Blue Star Recyclers Awarded Glenview's Environmental Sustainability Award

Since 2018, the Village of Glenview has offered environmental sustainability awards to promote practices such as preventing pollution, reducing waste, conserving energy, reducing emissions and boosting recycling in the community. Nominees are solicited each year in the categories of innovation, leadership and education and outreach. An awards presentation was held during the village of Glenview's online board of trustees meeting on Jan. 5.

Five organizations are being recognized this year for outstanding work in environmental sustainability. The Innovation Award, Gold Level, goes to Blue Star Recyclers, an organization that launched a new service locally called EZ Electronics Recycling.

At-home pickups of unwanted electronics are provided, while the work of processing the electronics affords meaningful and competitive wage employment for people with autism and other disabilities. Seven Rotary clubs donated funds to help Blue Star purchase their new van, with Rotary Club of Glenview Sunrise being instrumental in coordinating Rotary's involvement in the project.

Bill Morris, Blue Star's founder, said "Blue Star Recyclers is honored to be awarded this year's Environmental Sustainability - Innovation Award. Since 2009, our mission of recycling electronics to create jobs for people with disabilities has relied upon the communities we serve to help make that possible, and the village of Glenview is an outstanding role model."

Chris Newman, commissioner of Glenview's Natural Resources Commission, explained that a panel of four judges reviewed the applications and decided on a ranking of gold, silver or bronze. Some of the judges' comments about Blue Star included their networking with multiple Rotary Clubs, their ability to overcome the obstacles of operating during COVID and their ability to remove larger electronic waste items from people's homes that they may not have been able to lift or manage on their own.

Home pickups by Blue Star are available in specific areas during January, as well as a drop-off event at Weiss Ace Hardware, 1560 Waukegan Road, Glenview. More information is available at EZelectronicsrecycling.com.