Chicago expanding residential recycling program

Chicago is expanding its residential recycling program to 131,000 more households.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office announced Wednesday that blue cart recycling services will begin in March and April for the added households. The mayor hopes to expand the program to the entire city with savings from competitive bidding.

The program serves single-family homes and buildings with four or fewer living units. 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.

Chicago’s recycling expansion eventually will include 340,000 households. It’s scheduled to be complete by the fall.