Resources
From Edgewater 2020
Contents |
Category Administration
(How are we defining this category/section? What is included and what is NOT included?)
| Members | Name | |
| Chair | Jen Walling | jen@heathersteans.org |
| Member | Ginger Williams, R.N. | ginger@edgewatercommunitycouncil.org |
| Member | Paula Companio | paulac@comcast.net |
| Member | Sara Dinges | sdinges@andersonville.org |
| Member | Killian Walsh | killianwalsh@hotmail.com |
Definition
(How are we defining this category/section? What is included and what is NOT included?)
This program will address residential and business solid waste in Edgewater including the following subcategories:
- Recycling program, including paper, aluminum/tin/steel, plastic, cardboard, and glass
- Recycling of other materials and proper disposal of hazardous waste
- Composting
Curbside Recycling Program The recycling program will focus on two groups:
- Businesses which include restaurants, retail stores, service providers, fitness centers, manufacturing facilities if any, houses of worship, schools, etc.
- Residential buildings of 5 units or more.
The program will not address residential buildings of 4 units or less because these residences are currently or soon will be covered by the City of Chicago’s Blue Cart Program.
The recycling program, at this time, will focus on the following categories of recyclables:
- Paper
- Aluminum/tin/steel
- Plastic: #1 - #7 excluding #6
- Corrugated Cardboard
- Glass
Recycling of other materials and proper disposal of hazardous waste including:
- Industrial waste
- Compact florescent lights
- Hazardous waste and electronics
- Batteries
- Medicine / drugs
- Refrigerators and large appliances
- Cooking Oil
- Motor Oil
- Tires
Composting includes:
- Yard waste pick up
- Home/business on site composting
- “Green Cart” pick up of compostable materials
The program, at this time, will not promote to residence or businesses the need to:
- Purchase products with recycled content.
- Reuse products / material
- Reduce consumption of products / material
- The Education program may address this need.
Metrics
(What are the key measures that are relevant to this category? What ‘needles’ are we trying to ‘move’?)
- Recycling will be measured as a percentage of total waste disposal.
- Recycling of other materials will be measured by the amount of available programs and weight of material collected.
- Composting will be measured by individual home/business composting programs or if future composting pick up programs exist, by a percentage of material collected.
Assumptions
(What, if any, criteria are fixed/unchangeable or independent from this analysis?) The City of Chicago is investigating implementing what they call a Franchise Agreement for waste hauling as part of the Chicago Climate Action Plan. This approach would divide the entire city into approximately 17 areas. Each one of these areas would be serviced by a single waste hauler. The following is from the recently released Chicago Climate Action Plan.
- The waste reduction strategy also requires that Chicago restructure its methods of garbage pickup and transport. Hauling and disposing of waste releases significant amounts of CO2, mostly generated by trucks that service resident and commercial buildings. Currently, building owners in the same area contract with many different private haulers. New approaches are being explored to reduce the emissions from heavy-duty trucks that haul waste.
It needs to be determined how this approach will affect the plan to implement a recycling program.
- The new compost bill will significantly reduce the amount of commercial waste that goes to landfills.
- Weekly recycling programs have a higher recovery rate
- The new Blue Cart program will increase the amount of recycling
- Private haul companies offer recycling programs and follow through on them
- Composting legislation will pass that allows commercial composting of food waste
Current State
(Where do we currently stand in this category/section, in terms of the key defining metrics?)
- Blue Cart program implemented in community (single family and multi-units under five)2008-2009
- Block captains for Blue Carts recruited - 70%+ in 2009.
- Cardboard recycling centers in key points within Edgewater (Issue in downturn is cost vs amount paid for recyclables)
- CPD has installed Recycle carts throughout parks in 2009
- Eco-Andersonville has launched special recycle program in Fall 2009
- Re-Use high end children and adult clothing shops opened in community
- Restaurant composting law passed allowing food composting under reasonable conditions - in 2009
- Rebates for Recycling now in pilot in other Chicago communities - being discussed for Edgewater 2010.
- Recycle, re-use, reduce publicity ongoing
Available Data Review
(What baseline data do we have – or exists elsewhere that we can easily obtain – that can help us create a baseline assessment of where we currently stand?)
Individuals City of Chicago materials regarding curbside recycling
- Cost estimates from the city regarding the collection of blue bag, recycling and percentage collection of curbside recycling.
- The current cost of the blue bag program is $200/ton and $33/household (2005).
- The cost of a biweekly collection program that services 800 households/ day is $40/ton and $11/ household
- Only 13% of households were serviced by Streets and Sanitation participated in the blue bag program
Businesses
- Eco-Andersonville survey of Andersonville businesses
Other programs
- 48th ward guide on recycling
Other Patterns of Resource Usage: Loyola Class Research on Local Food Resources & Consumption
- Sustainability Class Report on Local/Organic Food Availability & Resident's Interest:
Report & Survey on Local and Organic Foods
Additional Data Needs
(What additional data is needed and how will we be able to address them, e.g., through the Loyola student projects?)
"Curbside Recycling"
Residential Curbside Recycling
- What is the current residential curbside recycling rate?
- What are residential attitudes/educational level regarding recycling?
Business/multi-unit building recycling
- Which businesses are currently recycling?
- Which residences are currently recycling.
- Identify measures currently underway by Chambers, Development Corporations, and City of Chicago
- Determine which haulers each business is using.
- How much does each business spends on waste disposal?
- Which businesses have and do not have physical space for a new recycling bin?
- What is the total amount of waste is per year.
- Do any commercial haulers offer recycling service?
- Determine if it is still required for all commercial establishments that are required to have a Chicago business license and contract for private collection to have recycling programs under the Chicago High Density Residential and Commercial Source Reduction and Recycling Ordinance. Visit the Department of Streets and Sanitation website for more information.
"Other recycling"
- What other programs exist for recycling/proper disposal of materials?
- What programs do other cities have for recycling/proper disposal of materials?
Composting
- How many homes/businesses have individual composting programs?
Future State
(What is our Vision for this category/section? What are our specific goals in terms of key metrics defined above? What implications & benefits will there be at an individual, business, and governmental level?)
Ideal
(What are the key measures that are relevant to this category? What ‘needles’ are we trying to ‘move’?)
- All business will have a means to recycle the above reference included material. The program will be implemented in a cost neutral or positive way.
- All residential units will have a means to recycle the above reference included materials. The program will be implemented in a cost neutral or positive way.
- Each business will reduce the amount of waste, measured in pounds, trucked to landfills by 90% by 2016. This is ahead of the City of Chicago’s goal of 2020.
- Each residential building of 5 or more units will reduce their waste trucked to landfills by 90% by 2016. This is ahead of the City of Chicago’s goal of 2020.
- Each resident/business will have readily available means to properly dispose of hazardous waste and recycle electronic materials.
Individuals
- Each individual will produce only one "black cart" per month.
Minimum / First Steps
(What, if any, criteria are fixed/unchangeable or independent from this analysis?)
Our resources are finite. We must change the current throw away mentality, from grassroots to the manufacturing and commercial level.
Gaps
(Given available data & analysis, how far apart are key the elements (metrics) of our Current & Future States?)
- Multi-Unit Buildings need to be addressed
- Schools may need help in assessng and establishing three R's programs and recruiting students to help implement
- Faith based groups can astablish a barter network
- Economic reality creates problems and opportunities for recycling, re-use and reduce
Resources
(What kind of resources – time, money, people, agreements/support/relationships – are needed to address each of the gaps described above?)
- Legislative: Examine and revise codes and regulations to encourage sustainable recycling, composting and re-use practices
- Funding: Provide funds (via grants, then through monies received from recycling vendors) for city haulers
Look at other innovating ways (rebates, etc.) to increase recycling habits by public
- Publicity: Create an informational campaign for schools and faith groups, etc. Have contests and award ceremonies for Waste not/Want Not winners
Priorities
(Given the potential impact & benefit and the related costs (resources) required, in what order should we attempt to address/resolve the gaps?) Priorities listed below are not finalized.
- Get more condos/businesses involved in recycling programs.
- Compile information regarding "other recycling" and proper disposal of hazardous waste.
- Put together priority list of "other recycling" and proper disposal programs that can be brought to Edgewater.
Implementation Plan
(What are the first/next steps required to address the priority gap areas, secure the required resources, etc.? How will the implementation of priorities in this area be balanced against those of others?)
Reuse of Materials
There are a few states and many communities which have put together central locations (websites, publicity, even community centers) to encourage material reuse. It is the goal of our committee to provide the same service within the Edgewater area.
Overall goal – Each Edgewater business and residential unit will have a way to easily offer materials for reuse or to reuse usable materials themselves.
- Identify current reuse opportunities in Edgewater. Target: 2009-2010.
- Identify or develop a website or e-mail system to publicize reuse opportunities in the Edgewater area Target: Summer of 2010.
- Meet with local schools, non-profits, and businesses to create a demand for materials for reuse. Target: 2010-2020.
Recycling Overall goal - Each business and residential unit will have recycling pick up Target: 2011.
Residential
- Edgewater Blue Cart Neighborhood -Buildings with four or fewer units have a recycling “Blue cart” given by the city. (2010-2020)
- Publicize correct use of blue carts
- Recruit recycling block captains for every block.
- Contact neighborhood organizations to publicize recycling captain program.
- Create flyer about recycling in different languages and work with local cultural organizations to distribute.
- Work with 48th and 40th ward to identify recycling “problem areas”. Informational flyers & follow up activity will occur to improve recycling.
- High Rise and Condominium Buildings - buildings that are five units and above now must contract with a private hauler.
High rise recycling While multi-unit rental buildings in Chicago are supposed to have a plan for recycling by city ordinance, most do not. Our goal is for every residential building to have access to recycling. To implement this goal, we will have to:
1. Work with property managers to understand more about recycling.
- Put together “recycling economics” information for building managers Target: in progress for completion in 2010
2. Develop grassroots demand for recycling in high-rise units.
- Identify individuals who are concerned about recycling in high-rise unit & help them connect/ meet as a group to bring recycling to their high-rise. Target: 2010-2020
- Form a rental unit recycling group. Target: Summer 2010
- Develop resources (fliers, fact sheets, posters) for high-rises. Target: Late 2010
3. Work with city officials to enforce the current ordinance. Target: Ongoing discussion.
- The Association of Sheridan Road Condominiums (ASCO) has organized an environment committee which assists with recycling in condominiums.
- Put together a list of buildings in Edgewater and their recycling status.
- Work with ASCO environment committee to create “recyclers” group to share best practices for condo recycling programs.
Recycling – business - Businesses must recycle on their own in Edgewater. Many businesses do recycling, and businesses like True Nature have started a cardboard recycling program. Eco-Andersonville is also working to encourage recycling at businesses in Andersonville. www.eco-andersonville.org To implement the goals for this area, EESP will work with the Chambers of Commerce and business development organizations in Edgewater to get more businesses involved in recycling.
Composting - Nearly 30% of residential waste and 85% of restaurant waste is organic, such as food scraps and yard waste, and capable of being composted. Composting turns organic material into an important soil amendment that can be used in gardens, landscaping, and other projects. Currently, only individual homeowners can compost. Beginning in 2010 commercial composting will be allowed in Illinois (SB209). <www.ilga.gov/senate/transcripts/strans96/09600008.pdf> To bring composting to Edgewater, EESP will work with new commercial composting businesses, city officials and restaurants.
- Overall goals for Composting
- “Green”/Blue/Black cart system for Edgewater – Target: by 2020. Green Cart to include Curbside pick up of organic materials.
- Encourage 20% of Edgewater residents to compost at home by 2012.
- Survey how many residents currently compost. Target 2010
- When commercial composting haulers start business, connect local restaurants with composting haulers. Target: 2010-2011
