When the heck
will you get
a blue cart?

 
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When the heck will you get a blue cart?


The answer, sadly, is that we don't know. The City of Chicago 2010 budget doesn't allocate any money to continue the roll out of Blue Carts citywide. And the Department of Streets and Sanitation, which runs the program, has yet to give specifics about if and when the program will continue to move forward. That means that roughly 40% of buildings with 4 or fewer units have Blue Carts.

The best that CRC can do at the moment is read the tea leaves, and they tell us that if you don't have a Blue Cart now, you're probably not going to receive one anytime soon. What's more, if you DO have a Blue Cart, it is likely that your recycling pick-ups will be scaled back to every THREE weeks from the current two week pick-up.

Again, this is what we're hearing. As of the beginning of the year there has been no press release or official announcement from Streets and San.

 

 

 

In the meantime, what can you do?

  • If you have the means, continue to use the City of Chicago drop-off locations.
  • If you live in an area that does not have Blue Carts, put pressure on your alderman to finish the citywide roll out.
  • If you DO have a blue cart, USE IT! And pressure your alderman to keep the pick-ups on a two-week schedule.
  • Sign up for the Chicago Recycling Coalition mailing list (provide link). We will keep you posted on any movements the City of Chicago makes towards making real recycling available to all of its citizens.
  • Become a fan of the Chicago Recycling Coalition on Facebook. While our website is a great source of information, it is much easier for us to post breaking news on Facebook.