Emerson Middle School's eighth-grade promotional dance kept more than 250 plastic bottles out of the waste stream by swapping single-use drinks for beverage carafes and compostable cups.
The waste-free approach, organized by the dance committee and the parent-led D64 Green Team, also included two dedicated sorting stations where students separated trash into landfill, recycling and compost bins, according to a District 64 news release published Tuesday, Sept. 8. Parent volunteers stood at the stations and used tongs to pull out misplaced items.
The committee partnered with G & G Party Decor and Styling, a Park Ridge décor company, to prioritize rental decorations and reuse balloon elements rather than relying on disposable décor.
Post-event cleanup was easier, too, the district said.
The dance is one piece of a broader sustainability effort across District 64 schools. Katie Shamis of VK Gardens served as the D64 Green Team Sustainability Coordinator as of December 2025, overseeing garden programs that yielded more than 786 pounds of organic produce from raised beds at all five elementary schools that year. All of the produce went to the Maine Township Food Pantry. Plans presented at a Dec. 18, 2025, board meeting call for raised-bed gardens at Emerson and Lincoln Middle Schools in 2026.
In a separate initiative in 2026, the district ran its annual Green Locker and Desk Clean-Out, in which students sorted supplies to reuse, recycle or donate. Surplus items went to Mannheim Middle School near Melrose Park.
Parents interested in joining the D64 Green Team can fill out a brief interest survey linked from the district's announcement page.
Upcoming community events
- Friday, Sept. 11: Rotary Club Peace Pole dedication at Hodges Park
- Friday, Sept. 11: Kalo Foundation exhibit showcasing 23 Park Ridge artists
