As a daily participant in the blue-bag recycling program, I see problems and shortcomings.
As a concerned resident, I urge you to develop common-sense alternatives to the program. By now, it’s obvious that the blue-bag recycling cannot serve as a one-size-fits-all solution to recycling for Chicago. Successful programs like drop boxes and the innovative CHA buy-back recycling program should be expanded to offer all citizens effective recycling options.
As the Chicago’s old compactor trucks are retired, the city should invest in new recycling trucks or trucks with separate compartments: a compacting unit for trash and an open compartment for blue bags of recyclables. Such trucks would increase participation rate and encourage a more marketable stream of recyclables.
The city should promote options that involve backyard management of yard waste, such as composting, mulching or simply leaving the grass clippings lie. This would avoid the necessity of using taxpayer dollars to cart yard waste away to “someone else’s back yard.”
