2015 July Archive - East Peoria Green Team

Archive for July, 2015

Glass Recycling Event

Posted on: July 22nd, 2015 by rjohnson

Saturday July 18th another glass recycling day was held in East Peoria. The East Peoria Green Team, in conjunction with the City of East Peoria and Waste Management provided an opportunity for citizens to recycle used glass containers. We had a very good turnout with 73 different families stopping to drop off their used glass to be recycled. But, since the population of East Peoria consists of 7200 households that is just one percent of the families that could have brought in glass to be recycled. So we hope to get even more families to come by for the next recycling effort.

East Peoria Green members, Linda Tiller, Sue Elder, Lori Wolf, and Bob Jorgensen, were assisted by East Peoria High School Students Clarice Wolf and Elaena Wolf. There was a constant stream of cars coming into the FOLEPI Building lot to drop off their glass jars and bottles. We all helped unload and dump the glass into the roll off supplied by Waste Management. Club business cards with our website information, www.eastpeoriagreen.com was given to each attendee. A donation of $1 per car load was asked for to help pay the cost of the event. Future glass recycling events were discussed with many attendees, as well as other environmental information. Because of the success of this event we are hoping to recycle glass again in the late fall, maybe November. Everyone said they would be saving their bottles and jars until then. Please do the same and make our next event even bigger.

East Peoria Green Riverfront Cleanup

Posted on: July 16th, 2015 by rjohnson

East Peoria Green was again out at the riverfront on July 5th to cleanup and sort materials left from the Saturday July 4th fireworks show. The team did all the usual picking up of discarded trash and recyclables. A great deal of plastics in the form of water bottles, plastic cups, energy drink bottles, and soda bottles were gathered and put into recycling Herbie Toters. Also added to the recycling haul were aluminum cans and cardboard boxes and 12 pack soda boxes. The Green Team asks that next year fireworks goers try to separate their trash from recyclables and get them into the correct containers. If the containers are full put items next to the appropriate containers. We will try to get more recyclable toters down to the riverfront next year.

This year our efforts to cleanup and sort out recyclables was greatly aided by the participation of the East Peoria members from the ‘Thinkinators’. This group of junior high students competes in the First Lego League. The group takes on challenges to solve different problems through innovative ideas, creative construction, and on the spot collaboration. The ‘Thinkinators’ were led by coach, Don Tippet, and parents Chad Kramer, and Cassandra Tippet. The teammates who helped us divide and pickup everything left over from the Red, White, and Boom, were: Christina Kramer, Mariah Tippet, and Kaylyn Tippet. East Peoria Green also had the help of Teegan Hobbs, the daughter of one of our members.

East Peoria Green’s next event will be a glass recycling day. As in the past the event will be held in the parking lot of the FOLEPI Building, 2200 E. Washington St. It will be from 8:30 a.m. Until 11:30 a.m. On July 18th. Bring all of your rinsed out glass jars and bottles. The labels don’t need to be removed, but the lids should be taken off. You may bring any color of glass. Please DO NOT bring any window or mirror glass.

Mariah Tippet, Christina Kramer, and Kaylyn Tippet

Midwest Renewable Energy Fair

Posted on: July 6th, 2015 by rjohnson

Bob and Diane Jorgensen recently attended the energy fair in Custer, WI. The energy fair was founded by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association over 25 years ago. The huge event covered 3 days, June 19th – 21st . There were more than 20,000 attendees over those 3 days. If you are interested in anything associated with the environment it is at the fair.

Bob and Diane enjoyed browsing the booths of more than 200 vendors. These vendors have items for sale, or information to pass on to attendees. Some things for sale were solar ovens, solar photo voltaic panels, local organic honey, natural soaps, window blankets, and small family sized wind turbines. There is also a wide range of information from environmental justice to environmental laws being passed in congress.

One of the main draws, at least for Bob & Diane, are the 225 plus interesting workshops, you can attend. Each workshop lasts about 50 min. and are held in huge water proof tents that can hold about 75 people each. Some of our favorite workshops this year included a class on how to write letters to your congressional representatives, how to transform your yard from a grass hog to an environmentally sustainable garden of vegetables and native plants, climate justice, ethics and activism, and community solar.

There are also some demonstrations on things like converting your car into a car that runs on used cooking oil, or into an electric vehicle, how to cook healthy, or how to build an energy efficient house using bales of straw as the insulation material as well as the frame.

Finally there is also a special tent with activities for children. So you can bring your whole family along and there will be something for everyone.

If you would be interested in finding more information about the fair, the MREA, or other environmental information, go to the MREA website, www.midwestrenew.org

Archive for July, 2015

Glass Recycling Event

East Peoria Green Riverfront Cleanup

Midwest Renewable Energy Fair

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