GREEN PARTNERSHIPS
2016 – Present
Green Partnerships empowers our members to promote sustainability by partnering with local businesses and nonprofits in projects advocating for sustainable practices. Along the way, our members develop and strengthen their skills in partnership formation, research and analysis, and sustainability consulting—implementing tangible green practices in their community.
THE SITDOWN SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY
We designed a three-tiered sustainability plan based on the goals of the Sitdown Café in Hyde Park, including advising a cost-effective alternative to single-use utensils.
OUR
STRATEGY
We assist our partners in their sustainability needs through individualized plans, guides, and events.
TRUE NORTH PARTNERSHIP COORDINATION
We coordinated a partnership between the True North Café and Healthy Soil Compost to ensure coffee grounds were put to productive use rather than going into a landfill.
THE UPSCALE SALON STUDENT EVENT
We brought in The UpScale Salon to provide subsidized haircuts and styling to PSI members in preparation for PSI Formal. This event promoted the ease of no-heat hairstyling and eco-friendly hair products.
Our members bring thoughtful analysis and innovative solutions to our partners, targeting four main categories: water conservation, energy sourcing, food procurement, and waste management. We assist our partners by connecting them to waste collectors, providing insight on energy use practices, replacing single-use materials, conducting waste-audits, helping with grant proposals, and more.
PSI's Inaugural Farmers Market
In Spring 2024, We hosted 18 student-run and local sustainable businesses on our campus’s Main Quad, including vendors that sold vegan food, locally sourced where students would learn about and support these sustainable product alternatives. This event promoted sustainable consumption and practices on campus and supported the local Chicago economy. We anticipate making this a quarterly event in the upcoming school year. Nearly all vendors who participated sold out!
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Spring 2024 vendors included:
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Noble Fat Co.
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Viva La Horchata
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Lowest Hanging Fruit
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Handi Hues
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UChicago Office of Sustainability
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Gingko Crochet
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Sugar Bliss
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Band of Gold
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LFK Spices
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Ranita
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Chicago Creative Reuse Exchange
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Urban Rivers
We are helping Urban Rivers identify target audiences for their organization to help them increase attendance for future events. In particular, they are launching a new location with a garden walking area and want to promote this area to new and existing demographics. We are in regular communication with Urban Rivers and have developed a robust framework for our marketing and target audience research work for Spring Quarter 2024.
Bakery Recycling Consulting
We worked with downtown female and minority-owned business Sugar Bliss Bakery to help develop educational materials for proper recycling practices for Sugar Bliss’s cookie product line, now sold at Walgreens.
In 2021, we applied to the James Beard Foundation Grant for the South Side businesses Bot Bakery, Conscious Plates, and Demera Ethiopian.
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The grant supports businesses that are majority-owned by Black or Indigenous individuals, and aims to support and rebuild an independent restaurant industry to be more sustainable and resilient post-COVID-19.
We continued our grant-writing work in 2022 by drafting an Amber Grant application for Saucy Porka. The $10,000 grant emphasizes sustainable, women-owned businesses. We also provided a list of sustainable utensils and soup containers for Saucy Porka.
Sustainable Grant Writing Support
Plant-Based Restaurant Week
We host an annual plant-based restaurant week featuring 10%-20% discounts on vegan or vegetarian menu items at various Hyde-Park restaurants.
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University members who participate are eligible to win sustainable goods after uploading their receipts.
Past partner restaurants include: B’Gabs, Snail Thai, The Sitdown Café, True North Café, Litehouse Grill and Café 53.
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Check out our 2023 promotion!
Past Partners
Medici on 57th
Sanctuary Café
The Sitdown Café
True North Café
Saucy Porka
The UpScale Salon
Café 53
Litehouse Grill
B'Gabs
SugarBliss Bakery
UChicago Department of Transportation / Divvy
Blackstone Library
Urban Canopy
Wesley Shoe Store
The Spice House
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