Cook County boosts recycling of demolished building material

Cook County officials say they are stepping up their efforts to collect and reuse materials from demolished buildings.

In a news release, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said an ordinance passed recently by the county’s board of commissioners will reduce the amount of material being dumped in the county’s landfill.

The ordinance calls for the recycling of 70 percent of material created by the demolition of commercial buildings in the county’s suburbs and unincorporated areas. Residential properties must show that 5 percent of the material — excluding garages and sheds — is being recycled. Preckwinkle’s office says the county’s Department of Environmental Control will be working with industry groups and others to make sure the requirements of the ordinance will be met once it takes effect in November.