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Year-Round Organic Waste Collection Beginning in Highwood

Photo courtesy of Lakeshore Recycling Center

Year-round curbside food scrap and yard waste collection is now available in the city of Highwood, the first municipality in Illinois to approve the practice for residents as part of its three-cart garbage collection program. Lakeshore Recycling Systems will divert organic material away from landfills to composting sites to achieve a goal of a 60 percent recycling and composting rate by 2020.

       Adrian Marquez, assistant to the city manager, states, “The goal is to reduce waste, but more importantly, reduce our collection rates to provide a financial relief to our residents who are seeing increasing costs. Our community should be a leader and an example of environmental sustainability for the county and the state.”

       Highwood residents will receive a smaller, 35-gallon organic waste cart to mix food scraps with yard waste for collection at the curb to maintain high-quality soil, reduce the use of fertilizer and pesticides, improve water quality and protect the environment. Plastic bags, plastic packaging, pet waste, sanitary products, diapers, glass, metal, Styrofoam, liquids, grease and oil are not compostable.

       Acceptable items for the organic waste collection program include yard waste (grass clippings, garden vegetation, leaves and brush); food scraps, including meat, bread, fruits, vegetables, table scraps, dairy, coffee grounds and coffee filters, tea bags, eggshells, cereal, grains and pasta; and unsoiled or food-soiled paper products such as paper towels, paper bags, pizza boxes, napkins, paper cups and newspapers.

For more information, visit CityOfHighwood.com/lakeshoreresi.