Champaign County Environmental Stewards - CCES

09/01/2026

Thanks to Re*****on Rock of Smile Politely for spotlighting our efforts related to composting, including working with WasteNot Compost on food scrap drop-offs for residents and our Sept. 2 home composting workshop with University of Illinois Extension!

You may have seen the Champaign County Environmental Stewards (CCES) at Urbana’s Market at the Square or at the Downtown Champaign Farmers Market this season; they have been spreading the good word…

08/31/2026

There's still time to register for the FREE home composting workshop scheduled for Wednesday, September 2. Attend in person or via Zoom. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054EA4A823A6F4CF8-65317274-compost

08/29/2026

Food Waste Prevention Week takes place Sept. 28 to October 4 in 2026. Check out their website to learn more, and K-12 teachers, be sure to visit the "K-12 Schools" page under "Resources." Great stuff there, including a poster contest your students can participate in! https://foodwastepreventionweek.com/

08/28/2026

Last week, the Illinois Circularity Conference took place in Tinley Park, IL. CCES Executive Director, Susan Monte, was in attendance, along with board member Joy Scrogum. Check out the conference report from the Illinois Recycling Association & Foundation (link in post below and in the comments) to learn more about the waste reduction and management issues discussed.

The 2026 Illinois Circularity Conference brought together leaders from across Illinois and beyond to talk about what comes next for recycling, reuse, organics, batteries, EPR, markets, infrastructure and the broader circular economy.

Our new conference report captures the major conversations, key takeaways, photos and people who made ICC 2026 such a strong event.

If you were there, relive it. If you missed it, this is the best place to catch up.

♻️ Read the full ICC 2026 Conference Report:
https://illinoisrecycles.org/blog/icc2026

Thank you again to our speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, partners, volunteers and attendees for helping move circularity forward in Illinois.

08/23/2026

Did you know that in addition to the compost drop offs at Lincoln Square Mall, Sola Gratia, & First Mennonite Church of Champaign-Urbana, there's also one at Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery? Thanks to them for hosting this collection bin, and to WasteNot Compost for making it possible!

08/22/2026

Interested in home composting, but not sure how to begin? Attend this FREE, upcoming workshop, Wednesday, Sept. 2, and learn from University of Illinois Extension educator Karla Griesbaum. Attend in-person or via Zoom. https://www.ccenvstew.org/composting-at-home-workshop/

08/11/2026

Thank you to the Village President John Finn and the Village of Sidney for their support of the planned Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility in Urbana which will serve all of Champaign County and beyond.

At Champaign County Environmental Stewards (CCES), our mission is to advance options for safely and conveniently collecting and disposing of household hazardous waste, compostable food scraps, and other recyclable materials. CCES also looks for ways to reduce all material waste, including single-use plastics.

If you’d like to learn more about CCES, need information about waste reduction, or resources for reducing waste in your home or business, email us at [email protected] or visit our website at cuwasteless.org.

08/11/2026

Thanks to the First Mennonite Church of Champaign-Urbana for hosting this drop-off bin and to WasteNot Compost for making it possible!

08/11/2026

Check out the guidance on home composting available from University of Illinois Extension!

From the cutting board to the compost bin, improve soil health with food scraps. Whether you choose to compost indoors, outdoors, or with earthworms, a healthy compost pile needs a balance of materials. Brown scraps like nutshells, crushed eggshells, and woodchips add carbon. While green scraps such as grass clippings, vegetables, and chicken/livestock manure introduce nitrogen.

Troubleshooting:
Smelly Pile?
There is too much nitrogen.

Materials not breaking down?
There is too much carbon.

Pest lurking?
Eliminate prohibited items like meat, bones, diseased plants, and w**d seed.

Learn how to get started with composting, how it works, and troubleshoot issues here: https://extension.illinois.edu/composting

05/27/2026

Thank you to BankChampaign for contributing to our capital campaign for a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility.

Improperly stored household hazardous waste can increase the likelihood of home fires. In addition to the potential injuries and damage caused by these fires, toxic fumes from household hazardous waste can seriously injure first responders.

That’s why CCES is raising funds to build a Household Hazardous Waste collection facility in Urbana. With your support, we can build a safe, clean future for generations to come.

To learn more and donate, visit ccenvstew.org/hhw-capitalcampaign/

For a list of household hazardous waste materials, click here: https://www.ccenvstew.org/household-hazardous-waste/