In honor of Earth Day this weekend, we're taking a look at the rules for recycling in Chicago.
Should you or should you not use a bag?
Do you need to clean items before recycling them?
In 2018, an investigation by NBC 5 Investigates’ reporting partner, the Better Government Association, revealed that more than half a million bins in Chicago were instead dumped into landfills within a 4-and-a-half-year period. That’s enough recyclables-turned-trash to fill up Wrigley Field -- and then some.
Much of the problem stems from a city rule that says one plastic bag or food item can cause all of the perfectly-recyclable material in that bin to be labelled as “grossly contaminated,” which requires waste-haulers to dump it all into a landfill.
So, here are the rules to follow in Chicago:
Can you use a bag?
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Items should be placed loosely in a blue recycle cart, without a bag.
Should you clean items first?
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You should empty all recyclable containers as no food or liquids are allowed.
Which items can be recycled?
According to the city's Department of Streets and Sanitation, the following items are recyclable:
- Glass jars and bottles
- Aluminum cans, foil and pie tins
- Tin or Steel cans
- Cereal boxes, paper towel rolls
- Cardboard (flatten all boxes)
- Plastic bottles and containers (# 1-5, 7 accepted)
- Junk mail, magazines and catalogs
- Telephone books
- Paper bags
- Office paper and file folders
- Newspaper and inserts
- Beverage cartons (milk, juice, soy cartons)
- Beverage carrier stock: plastic rings and cardboard carrying cases
- wrapping paper (no bows or ribbons, please)
- paper greeting cards
Which items can't be recycled?
- Clothes and linens
- Plastic or metal hangers
- #6 Plastics (polystyrene or Styrofoam)
- Diapers or feminine products
- Construction debris (bricks, wood, cement, etc.)
- Paint or spray paint
- Unnumbered plastics (toothbrushes, toys, hoses, cereal box liners, etc.)
- Loose plastic shopping bags (bring those back to retailers for recycling)
- Hard, reusable plastic bottles (like Nalgene or baby bottles)
What else should you know?
According to the website Recycle By City, residents can also call 311 for recycling of mattresses, yard waste, furniture or major appliances.
Items like batteries, electronics, pharmaceuticals, fluorescent bulbs, motor oil, oil-based paint and stain, household chemicals and metal tanks are hazardous and shouldn't be placed in either garbage or recycling containers.
For things like pizza boxes, tear off greasy parts and put those in the trash.
