Welcome to this month’s newsletter from the Illinois Recycling Association (IRA) and Illinois Recycling Foundation (IRF). We’re dedicated to keeping you informed on the latest sustainability efforts, upcoming events, and ways you can get involved in promoting responsible recycling in Illinois.

Standing, left to right: Mark Molitor, Gina Peshek, Luke Fikejs, Barb Day, Aaron Harmon, Brian Zimmerman, and Nathan Mihelich.

Seated from left to right: Rebecca Cottrell, Clair Ryan, and Erica Helms.

Here's a gentle reminder that it's time to renew IRF membership for calendar 2025! Current members looking to renew online will need to log into the website with their existing account. If you have trouble logging in, please call 708-847-0827 or email info@illinoisrecycles.org. Please renew by December 31, 2024!

 In 1978 Bob and Claudia Conroy started an independent silver recycling business recovering silver nitrate from photographic and X-ray film. Once reclaimed they would send it to refiners to recycle the silver nitrate further.

In 1983 they decided to refine the silver nitrate themselves and started refining and smelting the silver into bullion form. Also, they refined the silver slug off of the electrolytic machines in dark rooms and hospital.  They were able to turn the slug into bars and make 98%–99% pure silver, which ensured them receiving top dollar when selling it to be refined further.

A friend, who was in the scrap metal business as well as silver refining, recommended they open a scrap metal yard in addition to the silver refining.  Since Bob had a construction background, they started the aluminum recycling part of their business by visiting job sites looking for scrap aluminum siding.  Bob started picking up siding at smaller housing projects, weighed and paid for the material on the spot.  It was convenient for the siders and helped Bob establish himself as a convenient, fair and friendly scrap man.  

Join us for the 2025 IRF Conference, in partnership with ILCSWMA and SWANA.

📅 Dates: Tuesday, October 14, 2025, and Wednesday, October 15, 2025

📍 Location: East Peoria, Illinois



Stay tuned for more details and opportunities to participate in this exciting event!

I don’t know if this is a common experience, but 2024 has been so much busier for me than I imagined it would be. IRF was excited to host the grand announcement of Recycle Coach for all of Illinois, courtesy of IEPA, at our conference in June. After many, many hours of plugging away at the back end, I’m ready to launch Recycle Coach for my County early in 2025, in partnership with some of our municipalities. Very exciting! Beyond the initial announcement, I anticipate that IRF will play a role in tracking and publicizing progress with Recycle Coach across the state in the coming years. IRF has also evolved in unexpected ways as an organization this year. We had a transition in our Executive Director role, and our new ED has been working closely with the Board to implement more streamlined procedures and systems on a number of fronts. We’re also looking a lot more polished on the technological front, which is never bad! We’re also going to work with our friends in ILCSWMA and the SWANA Land of Lincoln Chapter to bring you a joint conference in 2025 instead of going it alone as we have for the past few years. We anticipate that this approach will be a benefit to all organizations involved, as well as to our members who may have had to either pick and choose or shell out for two out-of-town conferences every year. To those of you who have been super-busy, I hope that the holidays provide some time for rest and reflection, and wishing everyone a wonderful start to 2025!

The Recycling Partnership’s (TRP’s) Polypropylene Recycling Coalition has released its inaugural annual report, showcasing what it calls “measurable improvement” in the circularity of polypropylene (PP). 

The Washington-based coalition, which was established in 2020, awards grants to material recovery facilities (MRFs), secondary sorters and reclaimers to increase acceptance, improve capture and deliver higher-quality recycled PP to responsible end markets. Together, the coalition says its members have helped deploy more than $15 million across 60 grants, resulting in new or improved PP recycling access to 48 million people. 

The resin, also known as No. 5 plastic, is ubiquitous in people’s daily lives and widely used in packaging for dairy foods, salads, deli items, microwavable meals and more, according to the coalition, which adds that its high value has resulted in growing demand for postconsumer recycled PP.

Illinois is well-positioned to benefit from TRP’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition, thanks to its strong recycling infrastructure and progressive waste management policies. Cities like Chicago lead in waste diversion, and TRP-funded initiatives directly enhance local recycling programs.

For Illinois residents, expanded access to PP recycling means less plastic waste ending up in landfills and more opportunities to contribute to a circular economy. Additionally, investments in local material recovery facilities enhance the state’s capacity to process high-quality recycled polypropylene, creating jobs and supporting local economies.

As a key player in the Midwest’s recycling network, Illinois helps drive regional efficiency and reinforces its leadership in sustainability. The coalition’s progress aligns with Illinois’ goals to improve plastic recycling and meet growing demand for recycled PP.

After the holidays, as you are boxing up your ornaments and putting things back in place, please consider recycling your natural tree at one of the below-listed drop-off locations. The Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Biologists are collecting Christmas trees to be used as fish habitat in local lakes. Real trees provide cover for small fish and places for growth of algae that is fed on by aquatic insects, and also attract larger fish that can be caught by anglers. 

The collected trees are bundled together, weighted, and submerged at spots around the lake. Often called brush piles, the submerged trees provide critical habitat for all life stages and multiple species of fish. The trees will decompose due to natural processes and need to be replenished every few years. Maps and coordinates of the brush piles are available on our lake pages on this site or from the biologist for that lake (contact information also on the lake pages).

Dubbed the "World's Tallest Glass Tree," a winter attraction is back on display in a popular lake town 90 miles from Chicago.

The winter art installation is constructed using 3,000 pounds of recycled glass bottles and jars. 

Glass artist, Jason Mack, crushes the glass, then uses a mobile furnace to melt it. It's then poured over a 31-foot spinning, steel structure outside Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. 

"By the end of the weekend, we’ll have about 1,000 pounds of glass on it. By the end of next weekend, it’ll be just about 3,000 pounds of glass on the tree," said producer Rob Elliott. "The community absolutely loves it. It’s such a fun, immersive experience."

Last year, Elliott and Mack collected over 17 tons of glass from the community. 

The rest was donated to their partners at Strategic Materials Inc. to be recycled back into usable glass. 

They hope to help educate the community about recycling while also putting on an entertaining show. 

"Glass is infinitely recyclable. If you put one bottle in the ground, it’ll last a million years," said Elliott. "But, if you take that bottle, crush it, melt it, and make another bottle out of it, you could do that a million times without ever losing any of the properties of the glass." "By our collection process, we basically kept 17 tons of glass out of a landfill."

During the event, attendees can participate in live glass-blowing and woodworking demos, steel sculpting, and shop for handmade wares and art at the Winter Market.

SkyQuest projects that the global recycled plastic market will attain a value of USD 81.10 Billion by 2031, with a CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period (2024-2031). Growing consumption of plastics in the production of lightweight components, which are utilized in several sectors like building & construction, automotive, electrical & electronics is fueling the recycled plastic market growth.

Furthermore, the rising popularity of online purchases of electrical & electronics and personal care products is fueling the growth of the market. Personal protective equipment products like gloves, face masks, and various other products are also boosting the demand for recycled plastics utilized in various kinds of packaging sources. Moreover, the rising demand for cost-efficient consumer electronics like laptops, mobile, and modems have increased immensely through e-commerce websites. This growing demand for consumer electronics has fueled the demand for recycled plastics in packaging sources, boosting market growth during the forecast period. 

Illinois, with its strong manufacturing base and sustainability focus, is well-positioned to benefit from the growing demand for recycled plastics. Its construction and automotive industries can leverage lightweight, recycled materials to meet regulatory and consumer needs.

As a logistics hub, Illinois plays a key role in e-commerce growth, driving demand for sustainable packaging. Local manufacturers and recyclers can meet the rising need for recycled plastics in electronics and personal care product packaging.

With robust recycling infrastructure and innovation, Illinois can lead this market, advancing environmental goals and economic growth while supporting the global shift to sustainable materials.

Stef and Gage catch up with James Jennings from the Illinois EPA and Jeff Galad of Recycle Coach.

Waste World is a podcast by Waste360.com where hosts Stefanie Valentic and Gage Edwards will be joined by industry professionals, influencers, and community members for in-depth discussions in the world of waste. 

Waste World is available on Spotify, YouTube and your favorite podcast platforms.

Interested in talking about the world of waste on our podcast? Send an e-mail to Editor-in-Chief Stefanie Valentic at stefanie@waste360.com.

Thank You to our 2024 Benefactors!

Consider adding your logo here next to Helping Hands and Alta Equipment Company. Become a 2024 BENEFACTOR for $2000.

If you have already joined and would like to upgrade to this status, send an email to executivedirector@illinoisrecycles.org

The Ink-Stained Path to Sustainability

In the realm of environmental initiatives, the Illinois Recycling Foundation (IRF) has found an unlikely hero: the printer cartridge. Our updated total income from participation in the Planet Green Recycle program this year is $651.00. Want to participate? Just follow the steps bellow and use Program ID #32599

Our biggest challenge in this new century is to take an idea that seems abstract – sustainable development – and turn it into a reality for all the world’s people

– Kofi Annan, Former United Nations Secretary-General

Illinois Recycling Foundation / Illinois Recycling Association,

PO Box 411, Geneva IL 60134

708-847-0827

info@illinoisrecycles.org