Green Initiatives

We’re Embracing the “Park” in Park District. Here’s our green mission:

To adopt environmentally friendly business practices that benefit the environment, educate the community and improve district wide efficiencies.

	Green Tip of the Month: Make Spring Cleaning Earth-Friendly Avoid cleaners containing phosphates. They biodegrade totally and quickly. But when they get into rivers and lakes, they cause algae blooms, robbing the water of oxygen, blocking sunlight, and ultimately killing marine life. *Do-It-Yourself Green Cleaners* Some of the greenest cleaners are the ones you make yourself. Here are some sample recipes for simple, effective cleaners: Drain Cleaner:Pour a half-cup of baking soda down the sink and add at least a cup of vinegar. Cover the drain and wait a few minutes, then rinse with a mixture of boiling water and salt Window Cleaner:Mix two ounces of vinegar with a quart of water in a spray bottle. Silver Polish:Put a sheet of aluminum foil into a plastic or glass bowl. Sprinkle the foil with salt and baking soda and fill the bowl with warm water. Soak your silver in the bowl and tarnish migrates to the foil. Dry and buff. Brass Cleaner:Cut a lemon in half, sprinkle it with salt and rub the lemon on the metal. Buff with a cloth. Rust Remover:Use vinegar to remove rust on nuts and bolts and other mineral deposits such as calcium deposits.

Green Tip of the Month: Make Spring Cleaning Earth-Friendly

Avoid cleaners containing phosphates. They biodegrade totally and quickly. But when they get into rivers and lakes, they cause algae blooms, robbing the water of oxygen, blocking sunlight, and ultimately killing marine life.

Do-It-Yourself Green Cleaners Some of the greenest cleaners are the ones you make yourself. Here are some sample recipes for simple, effective cleaners:

Drain Cleaner:Pour a half-cup of baking soda down the sink and add at least a cup of vinegar. Cover the drain and wait a few minutes, then rinse with a mixture of boiling water and salt
Window Cleaner:Mix two ounces of vinegar with a quart of water in a spray bottle.
Silver Polish:Put a sheet of aluminum foil into a plastic or glass bowl. Sprinkle the foil with salt and baking soda and fill the bowl with warm water. Soak your silver in the bowl and tarnish migrates to the foil. Dry and buff.
Brass Cleaner:Cut a lemon in half, sprinkle it with salt and rub the lemon on the metal. Buff with a cloth.
Rust Remover:Use vinegar to remove rust on nuts and bolts and other mineral deposits such as calcium deposits.

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Natural Area Management Plan

Early 2010 the HEPD Board of Commissioners formally adopted the district's first Natural Area Management Plan. Click here to learn more about the Natural Area Management Plan

Aquatic Plant Growth and Turf Care - How you can help!

Aquatic plant growth is of top concern for our residents and we would like to share with you our philosophy on turf care and how it applies to the health of our aquatic areas. According to the World Resources Institute, an influx of nitrogen and phosphorus levels are distorting the natural nutrient cycle of our planet and becoming quite evident in our aquatic ecosystems, causing diminished water fertility and algae blooms.

At the Hoffman Estates Park District, it is our goal to be as minimally invasive as possible in our turf care, restricting weed control to one application per year at the lowest possible rate to still be effective. We rotate our applications to avoid back-to-back yearly applications on any water way, thus minimizing the run-off of nitrogen and phosphorus. Excessive algae and aquatic growth in our lakes and retention ponds are a direct result of over-fertilization in surrounding residential lawns and homeowners can help tremendously to reduce this problem. Click to read more.

Click here to download Fertilizer Calculation Steps + Recommendations

Hoffman Estates Garden Club

Learn about gardening by joining the Hoffman Estates Garden Club. They meet the first Thursday of every month at the Schaumburg Township Public Library Central location. Members share gardening tips. Contact Susan Moynihan for more details at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 847-330-0442.

We believe it is easy being green

Our green committee is continually evaluating district-wide operations to ensure that we are committed to good stewardship of the environment. Check out some of the policies and procedures we’ve put in place: