The Forest Preserves of Cook County is home to a diverse array of native plants and animals, both large and small. To help protect these natural areas while hosting your event, consider adopting green gathering practices. Whether you’re planning a reunion, a birthday celebration, or a simple picnic, there are plenty of ways to make your gathering more environmentally sustainable.
On this page:
Green Gathering Practices
- Nearby location. When searching for your party spot, consider the one closest for everyone. It not only saves you on gas, but it also helps reduce air pollution. Visit map.fpdcc.com to find the nearest location to you.
- Eco-friendly menu. Prepare meals that are least harmful to the environment. Vegetarian and vegan meals greatly reduce your carbon footprint. You can also purchase produce from your local farmers market.
- Don’t overpack. Plan ahead and only take what you need. Having too much stuff can lead to it being left at the site.
- Avoid disposable decorations. Avoid decorating with balloons, plastics and disposable party supplies. Not only do they have a one-time use, but if left on site they can be eaten by birds or other animals—or interfere with their habitat.
- Reuse cutlery/cloth. Bring reusable or biodegradable cutlery, flatware and cups, instead of disposable ones, and reusable tablecloths—or even a bedsheet!
- Aluminum>plastic. If you choose to bring one-serving beverages, pick aluminum cans over plastic bottles. Cans are more easily recyclable and require less resources to make.
- Compost. Placing food scraps in the trash adds to the waste stream and creates methane gases. If you compost, bring a container to collect the food waste at your event—or take the scraps to a composting location.
- Recycle. Use the appropriate landfill (green) or recycling (blue) cans when available. If you’re holding a large event, ask us for additional recycling cans in advance.
- Leave no can behind. Pick up all garbage and leave the site as clean as it was when you arrived.
- Learn and volunteer! After your visit, feel free to visit one of our Nature Centers and learn more about the thousands of plants and animals that inhabit the 70,000 acres of wild and wonderful. You can also volunteer by visiting our Volunteer page.
If you take on three or more of these actions, we’d love to see a picture of what you’ve done! Send images to sustainabilityfpcc@cookcountyil.gov.
Acceptable Recycling Materials
- Paper (except napkins, paper towels and tissues)
- Glass jars and bottles
- Aluminum cans, foil and pie tins
- Tin or steel cans
- Cardboard (flatten all boxes)
- Plastic bottles and containers (#1-5, #7 accepted)
- Paper bags
- Programs, fliers or agendas
- Beverage cartons (milk, juice, soy cartons)