Chicago Cracks Down On Blue-Bin Recycling Mistakes
(CBS) – Some Chicago residents say they're confused about the city's recycling program because the rules seem to keep changing.
The city counters with this advice: If in doubt, put it in the garbage, not the blue bin.
CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez reports.
New stickers that are being left on blue bins along Chicago's alleys is Waste Management's way of saying you have garbage in your recycling.
Even a seemingly innocent pizza box can draw the foul. If the recycling truck sees the sticker, it means your blue bin is headed to the landfill, not the recycling center.
"One bad item in your recycling cart can contaminate the entire stream," Chicago's Streets and Sanitation Commissioner, Charles Williams, says. "There's a lot of labor involved in trying to separate that, so the better we can protect the stream, the more economical it is."
The Illinois Environmental Council says the city is doing a poor job educating the public.
And some residents say their neighbors are to blame. Williams says call 3-1-1 if it's a constant issue, and the city will take it up with that person.
For more information, go to chicagorecycles.org.