Cook County receives statewide award for Center for Hard to Recycle Materials

Since Illinois' first Center for Hard to Recycle Materials opened this Earth Day, nearly 37,000 pounds of materials that might have otherwise gone to the landfill have been collected.

The Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability recently received the Outstanding Public Sector Award from the Illinois Recycling Foundation for opening the center, which serves as a permanent location for residents to drop off items like electronics, furniture and health equipment.

"Keeping items that are not typically accepted through traditional recycling services out of our landfills will help create a better environment for all Cook County residents," Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said in a prepared statement. "I am grateful to South Suburban College for their partnership and am thankful to the Illinois Recycling Foundation for their recognition of the good work taking place here in the County to reduce our carbon footprint."

The center is located on South Suburban College's campus in South Holland.

Accepted materials include electronics, clothes and textiles. The center also will accept used personal health care equipment, small furniture, small appliances, Styrofoam and general household recyclables.

Funding for the center consisted of nearly $1 million from the American Rescue Plan Act.

The initiative has also received grants from two national recycling foundations: a $32,000 grant to broaden educational programming and purchase a recycling compactor and a $50,000 grant that helped buy a Styrofoam densifier that condenses loose foam products into blocks that are then manufactured into things like architectural moldings, picture frames and thermal insulation panels for building construction.

The center is open from 7 a.m. to noon every Tuesday, from 2 to 7 p.m. every Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month. More information, including the complete list of items accepted at the center, can be found at www.cookcountyil.gov/CHaRMCenter.

• Jenny Whidden is a climate change and environment writer working with the Daily Herald through a partnership with Report For America supported by The Nature Conservancy. To help support her work with a tax-deductible donation, see dailyherald.com/rfa.