Avenues to Independence

This non-profit organization provides homes, jobs and community living programs to area adults with physical, intellectual and other developmental disabilities. Help the environment while providing jobs for the disabled workforce in our community. Stop by their booth to learn more. Their Recycling Avenue program will be collecting all electronics working or not (No TV’s):

• Cell phones

• Laptops

• Flat monitors

• Gaming systems

• Inkjet cartridges

• MP3 players

• Cameras

• GPS devices

• Radar detectors

• Apple products

Drop off your unwanted clothing and linens. Every year billions of pounds of textiles are thrown out with domestic waste and end up in landfills. As much as 95 percent of these clothes could be used again; re-worn, reused or recycled – depending on the state of the garment. They will also accept books for their group homes and small, working appliances for their thrift stores

Working Bikes Cooperative Drop off your old bikes, working or not, and bike parts at the Working Bikes booth. They will give new life to your old bike and independence to those who ride them, in the underserved communities of Chicago, Africa and Central & South America. This action diverts bicycles from the waste stream in Chicago by repairing them for sale and charity. They repair some bikes for local donation & sale to help fund the overseas shipment & donation of all the remaining bicycles. Each year Working Bikes gives away over 5,000 bicycles locally and internationally. It distributes about 500 bicycles and wheelchairs in the Chicago area alone: to City programs, refugees and day camps. Drop off bicycles and parts at this event!

Bicycle energy display This demonstration is designed to establish a deeper appreciation for the total value of electrical energy used in our daily lives, which is often taken for granted. On the fun side, the rider learns how much effort in watts is needed to propel a bicycle at various speeds on a road. On the scientific side the bicycle-to-electricity machine

demonstration gives the visitor a personal kinesthetic learning experience to truly understand the physical & electrical energy needed to illuminate conventional vs. energy efficient light bulbs. The demonstration creator & guide is Jerry Meyerhoff of JDM LABS LLC.

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Stop by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) booth to learn about their new "Restore the Canopy, Plant a Tree" program. This initiative gives residents an opportunity to restore our region’s depleted tree canopy which has been decimated by emerald ash borer infestation and extreme weather. Not only do trees provide a beautiful green canopy for our communities, they are a powerful and effective form of green infrastructure. A medium-sized oak tree can help prevent flooding by absorbing 2,800 gallons of rainfall per year. The MWRD is inviting Green Fair visitors to learn more about water conservation/reuse and take a water environment pledge for a chance to win a repurposed rain barrel. Also the first 50 visitors will receive an 18” potted oak tree sapling to take home along with planting instructions.

Buffalo Grove Board of Health Do you want to know what has been kept out of our landfills due to the village’s comprehensive recycling program? Stop by the Village of Buffalo Grove booth to learn about the village recycling program and upcoming electronics recycling and document destruction events.

Lions Club Stop by the Buffalo Grove Lions Club booth to learn more about this volunteer organization. Their display will show all the different ways that Lions Clubs all over the world are advocating for environmental awareness and preservation. Stop by and spin the Environmental Challenge Wheel of Green ... and win a prize (vegetable seeds). And meet the Lions Club mascot! The Lions clubs collects millions of used eyeglasses each year to address the need for glasses around the world as part of the club's worldwide SightFirst program. The Lion’s Club booth will be collecting used eye glasses, old hearing aids, ink cartridges and all those mystery keys you have around the house.

BG-Environmental Action Team (BG-EAT) - Information Stop by the BG-EAT booth to learn more about this team of dedicated residents that work together to make Buffalo Grove a greener place to live through projects and activities. They get involved with prairie restoration, road side clean up, water stream sampling and community events. Did you know that the contents of CDs, DVDs, can be toxic to the environment? The EAT team will be collecting CD’s, DVD’s and gaming disks for proper disposal. You can also drop off metal coat hangers for re-use at local dry cleaners.

Buffalo Grove Park District The Buffalo Grove Park District will be collecting shoes in any condition, from new or gently used or worn out. Shoes will be delivered to the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) for their Reuse-A-Shoe program where shoes are either recycled or reused. Learn more about the Reuse-A-Shoe program at swalco.org/collections/shoes and be a part of this great effort by donating shoes at the Green Fair.

The Park District will also be collecting new or used crayons, to be donated to the School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education (SCARCE) for their Super Crayon project. SCARCE collects broken crayons and sorts them by color, so that they can be melted down and poured into candle molds to create Super Crayons. Children with special needs who generally are unable to grip regular crayons use these Super Crayons. Learn more about the Super Crayons mission at scarceecoed.org/rescue-programs/super-crayons and be a part of this wonderful project by donating crayons at the Green Fair.

Make sure to stop by the Buffalo Grove Park District tent for an environmentally

friendly arts and crafts activity!

Stop by the EAT booth to enter a raffle for 2 Chicago Cubs tickets sponsored by Waste Management.

Buffalo Grove Garden Club Is it a weed or is it a flower? What plants will attract butterflies to my garden? Are their native plants that will work in my yard? If you have questions like this then visit The Buffalo Grove Garden Club Booth. Experienced gardeners will be on hand to answer your gardening

questions and provide information on Native Plants!

Mayor’s Monarch Pledge Help save our endangered butterfly! Buffalo Grove has recently joined other local governments in taking action to help save the monarch butterfly, an iconic species whose population has declined by 90% in the last 20 years. Through the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayor’s Monarch Pledge, cities and municipalities are committing to create habitat and educate citizens about how they can make a difference at home. Stop by to learn more about the flowers and plants that attract butterflies and gives habitat to the caterpillar.

Ready for a 10 minute chair massage? Stop by the Palm Leaf Massage Clinic booth and learn about their Environmentally-friendly approach to medicinal massage therapy that makes no carbon footprint. Ramon Mascareñas, trained in Lomi Lomi ‘Ka’ that dates 9 generations of the Kaipo Kaneakua family, is an ancient Hawaiian healing technique. By using organic coconut oil, Ramon integrates myofascial trigger point therapy, hot stone and cupping.

In April 2017 the Indian Trails Public Library completed a large building renovation, which included several environmentally friendly features. Stop by to learn how the library is heated and cooled by geothermal energy, how the new lighting is energy efficient and the two green roofs featuring trays of sedum, which are native to the area. In 2018, an exciting upcoming green project is the installation of solar panels. Also learn about their ongoing Giving Garden, in which children grades K-5 plant and care for a vegetable garden throughout the summer. The harvested vegetables are then donated to several community food banks.

The mission at Norwex is to improve quality of life by radically reducing chemicals in our homes. In addition, the Norwex products make cleaning faster and more cost effective than traditional cleaning products. Stop by their booth to learn how you can make your home a

cleaner and healthier indoor environment.

Re Edge Giving Circle, which will gives knives, scissors and other blades that would otherwise be in a landfill a new purpose. Please donate these items in any condition at the EAT Booth. Sharpening by Dave will then use their time to repurpose the items and prep them for their new homes. Examples are soup kitchens, shelters, low income senior homes, group homes, students in need and many other opportunities for these items to make a full circle. Repurposing one edge, two sharpen a life. Drop off these items at the EAT booth.

Stop by the ComEd booth to see their Solar Energy table. Learn about solar energy by getting educated on the benefits of solar energy as well as the options that are available. They will also will debunk the common misconceptions with facts on solar in Illinois, and will provide some giveaway items.

Lake County Forest Preserve Stop by the Lake County Forest Preserves booth to see what the education staff has brought from their collection of taxidermied skins of local animals. Learn about events and programs happening this summer.

Random Acts of Flowers recycles flowers and vases in order to bring hope and healing to people in healthcare facilities. Random Acts of Flowers improves the emotional health and wellbeing of individuals in healthcare facilities by delivering recycled flowers, encouragement and personal moments of kindness. Using flowers as the vessel, our vision is to inspire and nurture a culture of care and compassion. Drop off any vases you have around the house for a great cause.

Renewal by Andersen is the custom replacement division of Andersen windows. Andersen is the country’s oldest and largest window and door manufacturer. Andersen Corporation’s heritage includes a long-standing commitment to energy efficient products and environmental stewardship. Andersen, including Renewal by Andersen, earned the 2017 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence award. Our Fibrex® material frames and sashes contain 40% reclaimed wood fiber by weight—much of that comes from Andersen Corporation’s wood-window manufacturing process. Renewal by Andersen’s sustainable approach to window replacement means Mother Nature smiles just a little bit brighter.

Arbonne is a 36 yr old company that focuses on Pure Safe and Beneficial choices for skin care, makeup and nutrition, plus sports nutrition. They are all about being green - always have been and always will be. From botanically based ingredients to forward-looking green improvements, being earth friendly has everything to do with who we are and how we choose to grow. Learn how to detox your skin care regimen and lifestyle with certified integrative nutrition health coach.

Young living is an essential oil, natural cleaning, and supplement company. Our products can be used around the house as a chemical free alternative to traditional cleaners. They can also be used as a chemical free air freshener and in your favorite homemade toiletries.

Solar Panels and Electric Car – Learn how a BG resident generates enough power with their solar panels to power their house and car. Stop by and talk to Steve and Mary to learn more.

CUB is a non-profit, non-partisan utility consumer advocacy group that serves as a voice for utility ratepayers across Illinois. Stop by their booth to learn about energy efficiency programs designed to help you save energy and money. They will also be giving away energy-efficient light bulbs. And you can also learn about the latest energy-efficiency and renewable energy policy developments happening in Springfield, plus how grid improvements being conducted by the electric utilities can help consumers use energy more wisely.

Certasun is a residential solar energy company based in Buffalo Grove. Stop by our booth to learn about the government incentives for installing solar on your home. And, check out how we design solar systems by using our interactive solar design tool to design a system.

The Illinois State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Division connects state residents with their unclaimed property. The state currently has $2.5 billion dollars in cash ,plus contents from Illinois bank safe deposit boxes ,which need to be returned to Illinois residents . It’s easy for Illinois residents to discover if they have assets waiting for them. 1) We will enter the Illinois residents name into our search field at the Green Fair 2) If it’s a match , we will assist in getting the claim started 3) If all the required forms are properly submitted the unclaimed property should be redeemed in 3 to 4 months