Lake Forest Could See Added Revenues From Single Recycling Container Move

The move to a single recycling cart could mean added revenue to coffers.

“ have seen a 15 to 20 percent increase in the amount of recyclables,” said Public Works Director Michael Thomas.

Consider these additional figures from Thomas:

• Lake Forest recycles about 2,500 tons of recyclables a year compared to 7,500 tons of refuse.

• Lake Forest was paying upward of $45 per ton to get rid of the recyclables.

• Today the city is receiving upward of $65 per ton, of recyclables, putting them on track to earn more than $100,000 this year in revenue.

An unpredictable market makes the revenues from recyclables fluctuate. Lake Forest sells its recyclables to Resource Management in Chicago Ridge, which separates the materials, bales and ships it out often to overseas destinations like China, Vietnam, Singapore and Canada.

“There is a market for everything that goes into the recycling cart,” Thomas said, “When the market isn’t there, you got to pay to get rid of it because what they are doing is storing it until the market picks up again.”

To increase the chances of seeing greater revenue, the city has followed up on residents' desire to know what are acceptable recyclables and what are not.

“That’s the other part of the campaign is to try to educate people on what can go into the container now that it is all going into one,” said Public Works Supervisor Dan Martin. “The more we can adhere to the list, and get more pure recyclables in there, the higher our margins as far as return on recyclables.”

The mailer sent to every household included a detailed list of both recyclable materials and those not recyclable. The same list will appear under the lid of each cart in a 12-inch by 12-inch decal sticker as a reminder.

“When all this material is brought to this recycler, they sort through it,” Thomas said. “Any garbage is sort of a knock against us because they have to pay to bring it to the landfill.”

See related story: 

• Lake Forest Residents Show Positive Response To Single Recycling Cart