Green Era’s food waste processor creates compost and renewable energy in Auburn Gresham – Chicago Sun-Times

Report on the Green Era Campus: A Model for Sustainable Urban Development

Executive Summary

The Green Era Campus in Auburn Gresham, Chicago, represents a significant advancement in urban sustainability, directly addressing multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through the operation of an anaerobic biodigester, the $40 million project converts food waste into renewable energy and agricultural compost. This initiative provides a replicable model for transforming contaminated urban land into a hub for clean energy production, waste reduction, and inclusive economic growth, thereby contributing to climate action, sustainable communities, and responsible consumption.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production & SDG 13: Climate Action

The core function of the Green Era biodigester is the mitigation of food waste and its associated greenhouse gas emissions.

• Waste Diversion: The facility diverts approximately 85,000 tons of food waste from landfills annually, directly supporting SDG Target 12.5 to substantially reduce waste generation. It processes 5 to 10 million pounds of food waste monthly.
• Methane Capture: By processing organic waste in an oxygen-free environment, the system captures methane, a greenhouse gas significantly more potent than carbon dioxide. This directly contributes to SDG 13 by preventing emissions that would otherwise be released from landfills.
• Emission Reduction: The annual diversion of waste is equivalent to removing the emissions of 12,800 cars from the atmosphere. Corporate partners, such as Mariano’s, have prevented over 1 million pounds of carbon emissions through this program.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy & SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The project transforms a local waste problem into a source of clean energy and community revitalization.

1. Renewable Energy Generation: In alignment with SDG 7, the captured methane is converted into renewable natural gas. Since summer 2024, this gas has been supplied to the local utility, Peoples Gas, to power as many as 3,000 homes.
2. Urban Land Remediation: The campus was developed on a 9-acre derelict and contaminated site, formerly an illegal dump. This transformation of urban blight into a productive green space is a key achievement under SDG 11.
3. Circular Economy in Action: The biodigester yields nutrient-rich compost, which is used by Urban Growers Collective for local urban farms. This creates a closed-loop system that supports local food production, contributing to food security (SDG 2) and sustainable land use (SDG 15).

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth & SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The Green Era Campus serves as an economic anchor in the under-resourced community of Auburn Gresham.

• Local Employment: The facility provides nearly 20 full-time jobs, with a focus on hiring from the local community, including individuals impacted by the justice system. This promotes inclusive and sustainable economic growth as outlined in SDG 8.
• Economic Development: The project fosters a local green economy by creating career pathways in clean technology, engineering, and maintenance. It brings investment and opportunity to a neighborhood where over 30% of households have an annual income below $25,000, directly addressing SDG 10.
• Future Growth: A planned second phase includes a greenhouse, urban farm, and education center, which will create further jobs and community resources.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The project’s realization was dependent on a multi-sectoral coalition, embodying the spirit of SDG 17.

Key Project Partners

1. Non-Profit and Community Organizations: Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corp., Green Era Educational NFP, and Urban Growers Collective.
2. Private Sector: Green Era Sustainability, corporate clients like Mariano’s, and compost services such as Block Bins.
3. Public Sector and Research: The City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, and a research agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory.
4. Financial Institutions and Philanthropy: The Chicago Community Loan Fund, Benefit Chicago, and the Pritzker Traubert Foundation.

This collaborative framework has been instrumental in navigating financial challenges and establishing a new model for sustainable infrastructure. The project has received international recognition, including an award at the UN COP26 summit, positioning it as a scalable solution for other cities globally.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• The article connects to SDG 2 by highlighting the production of compost from food waste, which is then used for urban farms. This supports sustainable local food production systems.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

• The Green Era project directly addresses this goal by capturing methane from decomposing food waste and converting it into renewable natural gas. This gas is then supplied to the local utility to power thousands of homes, contributing to the clean energy supply.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• This goal is addressed through the creation of jobs in a historically under-resourced community. The article mentions that the project created hundreds of construction jobs and employs nearly 20 full-time staff, with a focus on hiring local residents and those affected by the justice system, fostering inclusive economic development.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The project exemplifies SDG 11 by transforming a contaminated, derelict industrial site into a productive green campus. It improves the urban environment, manages city waste more sustainably, and plans to add community green space, thereby making the community of Auburn Gresham more resilient and sustainable.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• This is a central theme of the article. The Green Era biodigester is a solution for managing food waste, a major issue of irresponsible consumption. By diverting tons of food from landfills and recycling it into energy and compost, the project promotes a circular economy and sustainable waste management practices.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• The article strongly links the project to climate action. By capturing methane—a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide—that would otherwise be released from landfills, the biodigester directly mitigates climate change. The article quantifies this impact by comparing the emissions reduction to that of thousands of cars.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

• The success of the Green Era Campus is a result of extensive collaboration, as detailed in the article. It involves partnerships between for-profit entities (Green Era Sustainability), non-profits (Green Era Educational NFP, Urban Growers Collective), community development corporations, and various financial backers including public agencies and private foundations.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• Target 2.4: Ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices. The project supports this by creating compost, a key input for sustainable urban agriculture, thereby strengthening local food systems.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

• Target 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The project directly contributes to this target by producing renewable natural gas from organic waste and feeding it into the local energy grid.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all. The article highlights that Green Era focuses on creating local jobs for residents of Auburn Gresham, including for those who face barriers to employment, contributing to inclusive local economic growth.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management. The project directly addresses this by managing a significant portion of Chicago’s food waste, reducing landfill use and associated pollution.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Target 12.3: Halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels. The project provides the infrastructure to help achieve this target by processing inedible food waste from supermarkets, restaurants, and food banks.
• Target 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. The Green Era biodigester is a clear example of recycling, turning food waste into valuable resources like energy and compost.

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The project is presented as a model for other cities and aligns with state-level economic strategies that prioritize clean energy, demonstrating the integration of climate solutions at a local and state level.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

• Implied Indicator: Amount of renewable energy produced. The article states the renewable natural gas produced can “power as many as 3,000 homes,” which is a direct measure of its contribution to the energy supply.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Implied Indicator: Number of local jobs created. The article provides specific figures, mentioning “hundreds of jobs” during construction and “nearly 20 full-time employees” for operations, with a focus on hiring from the local community.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Implied Indicator: Amount of land rehabilitated. The project transformed a 9-acre “formerly derelict lot” that was “heavily polluted,” indicating progress in land reclamation and sustainable urban development.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• Mentioned Indicator: Tonnage of waste recycled. The article provides several data points that can be used as indicators:
  • “diverts about 85,000 tons of food waste from landfills annually”
  • “recycles about 5 million to 10 million pounds of food waste each month”
  • Mariano’s supermarket recycled “nearly 1.4 million pounds of food waste”

SDG 13: Climate Action

• Mentioned Indicator: Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Progress is measured by the amount of emissions avoided. The article quantifies this as being “equivalent to the emissions of 12,800 cars” annually and notes that Mariano’s participation has kept “more than 1 million pounds of carbon emissions out of the atmosphere.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Source: chicago.suntimes.com