The SWALCO Scoop
January 7, 2025
Happy New Year, SWALCO fans!
Welcome to the seventh edition of The SWALCO Scoop, our monthly electronic newsletter! This month, we're making sustainable New Year's resolutions, highlighting the importance of recycling, sharing exciting sustainability contest opportunities for fifth and sixth graders in Illinois, and teaching you how to recycle your I-PASS transponders.
Happy New Year! Let's work together to make 2025 a more sustainable year. Here are four easy ways to start:
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Donate and Divert Responsibly: Did you receive new gadgets, electronics, or clothes over the holidays? Start the year by responsibly recycling and donating your unwanted items. SWALCO offers:
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Electronics Recycling: Bring old or broken electronics like TVs, computers, holiday lights, and gaming consoles to a SWALCO drop-off location.
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Clothing and Textile Collection: Your new and gently-used clothing and textile donations are tax-deductible.
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Reuse-A-Shoe Program: All types of shoes can be donated to SWALCO Reuse-A-Shoe collection bins, with the exception of rollerblades, ice skates, and winter boots. Please be sure to "match-up" pairs by tying the laces together or by using a large rubber band on footwear that does not have laces.
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Compost at Home or Curbside: Learn how to backyard compost or participate in your community's curbside composting program. Deerfield, Highland Park, Highwood, Lake Bluff, and Port Barrington residents can combine food scraps and yard waste year-round.
- Start composting food scraps and yard waste! Visit SWALCO.org for tips, and keep an eye out for events celebrating International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) in May.
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Reduce and Reuse: Opt for reusable bags, water bottles, containers, and utensils when shopping or dining out. Small changes can lead to big environmental impacts.
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Attend a SWALCO Event: Join us in 2024 for recycling events and educational programs. Our events help you recycle and donate with ease.
Visit our website to learn more about these programs and find resources to help you go green this year!
SWALCO’s Executive Director, Walter Willis, recently spoke with CBS News Chicago to highlight the importance of recycling.
Every day, Illinois sends around $1 million worth of recyclable materials to landfills, wasting resources that could be reused. However, by recycling these materials correctly, we can conserve natural resources, combat climate change, and strengthen the circular economy.
Recycling Tips:
- Clean and empty all materials
- Avoid bagging materials
- Replace caps and lids
With the holidays generating 25% more waste, now is the perfect time to brush up on your recycling habits and make a difference. Together, we can extend the life of our landfills, protect our environment, and build a more sustainable future.
Use this link to download a PDF version of SWALCO’s 2024 recycling guidelines: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:40b8b9ed-fc07-4637-89e4-e908d07e7fe0
Use this link to read the full story: https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/recycling-chicag-cook-county-long-way-to-go/?fbclid=IwY2xjawHAF9xleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHRgBzUe8NrW9Qmqsm_1ENDs2JjD8AB_DtKIaTX3jbWtYW-FyFPbq1xvgyA_aem_OKYnQIdxW6BsUK1lPF6jFg
The Illinois EPA has announced TWO statewide contests open to all fifth and sixth graders.
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Video Contest - Gather your classmates and create a 60-second video showing how you can make a difference by reducing waste with this year’s theme: How Can You Slash Your Trash? The top three winners will receive classroom certificates and a science kit. You could also receive recognition on social media! Whether you're a school class, homeschool group, 4-H club, or scout troop (minimum of 5 students), your team is eligible to participate! Deadline February 3, 2025
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Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest – This annual contest invites students to submit posters or written works related to each year's environmentally-focused theme. The theme of the 2025 competition is How Can You Slash Your Trash?, inviting students to think creatively about how to reduce the amount of waste they produce. This could include buying fewer/eliminating single-use products, composting food waste, repairing broken items instead of replacing, and recycling objects that cannot be re-used or repaired. Finalists will receive a certificate, a ribbon, and an invitation to the awards ceremony in Springfield. The top twelve entries will be displayed on the Illinois EPA website. Deadline February 3, 2025
To learn more about the Illinois EPA and these Environmental Education contests, visit their website: https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/education/contest.html
I-PASS Transponders
The Illinois Tollway will be phasing out I-PASS transponders in favor of radio frequency identification (RFID) sticker tags. You can recycle your old I-PASS transponders at the Lake Forest Oasis (13783 E Oasis Service Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045). |
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Sign up for the SWALCO Scoop to stay updated when additional options become available.
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January 11: HCW Drop-Off
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January 25: HCW Drop-Off
To learn more about these programs and more, visit swalco.org.
Check with your community for more events and opportunities.
Thanks for taking a moment to catch up on The SWALCO Scoop! Please encourage your family and friends to sign up for our exclusive newsletter to stay informed on latest news, updates, and events. Together, we can make a difference!
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