Chicago expanding residential recycling program

Chicago expanding residential recycling program

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago is expanding its residential recycling program to 61,000 more households.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office announced on Tuesday that blue cart recycling services will begin on June 24 or July 1 for the added households. It’s part of a second phase of a 2013 expansion.

The program serves single-family homes, as well as two-, three- and four-flat buildings. Households can recycle glass, metal, plastics, paper and cardboard by placing items in a blue recycling bin for pick up.

Items are hauled to a recycling center where they’re sorted and then baled or packaged for delivery to manufacturers who reprocess or reuse the materials to make new products.

Currently, 390,000 households receive blue cart recycling service.