Please explain how your business works to conserve energy in day-to-day operations.
The Green Read has its thermostat programed to lower the temperature during the hours the store is closed. The furnace was also replaced in 2021 with a more energy-efficient model.

How does your business handle and/or minimize waste?
As part of an environmental organization, The Green Read is very conscious of waste reduction. With books being bulk of their stock, The Green Read is able to apply the “3 R’s” in several ways. First, as a bookstore with gently used donated books, The Green Read reduces the need for more books to be published. The donated books are then reused when they are purchased by a new owner. Combining with their sister store, The Green Spot in Woodstock, we sold over 21,000 books in 2021, preventing those books from potentially ending up in a landfill. Finally, books that are unsellable are responsibly recycled. For donors that have books which are unable to be accepted, information is provided offering options recycling books.

Please describe how you educate employees about your green initiatives.
The Green Read is staffed entirely by volunteers. Information about book recycling is provided to all new volunteers during training, and occasional emails are sent out to all volunteers with any updates. A procedures manual is in the process of being created which will include information about non-donated products in regards to their sustainability and environmentally-friendly aspects.

In addition, quarterly newsletters put out by The Environmental Defenders, as well as information about other environmental programs and events, are all available to volunteers and customers to promote awareness of environmental topics and projects.

Please explain how your business works to conserve energy in day-to-day operations.
Solar panels on the roof. Hot water heater has been replaced with an electric, tank less hot water heater. All lights in the building are being converted to LED, which will save approximately 16 metric tons of CO2 annually.

How does your business handle and/or minimize waste?
Hoffman Orthodontics recycles more then they throw out! Recycling bins are placed throughout the office and large recycling dumpster has been placed outside. Reusable plates and silverware are provided for staff lunches, a water cooler is also provided for water instead of bottles of water.

Describe how your business is working towards improving water quality and water conservation. 
Pique Technologies eliminated disposable water bottles from company refrigerators and implemented a  water cooler instead.

How does your business handle and/or minimize waste?
In addition to having a second garbage dumpster specifically for recycling of carboard, Pique has a recycling can in their kitchen for paper, aluminum cans, plastic, etc. Pique also has a Trex decking recycling bin for plastic bags and plastic film, and regularly takes large loads to Jewels drop off center. When receiving deliveries of new goods, packaging materials are saved in large totes and reused as packaging materials when sending equipment to customers. 

Discuss how your business is working to improve or maintain air quality in Crystal Lake.
Pique employees are encouraged to walk or bike into downtown for lunch and coffee breaks instead of driving their cars to/from town a few blocks away.

If you were awarded as a Green Business for the 2021-22 program, please describe any additional efforts you have made to improve on any criteria for preserving or promoting sustainability. 
Researching energy efficient building automation and network equipment to incorporate into our network design and consulting projects.  

Describe how your business is working towards improved water quality and water conservation.
The MCC Café has a three green star rating from the Green Restaurant Association. To achieve this rating, McHenry County College installed energy efficient dishwashers, and faucet regulators/aerators. Water bottle filling stations on campus offer filtered water to staff and students. 98% of the toilets and urinals on campus have been retrofitted.

Please explain how your business works to conserve energy in day-to-day operations.
MCC is currently in a multi-phase effort to transition all of their light fixtures over to LEDs. As of February 15 2023, 70% of all fixtures have been converted. Remodeling has and will continue to include occupancy sensors so lighting will not remain on when not needed. Following a recent retro commission project with ComEd, adjusting schedules, and replacing filters, MC was able to save over 300,000 Kwh and 15,000 therms annually.

MCC has a four panel solar array that powers one of the high tunnels allowing the growing season to be extended into the late fall/ MCC’s campus (Shah Center) has a 336 panel solar array that provides most of the power for that building. There is also a four-panel array designed for students to interact with and learn from.

Please explain how your business is promoting healthy ecology in Crystal Lake.
In 2019 the MCC Student Farm was formed for students in the Entrepreneurial Agriculture and Horticulture programs to learn how to grow food on a production farm. This included areas outside and two High Tunnels for year-round “indoor” growing throughout the winter. In 2022 the farm began to expand. The MCC Student Farm now includes native plants, a pollinator garden to attract beneficial fruit trees, berries, and brambles; hops, perennial crops and a cut flower plot. Cover crops are used to amend the soils instead of deep tilling. The MCC Student Farm is not certified organic yet, but it does only use OMRI certified products when necessary and uses organic practices in all areas of growing and soil amending. There are honey bees on the property that help with pollination and the installation of pollinator strips will be completed by 2024.

Describe how your business is working towards improved water quality and water conservation.

Both inside and out, the Crystal Lake Park District strives to preserve water resources and promote water conservation in all aspects of their portfolio. From restroom water faucet restrictors and auto shut-offs, water bottle fill stations, to manual press/hand activated spray features at splash pads, the Park District looks to ways to conserve water use. Within parks, bio swales are adjacent to many of the parking lots to capture storm water and filter out surface contamination to both improve water quality and promote water conservation.

Please describe how your business is promoting healthy ecology in Crystal Lake.

Crystal Lake Park District stewards many acres of natural areas including forests, prairie, wetlands, and the waters of Crystal Lake. The natural areas management focuses on ecosystem monitoring, including planting, weed and invasive species removal, controlled burning, and habitat rehabilitation. The Park District has a Natural Resources Manager (NRM) who is tasked with managing natural areas by removing invasive species and reestablishing native habitat within all regional habitat types.

Is there anything else you would the Crystal Lake Sustainability Committee to consider regarding your business?

The Crystal Lake Park District has a long track record of environmentally sustainable practices. The Environmental Policy Manual was adopted in 2007 along with the environmental mission statement “To wisely use, recycle, and conserve our resources to build a better future within our Park District and Community”. The environmental statement was then updated in 2014 to “To provide leadership in the conservation of resources, reduction of waste, and protection of natural areas to improve the quality of life in our community” which the Parks District holds strong to today. As the District looks forward to 2024 and beyond, they strive to improve sustainable policies and practices in the management of buildings, natural resources, and through events and classes offered.