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.
- 2nd Saturday every month: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. (TVs accepted during Saturday hours only)
Click here for a more comprehensive list of accepted materials!
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Interested in how to turn your parkway into a gardening opportunity!
Two experienced native plant gardeners will give you a virtual guided tour of their stunning parkway gardens and share tips, challenges and successes in turning this challenging area into habitat.Go Green Greater La Grange had the pleasure of listening to this Webinar hosted by the West Cook Wild Ones. We hope to share it with any interested participants. Click here if you are interested in hearing more!
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Green Infrastructure and Flood Mitigation
“We will have a bigger impact if we think systemically,” Frisbie explains in her one-on-one interview with WBEZ’s Sasha-Ann Simons this week. Spearheading the Greater Chicago Watershed Alliance, Friends and Watershed Alliance members, are pushing for substantial shifts in watershed governance and infrastructural development and maintenance.
The use of nature-based green infrastructure leverages the inherent intelligence and resiliency of nature to develop future-focused strategies for just and sustainable living. Developing tactics for educating local leaders, planning and policy experts, and the public, the Watershed Alliance urges that we think with nature, rather than against it.
Click here to learn more!
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Interested in learning more about Composting?
Don't worry if you missed it you can still click here to learn more!
Join Mark Teegen, owner of IFSCC member organization Teegen Compost, and learn about his community garden and backyard compost services. Mark takes trimmings from gardens and shreds them to return the material to an available bin onsite which completes the composting process locally. Mark will highlight the benefits and circularity of a typical compost season for residents and community gardeners, Teegen Compost Style!
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Save the Monarchs, Heres How:
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has added migratory monarch butterflies to their list of Threatened Species. This means Monarch butterflies are now in danger of extinction. In fact, 99.9% of the Western monarch butterfly population has disappeared since 1980.
We all can help by planting milkweed which is the monarch caterpillar's only source of food. And since Fall is the best time to plant milkweed, hurry and visit mwrd.org/save-monarchs to take the pledge to receive free milkweed seeds to help save monarchs.
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How to Donate
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Donate cash or checks at our in-person events.
- Mail checks to:
Go Green Greater La Grange,
PO Box 11
La Grange, IL 60525
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