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WHO WE ARE

Between our dedicated staff and extraordinary volunteers, we have centuries of experience building, teaching and cultivating local circular economies. Together, we’re working to change the way we, as a city, think about our food and our environment.

OUR MISSION
WHAT WE DO

Our mission is to cultivate local circular economies.

We envision a paradigm shift in production, consumption and waste driven at the local level, generating equity and economic opportunity for all residents.

What is a Circular Economy?

At the facility scale, a circular economy can be described as conventional waste streams from one process being re-purposed as inputs for another, creating a circular, closed-loop model of material reuse.

At the local scale, it can be described as a collaborative economic practice sustained by local circulation of materials, nutrients, knowledge, and money. It’s empowered by transparency, diversity, and inclusion. Read more here.

We equip people and businesses with the tools to live more sustainably through community-driven, hands-on programs and innovative research projects.

History

Plant Chicago was established in 2011 as the anchor for the project known as The Plant, a collaborative community of food businesses on the southwest side of Chicago. For 8 years, Plant Chicago supported the ever evolving project and brought tangible benefits to the surrounding community.  

We are now operating out of a former firehouse, which we are renovating into a center for circular economy programming in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the southwest side of Chicago. More on Plant Chicago's history can be found here

History
ADVISORY COMMITTEES

Our Circular Economy Advisory Committee is composed of academic and industry professionals who guide our work to cultivate local circular systems.

Ning Ai, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Urban Planning and Policy; Research Associate Professor, Inst. for Environmental Science and Policy 

University of Illinois at Chicago

 

Weslynne Ashton, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Environmental Management and Sustainability
Stuart School of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology

Stephanie Katsaros, Founder

Bright Beat Consulting

John Mulrow, Ph.D. candidate, NSF Research Fellow

University of Illinois 

Andre Nogueira, Ph.D, Visiting Scientist
Harvard T.H. Chan school of Public Health

Sabina L. Shaikh, Ph.D., Director, Program on Global Environment; Senior Lecturer, Environmental Studies and Public Policy Studies

University of Chicago

Tessa Vierk, Co-Founder

Chicago Tool Library

 

Our Auxiliary Board is a diverse group of young professionals who support Plant Chicago's activities + programs.

Rohit Agarwal, West Monroe Partners

Alec Columbus
Mark Doose, West Monroe Partners
Kassandra Hinrichsen, Common Threads

Sajani Neeraja

Sunitha Palat

Andy Recillas 
Tommy Straus, The Urban Canopy

Dan Tafelski, Chicago Public Schools

Bernice Vargas Luna, El Hongo Mágico Taqueria

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