Fire sweeps through recycling facility in Little Village
A fire broke out Thursday at a recycling facility in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, officials said.
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A fire broke out Thursday at a recycling facility in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, officials said.
Chicago is marking 30 years since it started its first citywide recycling program, which began with a problematic kickoff, and continues to lag behind other major cities in terms of performance.
December 2025 marked 30 years since the City of Chicago introduced its first citywide recycling program. It was scrapped in 2008, but despite improvements, recycling rates remain stubbornly low.
On Dec. 4, 1995, the Chicago's Blue Bag recycling program began to much fanfare. First, Burleigh Hines reports on people preparing the day before. Then, we see a family pitching in on the first day, and the inside of a waste sorting facility.
In this series of Channel 2 News special reports from May 1989, Adele Arakawa reports on the garbage disposal crisis in Northeastern Illinois and what to do about it. Arakawa talks with then-Chicago Deputy Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Tim Harrington, then-Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County executive director Bill Abolt, and other experts. Original airdates: May 17-19, 1989.
Organizers expect that of the 10,000 pounds of lights they have collected, they estimate they have saved about 3000 pounds of copper alone from inside the wires.
For people who are looking for more eco-friendly ways to get rid of those lights and trees, some groups are offering help.
Live trees can be dropped off at one of 27 drop-off locations around the city between Jan. 3 and 17.
Before doing so, all decorations must be removed before recycling.
Before doing so, all decorations must be removed before recycling.
Did you know electronic waste makes up 70% of all toxic waste in the United States? So, on Saturday, the chamber of commerce is putting on a tech recycling event on the Southport Corridor from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The events and marketing director, Teresa Hull, talks more about it.
Most of the labor and cost of managing textile waste falls on thrift stores, charities, and local governments. California is now making sure textile and clothing producers are doing their part.
Why does so much of what gets tossed into those blue recycling bins end up in the trash? CBS News Chicago visited the city's largest recycling facility for some answers.
Tara Molina got an inside look at Chicago's largest recycling facility for some answers about recycling and how Chicago is falling short.
In the U.S., one of the biggest users of single-use plastic cups is Starbucks Coffee. While Starbucks encourages customers to place those cups in recycling bins, it turns out most of the cups never get recycled. National Environmental Correspondent David Schechter reports.
"I was so excited to be on the news, knowing that lots of people saw what we are doing for the earth."
It started with recycling plastic bags from snack time but is now a full-school initiative. The kids at Corron Elementary School put together a program to keep about 100 pounds of plastic from reaching landfills each week.
Activewear is one of the fastest-growing types of fashion, but the material that gives yoga pants that extra stretch can be harmful to the environment.
The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the zoo's main parking lot, which is located at 8400 31st Street.
Throughout the week, the plastic is assembled in bags that are placed in front of every classroom. It all ends up in Mr. Robinson's classroom – which doubles as a recycling hub.
The fifth graders from Corron Elementary School have put together a recycling program that is keeping about 100 pounds of plastic from reaching landfills weekly in their community. CBS 2 Climate Watch Reporter Tara Molina reports.
Participants are reminded to remove all the ornaments, lights, and tinsel from the tree before dropping it off. Read more
In a now annual tradition in Sweden, volunteers chuck Christmas trees into Stockholm's icy waters. This project aims to help restore endangered ecosystems.
"We have several large buckets, trays and they fill up within two or three days."
The exchange stocks everything from books and ink toner to tools and trophies - a supply treasure-trove this group tries to keep out of the trash.
The man who died after being pulled from Lake Michigan on Wednesday morning on Chicago's North Side has been identified.
The man charged with setting a woman on fire on the Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line was due in court Thursday for a competency hearing.
Chicago police early Thursday were investigating a crash-and-grab burglary at a gas station in the North Lawndale neighborhood.
Two people were injured after a serious crash on US-41 involving two semi trucks in North Chicago early Thursday morning.
A judge will decide whether the Chicago man convicted in what's known as the Bali "suitcase murder" will get an early release.
New rules governing who can use electronic bikes and scooters, including where and how fast they go, will go into effect next year following Gov. JB Pritzker's signature on Wednesday.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Wednesday he has joined a multistate lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service challenging new rules that purport to give it authority to regulate mail-in voting in federal elections.
The group of 24 states and the District of Columbia argues the Postal Service's new rule violates the Constitution and federal law.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) on Wednesday called for answers from the Department of Justice, saying along with other lawmakers that the Chicago immigration court needs revisions when it comes to unaccompanied immigrant children.
The Chicago Public Schools are back in the swing of things, with hundreds of laid-off educators back in the classroom.
Cook County homeowners are again facing a sharper increase in property taxes this year than businesses, the Office of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas announced Monday.
Contracted linemen from out of state sat idle in a Griffith church parking lot for hours without work orders from NIPSCO, as residents in Northwest Indiana approach two weeks without power.
A law firm has filed a class action lawsuit against NIPSCO, alleging the utility's failure to manage trees and vegetation has left thousands of Northwest Indiana residents without power for up to two weeks.
Dozens of cases of E. coli and salmonella in multiple states are linked to an alfalfa grower in Minnesota, health officials say.
A new Illinois law signed by Gov. Pritzker offers up to $1,000 to eligible homeowners hit by storm damage, but the money won't be available until next year — and the program only covers certain areas of Chicago.
Patients taking the first-of-a-kind pill, called daraxonrasib, lived for a median of 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for chemotherapy recipients, studies showed.
Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois, used performed a complex operation to preserve mobility for a 3-year-old boy who had to have part of his leg amputated after suffering a horrific accident with a lawnmower.
Possible measles exposures have been reported at a high school in Maple Park, Illinois, and a pediatric clinic in South Elgin, Kane County health officials said.
Dozens of cases of E. coli and salmonella in multiple states are linked to an alfalfa grower in Minnesota, health officials say.
Moderna and Merck announced study results that reflect a "landmark moment" in treatment for one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer.
A Wisconsin prosecutor says he will not file election bribery charges against billionaire Elon Musk even though the state's bipartisan elections commission said he likely broke state law.
An expert blames Illinois lawmakers and "internecine political problems" for the failure to seal a deal for a new stadium within the state for the Chicago Bears.
Real estate investment and development firm Concord Capital has acquired nine apartment buildings on Elaine Place, a single-block residential street in Chicago's East Lakeview community.
The Chicago Plan Commission voted Thursday to approve a plan to redevelop Ford City Mall into an industrial complex, despite objections from some neighbors.
A new Barnes & Noble bookstore opened in the heart of downtown Chicago on Wednesday, while separately, a building that used to house an old Barnes & Noble store in the Gold Coast was being demolished.
People around the world, including Chicago, continued to gather Wednesday to pay tribute to the late Dolly Parton.
Tim Curry was known for his iconic performances in cult classics like "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and the original screen adaptation of Stephen King's "It."
Audience members at a stage performance of "9 to 5: The Musical" in the U.K. were heard gasping aloud at the news of Dolly Parton's death Tuesday.
Dolly Parton was a native and lifelong resident of Tennessee, but she made numerous visits and forged numerous ties to Chicago over the years.
Dolly Parton became an icon over her six-decade career as a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, movie and TV star and theme park owner who donated millions to help others.
A new documentary follows three doctors from different backgrounds as they risk their own lives to operate inside a besieged Gaza hospital.
The man charged with setting a woman on fire on the Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line was due in court Thursday for a competency hearing.
Dixon Romeo, executive director of Southside Together, joins CBS News Chicago.
Chicago police early Thursday were investigating a crash-and-grab burglary at a gas station in the North Lawndale neighborhood.
Meteorologist Laura Bannon has the extended forecast.
A judge will decide whether the Chicago man convicted in what's known as the Bali "suitcase murder" will get an early release.
McCauley, 36, was killed around 3 a.m. Tuesday at the Thorntons gas station. A witness said he alerted the clerk to masked gunmen in the parking lot before the shooting.
An immigration court judge in Chicago on Wednesday ordered six children to be deported after they were deemed abandoned by state courts.
At least nine parked cars were smashed into and had valuables stolen from inside on the morning of Aug. 25, according to Chicago police.
The man who died after being pulled from Lake Michigan on Wednesday morning on Chicago's North Side has been identified.
Police in west suburban Oak Brook used a new tool aimed at limiting high-speed chases to catch a fleeing van while responding to a burglary call overnight.
The program was launched by the utility company last year, with some saying it makes it easier to address problem poles.
She was counting down the days to the first day of 5th grade until her school district told her she didn't have a spot there. Now, a federal judge has ordered the district to put the 10-year-old girl with autism back in her neighborhood school.
Who you gonna call if someone locks you out of your own charity? That's the question members of a Ghostbusters-themed nonprofit say they're asking.
Residents of Ogleby Towers on Wednesday morning spoke out about the system that constantly changes their rent, which they say makes it hard to budget.
Peters hit a two-run shot that made it 6-2 in the fifth. He and Munetaka Murakami are the first rookies in franchise history to homer in five straight games in the same season.
Eduardo Rodriguez struck out nine in seven innings, Jordan Lawlar homered and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0.
Pinch-hitter Ryan Waldschmidt hit a game-winning, two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied to stun the Chicago Cubs 5-4 on Tuesday night.
The 6-foot-10, 250-pound former NBA player was removed from Sunday's game after he was confronted by Sky guard Natasha Cloud.
Peters also went deep in the sixth, extending his career-high homer streak to four games.
The man charged with setting a woman on fire on the Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line was due in court Thursday for a competency hearing.
Chicago police early Thursday were investigating a crash-and-grab burglary at a gas station in the North Lawndale neighborhood.
A man was arrested and charged with taking part in a shooting that killed a mail carrier in Chicago's West Pullman neighborhood in 2024.
One person was killed and another was wounded in a shooting Sunday night at a hotel in northwest suburban Wheeling.
At least four people were killed, and 17 more were injured, in weekend shootings across Chicago as of Sunday, according to police.
