Chicago Recycling Rates Improve With Carts vs. Blue Bags

Date: August 9, 2007

Source: News Room

The Chicago Tribune reports that recycling rates have more than doubled in the Chicago wards where suburban-style, curbside carts replaced the city's unpopular blue bag program. Initial tallies show recycling rates as high as 20% among homes using carts versus 7% for those still using the blue bags. The blue bag approach is said to be more onerous on homeowners who are required to buy the bags which frequently break and are sometimes thrown in with the regular trash. The recyclables from the carts are taken to the privately owned Resource Management Companies which pays for them and sells to commodity brokers.

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