As a youngster, Becky Brodsky spent a lot of time outdoors. She traces her enthusiasm for composting and other environmental issues to having had this connection with the natural world early on. Her parents also introduced her to the concept of sustainability through their work with food co-ops and Greenpeace. As a result, Becky says, “I’ve always been aware of how much I use and how I’m using it.”

At CRI, Becky is a Zero Waste Consultant with a focus on organizations, particularly schools and businesses. “Composting can be good for businesses. They can actually save money on their waste hauling. It can also attract customers with similar values.”

In the home, composting “sets a good example and communicates your values to your children. It makes you more aware of how you’re using everything else. You end up buying less and wasting less in other areas.”

As part of her integrated approach to environmentalism, in 2008, Becky founded the Green Team in the school her children attend and has led a wide variety of environmental efforts with a focus on waste reduction. She has also set up composting and recycling programs at her synagogue and her children’s day camp.

In 2010, Becky received the Walter Lucansky Environmental Stewardship Award for her local efforts. Her series of green educational programs for the National Council of Jewish Women also received national recognition. She has earned her Green Classroom Professional Certificate from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), serves on the USGBC-Illinois Chapter’s Green Schools Committee, and played a key role in the development of the programming for the 2014 Illinois Healthy and High Performing Schools Symposium. “Anything I’m involved with, I am compelled to make greener.”