A tribute to Marian Byrnes (1925-2010)

Marian Byrnes was a committed advocate for recycling and an active Chicago Recycling Coalition Board member for over 20 years.

Marian was best known for her tireless work to protect the environment of southeast Chicago, which began in 1979 when she launched a successful campaign to stop development on a beautiful prairie near her home. In the process, she learned about threatened natural areas throughout the southeast side – an area both heavily industrialized and home to many landfills. So Marian went from local battles to a citywide fight for a moratorium on landfill expansion first passed in 1984 and still in force today.

Recognizing that the moratorium was only a first step in finding solutions to the city's growing garbage problems, she worked with Chicago Recycling Coalition to improve solid waste management throughout the region. She advocated for effective citywide recycling programs, fought Chicago 's flawed “blue bag” program, opposed incineration and helped organize a successful local recycling program in a blue-collar, multiethnic neighborhood.

We will miss her soft-spoken ferocity, her passion and pragmatism, and her humane vision of a better environment.

For a Chicago Tribune article about Marian's life and work, written by David Moberg, click here.