| Remember to empty and rinse every item. Image from Recycle By City. |
As many of my clients are new to Chicago, I’m often asked about recycling, typically as we sit around the closing table finalizing purchases. And, since there are updated rules and schedules, I thought I’d jot down a quick overview and links to Chicago’s nifty recycling guide. Plus a cool quiz.
Chicago’s path towards city-wide residential recycling has been littered with missteps and good ideas gone bad. The infamous “blue bag” program was introduced more than two decades ago (1995). It was confusing, messy and largely ineffective.
Thankfully, in 2007 Chicago popped the blue bags and rolled out its Blue Cart Residential Recycling Program. Even that was slow to gain traction. It took another seven years before residents of every neighborhood in the city had access to the bright blue carts and consistent pick-up service.
Who gets a blue cart?
The Blue Cart program provides bi-weekly recycling services to single-family homes and multi-unit buildings with four or fewer units. If your home is eligible and you don’t have a blue cart, call 311 or your ward office to request one.
When is pick up?
Recycling is picked up every other week. Which week? Check out Chicago’s 2018 recycling schedule.
What goes into the blue cart?
Many everyday household items. The important thing is to empty and rinse every item. Otherwise the item just ends up in the landfill.
Put these (rinsed) items into the blue cart:
Cans: aluminum and steel cans Aluminum foil: that’s cleaned of food waste Cartons: food and beverage cartons Glass: bottles and jars (but not drinking glasses) Paper: mixed paper, mail, newspaper, magazines, and flattened, clean cardboard Plastic: (kitchen, laundry and bath) bottles and containers with plastic lids on Do not put these into the blue cart:Trash or trash bags: empty recyclables into the cart Plastic bags: they can be recycled at a participating grocery store Food or liquid: empty and clean out recyclables Tanglers: hoses, chains, cords and wires that might foul up equipment Animal droppings: even if they’re in a recyclable bag Small plastic items: smaller than two inches There’s more. Recycle by City has the officialChicago recycling list.
Plus, you can take this quick quiz to see if you’re a good recycler (I got 83%).
Finally, here’s a printableBlue Cart recycling guide.
Can you recycle computers and hazardous waste?
The Household Chemical and Computer Recycling Facility accepts:
Household cleaners Batteries Anti-freeze Pesticides Propane tanks Oil-based paints Solvents Cell phones Compact fluorescent light bulbs Computers Check out the facility’s complete list.
Facility drop off times are:
Tuesdays (7 am – 12 pm) Thursdays (2- 7 pm) The first Saturday of every month (8 am – 3 pm) Happy recycling! Thanks for doing your part to keep our city green.Learn more:
Curious City: What Really Happens to Chicago's Blue Cart Recycling?