Green Era Campus recently celebrated the grand opening of an anaerobic digester designed specifically to process inedible packaged food waste, which it called a step forward in sustainable infrastructure, climate action and economic revitalization, according to a news release.
Green Era said the digester will divert thousands of tons of food waste from landfills annually, converting it into renewable energy and nutrient-rich compost. That compost will fuel a soon-to-launch two-acre vertical farm managed by Urban Growers Collective, which will grow over 26,000 pounds of produce per year to support local food access, the release said.
The ribbon cutting ceremony, held on Chicago’s South Side in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, kicked off with community and media tours of the 9-acre campus, once a long-vacant brownfield that has been transformed into a national model of clean energy and circular economy innovation.
Carlos Nelson, CEO of the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corp., began the program, followed by remarks from local leaders including Norma Sanders, Illinois state Rep. Sonya Harper and Alderman William Hall and Alderman Ronnie Mosley of the Chicago City Council.
Green Era co-founders Erika Allen and Jason Feldman delivered opening remarks reflecting on the journey that led to this moment.
“At Green Era, we’ve built more than a facility — we’ve built a model for what a truly sustainable future can look like,” said Feldman, CEO of Green Era. “By turning inedible food waste into renewable energy and nutrient-rich fertilizer, we’re supporting everything from local food production to job creation and economic development. It’s a closed-loop system that benefits both people and the planet, and we’re proud to show that environmental impact and a sustainable business model can go hand in hand. We invite businesses to be part of this solution; partner with us to recycle your food waste and turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker provided a keynote.
“This project, years in the making, is a testament to the positive change that we can produce with local, state and federal partnerships. I am grateful for the work that Urban Growers Collective and Green Era have done to provide access to fresh food, minimize food waste and produce renewable energy right here on the South Side of Chicago,” Pritzker said. “With this campus’ focus on serving local communities with fresh food, urban farming opportunities, education and workforce development, we’re investing in the sustainability leaders of tomorrow.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson also shared a vision for a greener, more equitable Chicago. A ceremonial ribbon cutting and live digester demonstration followed, offering a visual of Green Era’s mission to transform waste into resources, the release said.
The program also included remarks from state Rep. Michael Crawford, Treasurer Michael Frerichs, Michael Marx of Mariano’s, Sean Jones of Argonne National Lab, and Polly Eldringhoff of Peoples Gas, along with a plaque presentation by Kareeshma Ali of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation.
The event concluded with a live food waste drop at the digester and opportunities for additional media interviews and campus tours.
“This project shows how public-private partnerships and community leadership can come together to create sustainable solutions that benefit everyone,” said Green Era’s Allen, who is also CEO of the Urban Growers Collective.
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