What does it mean to be sustainable?

Our campus is sustainable because it is environmentally healthy, economically sufficient and socially inclusive. Breaking up the word "sustainability" into these three parts (environmental, economic and social) helps us adequately define sustainability on our campus. Check out a few examples below.

Earth Month 2020

April is Earth Month! JJC is hosting several activities from March 28 to April 24.

  • Earth Month Events

    Earth Hour
    Saturday March 28, 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. 
    During Earth Hour, citizens and businesses are asked to power down all nonessential lights.

    Spring Clothes Collection
    March 2 to April 13
    Students and community members can bring gently used clothing to the collection boxes located around Main Campus and Romeoville Campus. The clothing collected will be cleaned and sorted for JJC’s Swap-O-Rama.

    Battery Collection
    April 2020
    Bring your old batteries to the Technical Department on Main Campus, or interoffice them to Maria Rafac (T-1061).

    Documentary Screening: The True Cost
    April 7, 3 p.m. (D-2001)
    Stop by to watch this documentary about clothing. It will touch on the clothes we wear, the people who make them and the impact the industry is having on our world. While the price of clothing has decreased for decades, the human and environmental costs have grown dramatically. Filmed in countries all over the world and featuring interviews with the world’s leading influencers.

    Swap-O-Rama
    April 20-21, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Lower Level J
    Community members and students can “shop” at our FREE pop-up secondhand shop.

    Earth Day Expo
    April 22, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., JJC Bridge
    The Earth Day Expo is making a return to JJC! Featuring local businesses to nonprofits, this event will offer attendees free food, giveaways and items for sale! Want to participate as a vendor? Contact Mia Bergbower at abergbow@jjc.edu for more information.

    Party in the Arby
    April 24, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
    Plant trees, play games and enjoy food, all in the JJC Arboretum! This event was created to celebrate the arboretum, our Tree Campus USA accreditation, and our push to receive official arboretum status. Games include frisbee, bags, football, soccer and more! 

    The JJC Sustainability Union will post actions on our iCampus page and on our Instagram account (@sustainabilityunion) all month long. Actions involve waste reduction, transportation, practicing mindfulness, energy reduction and more! These actions are a great way to try something new and to make a difference. For more information, email Mia Bergbower abergbow@jjc.edu. 

Environmental Sustainability at JJC

Environmental sustainability is about not depleting our vital natural resources faster than they are renewed to ensure that people and other species live well now and in the future. You can:

Economic Sustainability at JJC

Economic sustainability is about the economic climate evolving to meet the needs of the people by being efficient, responsible, and dependable for the long term. You can:

Social Sustainability at JJC

Social sustainability is about education, diversity, tolerance, inclusion, empathy, and equity achieved by a strong civil society and a developed sense of community. You can: