Morton Grove, IL – May 29, 2024 – The Village of Morton Grove Board of Trustees proudly presented four Greener Morton Grove Awards at the regularly scheduled Village Board meeting on May 28, 2024, recognizing outstanding contributions to environmental sustainability within the Morton Grove community. Four awards were presented to the following businesses and organizations in four respective categories:
- Catering by Michaels – Category of Business
- Muslim Community Center (MCC) of Chicago – Category of Religious Organization
- Park View Elementary School – Category of Public School
- WasteNot Compost – Category of Service Provider
Catering by Michaels is a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) certified business located at 6203 Park Avenue in Morton Grove. In 2023, the business became one of two caterers in the U.S. to earn 4 Star Green Restaurant certification from the Green Restaurant Association. The business prioritizes waste reduction, energy and water efficiency, low-impact employee commuting, education, and responsible purchasing. Catering by Michaels’ most significant initiative is to divert on-site and off-site food waste from composting to individuals and families at shelters and food banks in the Chicagoland area. In 2023, the business partnered with Rescuing Leftover Cuisine and has since rescued 5,095 pounds of food, equivalent to 4,500 meals served and 12,000 pounds of emissions prevented.
The Muslim Community Center (MCC) of Chicago operates its Muslim Education Center and mosque at 8601 Menard Avenue in Morton Grove. The MCC has taken significant steps to reduce waste, promote recycling, conserve energy, educate the public, and green the community. The MCC has reduced plastic waste by providing refillable water bottles and refilling stations, transitioned to biodegradable and reusable event serving ware, encouraged sustainable practices through prayer services, a monthly newsletter, and partnership with regional organizations, participated in the Morton Grove Sustainability Expo, transitioned to digital communication, installed energy-efficient appliances, reused materials and reduced plastic use in classrooms, promoted composting, and planted a garden in the community.
This school year, Park View Elementary School, located at 6200 Lake Street in Morton Grove, started its Green Club for students in grades 6 through 8. The club meets weekly to explore ways to implement more sustainable practices in the school. The club has increased the number of recycling containers in the school, provided presentations and videos on recycling to students and staff, and set up bins to upcycle crayons, markers, glue sticks, and glue. On Earth Day, the club encouraged walking or riding bikes to school, promoted a no-waste lunch, and held a Trash Challenge involving students picking up litter with their classmates. The club’s goal is to educate students, who will then educate their families and neighbors about the importance of implementing earth-friendly practices into their everyday lives.
WasteNot Compost is the Village’s exclusive provider for curbside compost collection for homes and businesses. Since starting service to the community in January 2024, WasteNot has increased participation in curbside composting from 53 households in 2023 to 94 households by the end of April 2024. The company encourages low-impact commuting for employees by offering pre-tax public transit pay, electric vehicle charging, and bike storage. WasteNot only uses compostable products at its Chicago headquarters, has multiple water refilling stations, and has all lights set on timers. Operating under the company motto of “compost without compromise,” WasteNot is committed to providing zero-emissions service and prevents 60,000 gallons of gas from being burned annually by operating with a 100% electric van fleet.
This year’s Greener Morton Grove Award recipients showcased remarkable achievements in waste reduction, recycling, water and energy conservation, public education, and sustainable transportation. The Village is proud to highlight the efforts of these dedicated individuals, businesses, and organizations in making Morton Grove a greener and more sustainable place to live, work, and play.