Ecology Action Center

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AND EDUCATION

THE ECOLOGY ACTION CENTER IS THE SOLID WASTE AGENCY FOR MCLEAN COUNTY, THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON, AND THE TOWN OF NORMAL, AND RECEIVES FUNDING THROUGH THE MCLEAN COUNTY SOLID WASTE FUND. THE EAC HELPS RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES REDUCE WASTE, INCREASE RECYCLING, AND PROPERLY DISPOSE OF HAZARDOUS WASTE THROUGH NUMEROUS EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS. OUR RECYCLE COACH APP HELPS PEOPLE PROPERLY DISPOSE OF WASTE, SENDS ALERTS ABOUT UPCOMING SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, AND CAN SYNC TO RESIDENTS' CURBSIDE COLLECTIONS TO REMIND THEM WHEN TO PUT THEIR BINS OUT. THE APP HAS OVER 8,000 USERS AND 250,000+ INTERACTIONS ANNUALLY. EAC STAFF PRESENT RECYCLING PROGRAMS TO ALL THE 4TH GRADE CLASSROOMS IN THE COMMUNITY, REACHING AROUND 1,200 YOUTH A YEAR. WE PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS ON BACKYARD COMPOSTING, AND AT THE END OF 2020 WE OPENED OUR FIRST DROP-OFF KIOSK TO LAUNCH A NEW COMMUNITY COMPOSTING PROGRAM WHICH HAD CLOSE TO 100 SUBSCRIBERS AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

THE ECOLOGY ACTION CENTER OFFERS COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH AROUND ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY THROUGH THE BN ENERGY BRIGHT HOME AND SMALL BUSINESS ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM, AND THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE UTILITIES. IN 2020, THE EAC OFFERED VIRTUAL ENERGY AUDIT SERVICES. WHILE THE PANDEMIC HAD AN IMPACT THIS PROGRAM, WE STILL COMPLETED 10 HOME ENERGY AUDITS IN BLOOMINGTON AND NORMAL AND PROVIDED DETAILED ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONSULTATIONS FOR AN ADDITIONAL 57 HOUSEHOLDS. OUR ENERGY PROGRAMS REACHED OVER 854 MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THROUGH PRESENTATIONS, EVENTS, PHONE INQUIRIES, AND HOME ENERGY CONSULTATIONS, AND REACHED COMMUNITY MEMBERS 1,598,033 TIMES THROUGH MEDIA COVERAGE, ADVERTISEMENTS, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND OUR WEBSITE.

THE ECOLOGY ACTION CENTER EDUCATES THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF STORM WATER RUNOFF POLLUTION AND PROVIDES INFORMATION AND RESOURCES TO HELP PEOPLE REDUCE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO WATER POLLUTION. THE EAC PROMOTES CLEAN WATER PROTECTION AND WATERSHED AWARENESS THROUGH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS INCLUDING PROGRAMS FOR ALL THIRD-GRADE CLASSROOMS IN MCLEAN COUNTY, THE YARD SMART PROGRAM, STORM DRAIN STENCILING, THE MCLEANWATER.ORG WATERSHED CLEARINGHOUSE WEBSITE, RAIN BARREL WORKSHOPS, AN ANNUAL CREEK AND TRAIL CLEAN-UP EVENT, THE SUGAR CREEK STEWARDS, SEPTIC SYSTEM MAINTENANCE MESSAGING, AND REMINDING OUR COMMUNITY TO CURB THEIR LEAVES IN THE FALL. REACHED OVER 300 STUDENTS WITH CLASSROOM PROGRAMS, AND HAD OVER 250,000 INTERACTIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT CLEAN WATER CONTENT. SOLD 31 RAIN BARRELS AND HELPED INSTALL 7 ADDITIONAL RAIN BARRELS FOR LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WEST BLOOMINGTON REVITALIZATION PROJECT.

THE ECOLOGY ACTION CENTER IS THE SOLID WASTE AGENCY FOR MCLEAN COUNTY, THE CITY OF BLOOMINGTON, AND THE TOWN OF NORMAL, AND RECEIVES FUNDING THROUGH THE MCLEAN COUNTY SOLID WASTE FUND. THE EAC HELPS RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES REDUCE WASTE, INCREASE RECYCLING, AND PROPERLY DISPOSE OF HAZARDOUS WASTE THROUGH NUMEROUS EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS. OUR RECYCLE COACH APP HELPS PEOPLE PROPERLY DISPOSE OF WASTE, SENDS ALERTS ABOUT UPCOMING SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, AND CAN SYNC TO RESIDENTS' CURBSIDE COLLECTIONS TO REMIND THEM WHEN TO PUT THEIR BINS OUT. THE APP HAS OVER 8,000 USERS AND 250,000+ INTERACTIONS ANNUALLY. EAC STAFF PRESENT RECYCLING PROGRAMS TO ALL THE 4TH GRADE CLASSROOMS IN THE COMMUNITY, REACHING AROUND 1,200 YOUTH A YEAR. WE PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS ON BACKYARD COMPOSTING, AND AT THE END OF 2020 WE OPENED OUR FIRST DROP-OFF KIOSK TO LAUNCH A NEW COMMUNITY COMPOSTING PROGRAM WHICH HAD CLOSE TO 100 SUBSCRIBERS AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

THE ECOLOGY ACTION CENTER OFFERS COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH AROUND ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY THROUGH THE BN ENERGY BRIGHT HOME AND SMALL BUSINESS ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM, AND THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE UTILITIES. IN 2020, THE EAC OFFERED VIRTUAL ENERGY AUDIT SERVICES. WHILE THE PANDEMIC HAD AN IMPACT THIS PROGRAM, WE STILL COMPLETED 10 HOME ENERGY AUDITS IN BLOOMINGTON AND NORMAL AND PROVIDED DETAILED ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONSULTATIONS FOR AN ADDITIONAL 57 HOUSEHOLDS. OUR ENERGY PROGRAMS REACHED OVER 854 MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THROUGH PRESENTATIONS, EVENTS, PHONE INQUIRIES, AND HOME ENERGY CONSULTATIONS, AND REACHED COMMUNITY MEMBERS 1,598,033 TIMES THROUGH MEDIA COVERAGE, ADVERTISEMENTS, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND OUR WEBSITE.

THE ECOLOGY ACTION CENTER EDUCATES THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF STORM WATER RUNOFF POLLUTION AND PROVIDES INFORMATION AND RESOURCES TO HELP PEOPLE REDUCE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO WATER POLLUTION. THE EAC PROMOTES CLEAN WATER PROTECTION AND WATERSHED AWARENESS THROUGH EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS INCLUDING PROGRAMS FOR ALL THIRD-GRADE CLASSROOMS IN MCLEAN COUNTY, THE YARD SMART PROGRAM, STORM DRAIN STENCILING, THE MCLEANWATER.ORG WATERSHED CLEARINGHOUSE WEBSITE, RAIN BARREL WORKSHOPS, AN ANNUAL CREEK AND TRAIL CLEAN-UP EVENT, THE SUGAR CREEK STEWARDS, SEPTIC SYSTEM MAINTENANCE MESSAGING, AND REMINDING OUR COMMUNITY TO CURB THEIR LEAVES IN THE FALL. REACHED OVER 300 STUDENTS WITH CLASSROOM PROGRAMS, AND HAD OVER 250,000 INTERACTIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT CLEAN WATER CONTENT. SOLD 31 RAIN BARRELS AND HELPED INSTALL 7 ADDITIONAL RAIN BARRELS FOR LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WEST BLOOMINGTON REVITALIZATION PROJECT.