Illinois Sustainability Award online applications now being accepted

[March 07, 2018] 

The Illinois Sustainability Awards (ISA), one of the original environmental awards, is now accepting applications online.

Since inception of the Award more than 30 years ago, participants have racked up huge and continuing benefits in energy and water conservation, waste reduction, and sustainability innovation.
Over just the past four years participants in the ISA program saved almost 835 million gallons of water, 39 million MWh of electricity, recycled 142,188 million tons of solid waste, and avoided releasing 2.77 million metric tons carbon dioxide into our skies.

You could say these sustainability successes came at no cost. But in fact they saved ISA participants $45.48 million through technology updates, improved efficiencies, and manufacturing changes since 2014.

Who can apply? Illinois communities, organizations, and companies from small to large. Recent winners have included food processors, heavy manufacturers, small cities, non-profits, and many others.

It is all about protecting the quality of life and the profitability of our state’s economy. The Illinois Sustainability Award is an opportunity to be recognized as a leader in your sector for environmental responsibility and cutting costs through sustainability.

You can apply on the ISA website at www.istc.illinois.edu/istcawards.  Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Thursday, May 3. The website also contains a wealth of information and tools to help in developing a winning application. Sponsorship opportunities for the 2017 awards ceremony are also available. Questions can be referred to [e-mail].

The 2018 Illinois Sustainability Awards Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the Union League Club of Chicago, 65 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago. The awards program is administered by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

[Jim Dexter/Deb Jacobson, ISTC Senior Operations Manager]

About the Prairie Research Institute: The Prairie Research Institute (PRI) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provides objective cutting-edge research and solutions to allow citizens and decision makers to make choices that ensure sustainable economic development, enduring environmental quality, and resource preservation for Illinois and beyond. PRI comprises the Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois State Archaeological Survey, Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois State Water Survey, and Illinois Sustainable Technology Center. www.prairie.illinois.edu