Dive Brief:
- Chicago’s laissez-faire approach to its recycling law in apartment buildings is causing confusion among residents who live in the units.
- Larger multi-unit dwellings are required by city law to provide recycling programs to residents, but many aren’t compliant.
- Although the ordinance was implemented in 1996, the city has not introduced a program to monitor apartments and does not give citations to buildings that don’t recycle.
Dive Insight:
Molly Poppe, spokesperson for the Department of Streets and Sanitation, said the goal of the program is to encourage recycling through communication with residents, building managers, and owners, and therefore doesn’t focus on fines. She also stated that it is possible that residents are unaware of apartment recycling options due to a failure on the part of the management to explain the program.
The department sends superintendents to educate management and request that they alert tenants to the building’s recycling area. Chris Sauve, the department’s recycling director, said the main focus of the city’s recycling efforts is to establish and expand Chicago’s blue bin residential recycling program. It appears the recycling law in apartment buildings doesn't factor into that agenda.
