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Apply now for the Illinois Sustainability Award

The Illinois Sustainability Awards, 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 Illinois Sustainability Awards program saved almost 835 million gallons of water, 39 million megawatt hours 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, nonprofits, 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.

Questions can be referred to istc-info@illinois.edu.

The 2018 Illinois Sustainability Awards Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at the Union League Club of Chicago, 65 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago. The 2018 program will include a morning technical symposium, industry-leading keynotes, luncheon and awards ceremony, celebrating the 32nd annual presentation of this environmental award.

Consider a sponsorship of the 2018 Illinois Sustainability Award Ceremony! Continue the legacy of leadership demonstrated by organizations committed to the environment and the growth of a more sustainable Illinois economy. Sponsorship opportunities are available and offer a multitude of benefits and exposure for your organization.

The Illinois Sustainability Award is the longest running environmental award program in the state, and in the country. Previous awardees include: Abbott Labs, Baxter Healthcare, United Airlines, Farmland Foods, Lewis and Clark Community College, Marathon Petroleum Company LP, McDonald's Corporation, Quaker Foods North America, University of Illinois, DuPage County, Motorola Inc., and many more.

The 2017 Illinois Sustainability Award winners are: AbbVie-North Chicago; Aisin Manufacturing Illinois, LLC in Marion; Bloomington Public Schools District 87 in Bloomington; BMO Harris Bank in Naperville; C3 Presents LLC in Lollapalooza in Chicago; Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria Proving Ground in Washington; Caterpillar Inc. in Surface Mining and Technology in Decatur; Dynamic Manufacturing Inc. in Melrose Park; Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere; Golden State Foods Chicago in McCook; Hilton Chicago; Lakeshore Recycling Systems in Morton Grove; Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield; Loyola University Chicago; Marathon Petroleum Company LP, Illinois Refining Division in Robinson; Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance in Chicago; Mightybytes, Inc. in Chicago; Naperville Park District; NTN-Bower Corp. in Macomb; Restoration Works Inc. in Bradley; Silgan Closures in Champaign; and Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce and Green Music Fest 2016 in 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.

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.

The Prairie Research Institute comprises the Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois State Archaeological Survey, Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois State Water Survey, and Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.

To learn more about the The Prairie Research Institute, visit www.prairie.illinois.edu.

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