Social Responsibility

In recent years, CCI has devoted substantial energy to improving the sustainability of our operations, and implementing eco-friendly and socially responsible practices into every aspect of our day-to-day operations and our overall mission. These efforts include:

• Sourcing sustainable products possible for office supplies and printing: We prioritize recycled content, fair trade, and local items wherever possible. We utilize vendors that share these priorities, including The Chicago Green Office Company, Digital Hub, and the Greenheart Shop 
• Hosting sustainable conferences: CCI hosts many conferences, training events and other public events each year. In order to make these events as green as possible, we use LEED certified green hotels, ask our catering company not to use disposable products, arrange community volunteer events during conferences, and offset staff travel.  
• Lessening the environmental impact of our offices: CCI contracts a private recycling company to ensure recycling of all office waste, facilitating the CTA tax free pass and bike racks outside offices, participating in Bike to Work Week, purchasing wind power Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to offset our company-wide electricity usage through Clean Currents; and offsetting staff travel through CCI’s Carbon Offset Program (COP) where every mile a CCI staff member travels, a percentage of the mileage is converted to dollars and donated to environmental fieldwork. CCI has also decreased energy consumption by having the third party green auditor, The Green Dream Group, evaluate our Chicago offices. 
• Implementing and promoting environmentalism and community service in all its exchange programs through the Greenheart Club: The Greenheart Club recognizes CCI participants’ efforts in social and environmental volunteerism by giving various grants to exemplary Club members to further their volunteer endeavors. Check out our Greenheart Projects to see what we have been doing.
• Reaching out to the community: CCI contributes to a variety of community organizations and international NGOs through providing scholarships for exchange programs, and charitable giving to the organizations such as Trees for the Future, Project Asis, The Foreign Service Youth Foundation , UNICEF and Save the Children projects. CCI also sponsors environmental and cultural events and projects including: Mindful Metropolis, PBS Adventures of Marco Polo, and our annual community outreach event Living La Vida Verde. CCI also offers the Chicago Youth Environmental Service Learning Scholarship for deserving youth. 
• Continuing education workshops: Through the Greenheart Shop and the Greenheart Center, CCI offers donation workshops covering topics from urban worm composting to meditation. 
• Staff volunteering: In 2010, CCI staff began volunteering at local Chicago organizations including Growing Power, a community organic farm, and St. Thomas of Canterbury, a soup kitchen in Chicago’s Uptown Neighborhood. CCI continues seasonal volunteering.

Our Non-Negotiable Sustainable Practices

• Source 100% recycled paper
• Turn off computers, lights, and heat at the end of the day  
• Go paperless when possible, print double sided when not 
• Carbon Offset Program (COP) for all staff travels
• Never provide disposable plates, serve ware or water bottles at events (compostable when needed) 
• Recycle all waste and including electronics 
• All cleaning and bathroom products, internal coffee and snacks to be fair trade and eco friendly
   

Our Best Practices

• Walk, bike, use public transportation and carpool whenever possible
• When purchasing gifts and promotional items, source from eco fair trade vendors 
• Choose hotels with responsible labor practices and LEED certification 
• In purchases of supplies over $500, choose greenest option if not more than %15 price differential