SWALCO - PRESS RELEASE: Lake County Food Scrap Collection Programs

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May 8, 2017


SWALCO Celebrates Growth in Lake County Food Scrap Collection Programs

Composting

PRESS RELEASE

Date:  May 8, 2017

Contact:  Walter Willis, Executive Director, 847-377-4951

The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) is leading an effort to divert food scraps from the landfill with the goal of achieving a 60% recycling rate in Lake County by 2020, the current rate is approximately 48%.  Of its 43 municipal members 15 have programs to divert food scraps, with Lake Bluff and Highwood leading the way with year-round programs.  “With Lake Bluff and Highwood, we have the first towns in the State that have included year-round food scrap collection programs in their municipal hauling contracts,” said SWALCO Executive Director Walter Willis.  “In addition, North Barrington has nearly 150 homes with year-round service and 12 other towns can mix food scraps with yardwaste during the 8 month yardwaste season.”

SWALCO Chairman and Mayor of Wadsworth Glenn Ryback said these programs are only the beginning of the growth of food scrap diversion programs in Lake County.  “This reminds me of when we first started implementing village wide curbside recycling programs 30 years ago, food scraps collection is just beginning to take off like curbside recycling did.”

“We recognize it will take several years for residents and businesses to begin to change the way they manage their food scraps by shifting them from the garbage container to the composting one,” Ryback said.  “The nice thing is that Lake County is fortunate to have a robust composting infrastructure in the county which includes 9 composting facilities that managed over 115,000 tons last year or 11% of the waste stream,” Willis added.

As with any new recycling program education will be key to its success.  The residents and businesses need to make sure they are diverting food scraps that are acceptable to the composting sites.  “We have been working closely with member towns, the haulers and compost sites accepting the material to provide a consistent message on proper food scrap diversion, from how to collect food scraps in your kitchen to putting them out for collection,” Willis said. “By following the guidelines, residents will be helping reduce costs at the composting sites and increasing the value of the final product.”

More information on the food scrap programs in Lake County will be shared at a press conference on May 10, 2017 at the Lake Bluff composting site where the mayors of Lake Bluff and Highwood will speak about their programs.  The press conference is being held during International Compost Awareness week (May 7-13), and is part of an overall goal to inform Lake County residents about the benefits of compost, and how they can become part of the effort to divert food scraps from the landfill.


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