Beyond Today's Recycling Guide

Please email updates to beyondtoday@BeyondToday.com.

We're asked our neighbors and friends to gather information about recycling. Below, you can read about alternative recyclers that many of us use, including Gary Zuckerman and Recycle Plus, and Ken Dunn's Resource Center. Then, Alison Potter gathered information on the blue bag , the new bin system, and how to recycle difficult materials. Email us updates! julie@BeyondToday.com -JP

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

From Karlyn:

Here is the information on Gary Zuckerman and Recycle Plus.

People from Recycle Plus come every two weeks to pick up the recycling.
They recycle: paper, plastic containers, metal cans, and glass
bottles. Their address is:
Recycle Plus
6428 N. Maplewood
Chicago, IL 60645
Their phone number is: (773)761-5937. The cost varies, but it is
about $15 per month. (You can contact Gary for details.)
Here is the procedure they want you to use:
1. Separate glossy ads and junk mail from news papers.
2. Only recycle plastics 1, 2, and 5 (the number is in the triangle on
the bottom of the container). Rinse out containers.
3. Separate metal, tin, and aluminum cans if possible.
4. Only recycle glass bottles. No light bulbs, drinking glasses or
window panes.

If you have any other questions, you can e-mail me and I will try to
find the information.

~ Karlyn G. (Beyond Today student volunteer)

RECYCLING INFO From Alison Potter

For those of you who, like me, would recycle more if you just knew where to take stuff, here is some information to make it easier.  A lot of this information is available at the Chicago Recycling Commission website: 

http://www.chicagorecycling.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=5&Itemid=105

This website has a great “recycling A to Z” feature that tells you where to take anything you might want to throw away, from aluminum cans, books, carpets, and Christmas trees to electronics, paint, and old tires.  It also has info about composting, recycling in apartment buildings, and sustainable  lifestyle change, as well as information about organizations that collect and use old shoes, bikes, and computers.  Check it out! 

 

The city’s “blue bag” program?

They sure don’t make it easy.  For the moment, the city will pick up recycling and yard waste (see below for what they take) if you put it in special blue bags inside your regular trash can (yes, with all the other trash).  You should clean and separate the different items (plastic, metal, paper, etc.).  You can buy the blue bags at most big-name grocery stores and some hardware stores.

 

The city picks up the following recyclables 

Clean Paper

·                                 newspaper

·                                 magazines

·                                 junk mail

·                                 cardboard

·                                 clean food boxes

·                                 phone books

·                                 catalogs

·                                 brown paper bags

·                                 gift wrap

Metals, Glass and Plastics

·                                 empty aluminum and steel cans

·                                 empty aerosol cans

·                                 rinsed aluminum foil and pie plates

·                                 milk, juice, soft drink, water, and detergent bottles bearing the #1 or #2 symbol

·                                 clear, green, and brown glass bottles and jars

Yard Waste

·                                 grass clippings

·                                 leaves

·                                 weeds

·                                 twigs

 

GOOD NEWS!!  NEW CITY RECYCLING PROGRAM!!  

The Tribune reports that the city will pilot a new NORMAL recycling program soon.  Alderman Schulter was in the committee so hopefully, we will be one of the chosen neighborhoods.  Presumably, we will then be able to place our recyclables into separate containers that will be picked up by separate city recycling trucks.

 

PRIVATE CURBSIDE PICK-UP

You can go solo or get a group of neighbors together to arrange private recycling pick-ups.  There is a charge for this service.  Call 773-821-1351.

 

BATTERIES

You can recycle batteries, including rechargeables (but not lead-acid car batteries) in the recycling containers at any Chicago Public Library or Chicago  Walgreens store.

 

Recycling drop-off sites

You can always drop off your own recycling at specified sites.  There are several sites not too far from North Center.  They each take certain items and have different hours.  For a complete listing, visit:  http://www.chicagorecycling.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=46

 

Electronics & Hazardous Waste (includes car batteries)

You can drop these off at specified locations/dates.  Check for the nearest/next drop-off at the Illinois EPA website: http://www.epa.state.il.us/land/hazardous-waste/household-haz-waste/hhwc-schedule.html  Or, call Illinois EPA Waste Reduction Unit: 217-785-8604

 

CELL PHONES

If your phone still works, there are a lot of organizations who can use the donation.  For a list, go to http://www.chicagorecycling.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=63&Itemid=92.   For phone like mine that have been dropped too many times, take it to a hazardous waste recycling site (see above).  Also, check out  http://www.recyclewirelessphones.com/

 


The Resources Center's Alternative (Private, non-profit) Recycling Drop-off centers or Pick-up Service

One of the recycling a drop-off sites operated by the Resource Center is at the North Park Village
5801 North Pulaski Road
Chicago, Illinois 60646
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.
Accepts: aluminum and steel cans; brown, clear, and green bottles and jars; newspaper.

(the star on the map is approximate)

More information related to recycling

Buy Recycled Materials

Buy used instead of new:

More Recycling-type links:

Architechtural Salvage: http://www.salvageone.com/

 

Articles on Sustainability

Going off the deep end? You're in good company: