It's days like today that remind me that we need a better recycling program or smarter residents.

Hi,
I agree. It's days like this that I am grateful we like to drink wine. The empty bottles do a good job weighing down the rest of our stuff so it doesn't blow away.

On another somewhat related note, has anyone heard whether Chicago now has a recycling program or not? Last I heard, there was no recycling plan, as the Blue Bag plan was a failure. While I think it would be good for Chicago to host the Olympics in 2016, I can't imagine the tons of garbage that would be created, and potentially sent to landfill without a viable recycling program in place. Anyone think the Olympic committee has rules (or preferences) regarding this?

guilty as charged....

my recycling program is all over my lawn.

CLE-

I've got some family in Chicago, and they were issued a can w/ lid and wheels for recycling at least 1 year ago. Similar to their garbage can but blue instead of black IIRC. Not sure if it is emptied weekly though.

Hi,
You are right NEBF. I just found out that they started a blue cart program in 2008, but only in a limited number of neighborhoods. They hope to have it running in all of Chicago by 2011. That is plenty of time to work out any issues before the Olympics.

The Chicago blue carts are definitely not collected once a week, but the carts are really big -- bigger than even the biggest GE trash hopper.

I wonder how Wheaton is feeling about giving those gigantic blue carts away now that the bottom has dropped out of the recyclable market. I am more than happy using my two little containers...last thing I need is a second giant container near my garage.

I will always recycle whatever I can, but I wonder how many municipalities will initiate programs when there is no money coming back to them.

I saw an article the other day where RecycleBank said that they are still doing well. Maybe the village could sign up with them.

For those of you who recycle because you want to reduce your impact, here are a few things to implement in your curbside recycling routine:

1. Do not include plastic bags in your curbside bin: they cannot be processed by the equipment used to process the paper and rigid material collected in our curbside program. Also, do not put any of your recyclables in plastic bags--sometimes these bags full of recyclables are pulled from the sorting line and put directly into the trash (sorters do not know the contents of the bags--nor have the time to find out). Check out this footage from a recycling facility using sorting equipment similar to those used in our suburban facilities: youtube.com...

Take your plastic bags to Jewel or Dominick's and put them in their plastic bag collection bins for recycling. Companies that recycle plastic bags into new products include Trex (www.trex.com) and Hilex (www.hilexpoly.com)

2. Polystyrene foam peanuts used for shipping should NOT go into your curbside bin: they blow all over the place and end up in our waterways (and if they make it to the recycling center, they are a contaminant and do NOT get recycled). You can drop these off at most pack-and-ship stores (such as the UPS store on Roosevelt)where they will be reused.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ted E.,

Mowed the parkway last night for the first time this year. amongst other items for the recyling bin were 1/2 pack of Marlboro Lights, 2 unopened cans of Guiness Beer and 2 empty boxes of condoms. Thanks to all who didn't invite me to that party.

Uh, Rob - cigarettes and condoms would go in your trash can...not your recycling bin! (Otherwise, smoke up and go get lucky!)

Oops...just saw that the boxes were empty--so someone already got lucky. Yes--the empty boxes can go in your recycling bin. (Put the cans in your bin AFTER you feed your nearest tree with the Guiness...full cans will be problematic to the machinery: an electrical eddy current throws EMPTY aluminum cans from the sorting belt to a container full of empty cans...probably can't throw the weight of a full can.)

I like the uniform look of the recycling hoppers along side the regular garbage hoppers - a la Lombard. As I've mentioned before, I'd also like a third one for yard waste (no sticker required, please).

I'd also prefer a hopper for the lid and the wheels, but because they are in good shape, I'll stick to my 2 smaller bins for now and drag my brown bags to the curb every week.

Mamattorney - you can buy smaller wheeled cans that fit the size requirements for yard waste service...then you can roll your lidded containers to the curb instead of drag bags. We rarely use bags for yard waste.

Have to pay for it someway: either sticker, or higher charge on your waste bill, or a tax.

Each cubic yard of yard waste going to a compost facility is cheaper to manage than a cubic yard of yard waste that goes to the landfill. (Taxes pay to get those landfills approved--and, often, managed when they close.) Think cradle-to-grave, not just what you pay when it leaves your curb.