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Sustainability Center opens at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

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Published  September 28, 2023 10:48am CDT
Lincoln Park
FOX 32 Chicago

Sustainability Center opens at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Only 10% of what you put in recycling bins actually get recycled. The new Sustainability Center at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum teaches facts like these and tells visitors how they can make a difference

CHICAGO - We hear the word practically every day. Sustainability.

Now, a new Sustainability Center at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum offers suggestions on how to make better choices to save the planet.

The centerpiece is a seven-foot-tall globe that focuses on the four major components of sustainability: food, water, economy and culture, and energy.

"One of the things that we talk about in economy and culture is waste. So the greenest product is the product that you already own," said Jennifer Olson, the director of guest, and community engagement.

"So the tip is really how can you extend the life of clothing or electronics that you already have, and how you can borrow things or repair them instead of buying new," Olson continued. 

The Sustainability Center is interactive and appropriate for all ages. A digital library in the resource center features books you can download.

The center, which opened Thursday, will feature rotating exhibits that will provide practical ways everyone can make an impact at home or in their community.

The exhibits and staff teach visitors eye-opening statistics as well. Only 10% of what you put in a recycling bin ever gets recycled. And, a slow drip from your faucet can waste a gallon of water a day.