Workers remove unwanted items during the separation process at Groot Industries material recovery facility in Elk Grove Village. (Paul Valade | Staff Photographer)
Despite the contributions you make to the health of the environment every time you slip your plastic milk cartons and food containers into the recycling bin, there’s something you should know: More than 90% of the plastics used in Illinois ends up in landfills.
The causes are varied and complex, but the solution, environmental advocates and government authorities say, requires a blend of changing personal habits and revising public policies.
Plastic can take anywhere from hundreds to thousands of years to decompose, and it is slowly adding up in natural areas around the world. Rather than decomposing, studies show, plastic breaks down into microplastics — pieces smaller than 5 millimeters — and infiltrates our food, water and air.
As of 2015, Illinois’ plastic recycling rate is 8.1%, according to a state-commissioned waste report.
Below are specific guidelines by county.
- Cook County: tinyurl.com/SWANCCRecyclingGuidelines
- Lake County: tinyurl.com/SWALCORecycling
- McHenry County: tinyurl.com/McHenryRecycling
- Kane County: tinyurl.com/KaneRecycling
Read the entire Daily Herald story here.
Leave a Reply