The Plant

In Chicago, a former meatpacking plant is going green. The emerging business complex, known simply as The Plant, hopes to set a remarkable example for sustainable food production and business practices.

The  93,500 square foot building is home to a variety of sustainable food businesses, including a brewery, bakery, kombucha brewery, a cheese distributor, and a coffee roaster, among others. Waste from one business often provides fuel for another; for instance, the CO2 emissions from the brewery are harnessed to feed the plants in the aquaponic farms. 

The Plant is a sustainable, self-sufficient business complex that promotes economic growth in the surrounding Back of the Yards neighborhood and serves as a model for green technologies. Tours of the complex are offered Saturdays at 2 p.m. or by appointment.