Official Recycling thread (Chicago, Union, Time: buy, tenant, living)

[Avengerfire]

City Hall news:

Aldermen discuss expansion of recycling program :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: City Hall (http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/2364176,recycling-expansion-aldermen-060710.article - broken link)

[Chi-town Native]

nice. love it:

Mike Nowak, president of the Chicago Recycling Coalition, added, "Figure out the financing later. This is a basic city service. Are we gonna tell people that they’re not entitled to basic city services? What do we tell them next — no more garbage pick-up, no more fire, no more police?"

BTW, speaking of efficiencies, has anyone else noticed blue bin workers seemingly working a lot faster & harder? they actually pick up the bins by hand to empty them (I can't even imagine how heavy some of the bins are when largely full of metal/glass), which goes a lot quicker than the process of hooking up the trash can to the truck.

[Chi-town Native]

a little more coverage:

City Council Plays Guessing Game with Expansion of Blue Cart Recycling | The Blog | Chicago Reader

[Avengerfire]

I don't get it. The city actually spends less net money on getting rid of the recycling materials than on regular trash since it actually gets some money for the recyclables. Trash costs way more to get rid of.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

I don't get it. The city actually spends less net money on getting rid of the recycling materials than on regular trash since it actually gets some money for the recyclables. Trash costs way more to get rid of.

I think it's fair to say there might be some entrenched corruption going on here...

I'm really awaiting some news on the composting front - I stumbled on an old clipping where Suzanne Malec-McKenna said the DOE estimates that Chicago dumps 850,000 lb of compostable food waste a year. I know there is a group working hard to get an industrial strength composting facility up and running in the Calumet region, but I think they are having red tape issues.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

...estimates that Chicago dumps 850,000 lb of compostable food waste a year. I know there is a group working hard to get an industrial strength composting facility up and running in the Calumet region...

I think the West Side needs some of this...How about along Lake Street? All the eateries downtown and areas close to it can send their scraps down there...Let the people on the West Side work the gardens and GROW THEIR OWN FOOD.

[Chi-town Native]

these folks are great:

http://www.growingpower.org/chicago_projects.htm

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

these folks are great:

http://www.growingpower.org/chicago_projects.htm

There needs to be a whole lot more of these in the city.

[Chi-town Native]

here's another I know of:

Growing Home Blog - Growing Home, Inc.

[Avengerfire]

For the 47th Ward:

"Saturday June 36th
Alderman Schulter, in collaboration with Mayor Daley and PCRR, is sponsoring an Electronics Collection Event on Saturday, June 26. Trucks will be sweeping the Ward to pick up your unwanted electronics. Please leave your items on the sidewalk before 8:00 am or you can also bring your items to the 47th Ward Streets and Sanitation Yard at 4141 N. Rockwell until noon.

Items accepted include computers, laptops, monitors, printers, fax machines, televisions, VCRs, DVD players, mp3 players, video game consoles, cell phones, and video equipment.

Please do not put out any appliances or hazardous waste.

Residents are encouarged not to place their items out overnight."

Events (http://www.ward47.com/site/epage/25173_160.htm - broken link)