The Park Forest Environment Commission presented its accomplishments from the past year at the Village board meeting on Monday night.
The commission's presentation was one of many at the board meeting, including the swearing-in of two officers and the non-profit Habitat for Humanity, which highlighted its work in the Village.
The Environment Commission Chair, Julie Baker, took to the podium at Village Hall and addressed Mayor Joseph A. Woods and the Village Trustees as they sat at the dais. Baker thanked everyone for their support and spoke about the strides the commission made in 2023.
"It's an honor serving our community and helping it become a better example for the rest of the world on how to live a renewable lifestyle," Baker said. "Caring for our environment ensures our survival in the coming years as we see communities lose resources and the ability to sustain themselves."
Baker mentioned that some notable events were the Spring and Fall Shred/Drug Takeback Events. The events saw 9,400 items being shredded, which is approximately 168 lbs. - that included prescription drugs being disposed of safely and adequately recycled and 270 lbs. of cardboard being recycled.
Baked added since 2016, the annual RecycleFest collected over 183,000 pounds of reused or recycled items, including electronics, T.V.s, books, flags, bikes, and trophies.
Mayor Woods praised the Environment Commission and said they're setting the bar in the southland.
"I gotta tell you, the Environment Commission is one of the most passionate commissions that we have in the Village," Woods said. "I'm not biased, of course; I love them all. But, I will say, walking down the street is different after going to one of your events. You just have to pick something up if you see it, right? It just changes your mindset."
After the mayor spoke, many trustees also praised the Environment Commission for making Park Forest a cleaner place and educating residents on ways they can help with various causes.
Trustee Erin Slone, who's the trustee liaison for the commission, said she appreciated how they get things done even with a skeleton crew sometimes.
"I still don't think you gave everything [the commission accomplished] during the year," Slone said. There are so many ideas that are kicked around on a given evening, and sometimes [the concern is] we don't have enough people or time, but it still gets done—that's commitment."
If you want to join the Environment Commission to help make a difference, click here. The commission currently has seven members, and there are two open seats. Additionally, they meet on the first Thursday of each month. For more details, contact Sustainability Coordinator Carrie Malfeo at 708-503-8153