The future of Chicago lies in a batch of blue plastic boxes that sit along the sidewalks of Beverly on the far southwest side, Stashed inside is garbage–newspapers, bottles, and cans–waiting to be collected, sorted, and recycled.
“Everybody blames the city because we don’t have citywide recycling, but this problem is bigger than that,” counters Leroy Bannister, Sawyer’s deputy chief operating officer. “This is a sad commentary on our country in general. We are a very rich country, and we find it easy to throw things away as opposed to conserving them. The Tribune criticized the city for not moving on recycling, and then it turns out that, unlike [the Sun-Times], they don’t even recycle their newspaper.”
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Nearly 3,500 blue plastic boxes were distributed. Resource Center collectors, driving a fleet of battered and bruised vans and trucks, make the rounds once a week. “The residents leave the blue boxes next to the garbage cans, and our driver collects them,” says Michael Fowler, route supervisor for the Resource Center. “In that way they’re different than city garbage drivers, who don’t make collections but just drive the truck. Anyway, the driver empties the blue box in the back of his truck, separating the glass, papers, and cans. The beauty of the blue box is that it stands out against the snow, or grass, so the driver can see them in winter and summer. They also work effectively in terms of peer pressure. If you have blue boxes up and down the block, it’s pretty hard not to join in.”
Many experts estimate that at least 50 percent of Chicago’s waste is recyclable. “Lawn waste and food waste are the easiest to recycle,” says Patrick Barry, recycling chairman of the Chicago Recycling Coalition. “That’s about 25 percent of the waste stream. Then there’re the easily recyclable containers, newspapers, and aluminum cans, and junk mail.”
The council sent Hansen’s proposal to the Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection, where its future is uncertain. Energy is one of the council’s most lackluster committees. Sawyer’s council allies ousted its previous chairman, Alderman Bobby Rush, and replaced him with Alderman Ed Smith, who has refused to accept the position. Alderman Robert Shaw lobbied for the job, but the council refused to appoint him. Alderman Edward Burke is the acting chairman.
