The Peoria County Sustainability Plan for internal operations was adopted in August of
2011.Implementation of the plan began immediately thereafter and included
the formation of the Green CREW, monitoring electrical and water usage,
reducing solid waste, and incorporating LEED standards in new building designs.
Being an internal plan, employees play a large role in its success. Not only
are employees in part a target audience of the plan, as a plan element, but
they are also responsible for making sustainable decisions based on the plan's
objectives. Therefore, employees are considered the primary clientele and their
buy-in is extremely important. Expectations for staff include involvement in
implementation, championing sustainability throughout the organization, and
participating in related training opportunities. The green CREW (Conserving
Resources and Educating Workers) was formed in January of 2012 to lead the
employee initiatives: sustainable purchasing events, compositng and recycling events,
weekly farmers market, and employee newsletters.