Since 2004 Cardinal Recycling, located in Morris, Illinois, has been providing unique recycling solutions to businesses for a variety of difficult to recycle plastics. With a lab to identify the specific material, they serve industrial clients from local to international. Working with residential and commercial haulers to take plastic crates, totes, skids, and clean buckets, along with other odd plastics. They grind, shred and analyze to get these materials to markets that recycle them into new products. We thank Cardinal for their renewal and sponsorship of this month's webinar. For more information or to contact Cardinal, please click this link!

Members of the Illinois Recycling Association enjoy the benefit of spotlighting their Business, Government, Educational Institution or Non-Profit entity in a future Newsletter. If you would like to be featured, please send an email to info@illinoisrecycles.org.

REGISTER NOW FOR NEXT TWO IRF WEBINARS

A Note from the President, .

With our conference on August 31, we missed offering a September webinar but we are making up for it with two offerings in October. The first touches on how our industry makes a difference when it comes to addressing Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases. The second is about the issues many are facing trying to transport goods and keep employees! This promises to offer some insight and ideas for all our members! The first week of November we are offering our inaugural Illinois Professional Recyclers Forum where we are inviting MRF operators and recycling educators serving our state to share up to date information with the IEPA on how markets are shifting and what is accepted now. Sign up and tune in. Membership matters but participation proves our Value!

A recent report from our member, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, explores the end-of-life management of lithium-ion batteries from Electric Vehicles (EVs). This includes the regulatory environment and circular economy opportunities. Click to see more!

While the State of Illinois prepares for Veto session that Federal government is busy considering several laws that impact recycling and composting.

The Zero Food Waste Act aims to create a new grant programs through the US EPA for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and for nonprofits, for the purpose of reducing the amount of food waste by 50% by 2030, relative to the amount generated in 2010. NRDC offers some insight on this issue.

The Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act aims to ban some single use plastics and the export of plastic waste while increasing domestic recycling infrastructure, with some EPR items, new standards for labeling, and an improved recycled content standard.

.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed by the Senate in August with key recycling-related provisions included in it. Funding for grants through the already enacted Save Our Seas Act passed a year ago and with funds directed towards battery recycling programs and research; this legislation offers some serious assistance in tackling recycling challenges.

Waste360 offers some insight into the Reconciliation Bill and possible recycling assistance to come from the $3.5 trillion dollar spending package.

Launched in the Fall of 2019, the GRC MRF Glass Certification program has since awarded 13 certifications, one bronze, two silver and ten gold. In 2021 the glass certification criteria was updated to prioritize end market consistency and more thorough glass cleaning before beneficiations. Eligible applications are judged on current infrastructure and a glass purity measure aligning with ISRIs Three-Mix Specification. An independent committee scores certification levels into gold, silver, and bronze certifications. MRFs holding this certification will have a competitive advantage in the marketplace. GRC's website currently hosts an interactive map showing MRFs, glass processors and end markets across the country. GRC certified MRFs are noted on this map along with public recognition of this certification.

Centre County Recycling  earned gold-level material recovery facility (MRF) glass certification for its multi-stream collection program and Mazza Recycling Services received the first bronze-level certification by the Glass Recycling Coalition (GRC). Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority (CCRRA), located in Bellefonte PA, is the first MRF to be awarded a Gold MRF Glass Certification in Pennsylvania and the first multi-stream MRF to receive certification. Glass recycling has been an integral part of Centre County’s program since its inception in 1989.

Learn more about the Glass Recycling Coalition and apply for MRF Glass Certification at www.glassrecycles.org/mrf.  

LRS has been making the news with some exciting developments. They have acquired Jackson Disposal, based in Seaton, Illinois, a leading residential and commercial waste and recycling company in the area. This expands LRS's service area to nine counties in western Illinois. Material collected in this area will be taken to a recently aquired transfer station in the City of Monmouth. To learn more, click this link for the press release. In related news, LRS is hiring in several state for multiple positions. Reach out or check them out online for opportunities!

PDC was just sold to GFL Environmental, a Canada based refuse and recycling company. PDC, also known as Peoria Disposal Company, has been a family owned business in central Illinois for 100 years. They sold their landfill, transfer stations and collection services but not their laboratory. PDC has 69 municipal contracts in Illinois and Missouri.GFL offers services in solid waste management, liquid waste management, and infrastructure development with locations across Canada and the United States.

National Recycling Congress, November 3-4, 2021, is presented by the National Recycling Coalition in partnership with the Annual Conference of the New York Association for Reduce, Reuse, Recycling.

Register here: https://bit.ly/2021NRCCongress for this 2-day conference to hear the most up-to-date recycling information from industry leaders.

Email CongressManager@nrcrecycles.org with questions.

National Zero Waste Conference, December 8-9, 2021, is presented by Zero Waste USA in partnership with the National Recycling Coalition.

Register here: www.zwconference.org for this 2-day networking and educational event that will elevate your Zero Waste career.

Email zwconference@gmail.com with questions.

Click Here to see their positions on the Board, their pictures, their bios.

The City of Chicago was recently in the news for their recycling rate struggles. The Board heard a presentation from a resident activist that is working to hold the city accountable to its ordinances and address commercial recycling concerns. Member LRS was recently awarded the City contract and has expressed a desire to improve recovery of materials. For more information on the recent story, click this link. Or watch this YouTube of Katherine Tellock's appearance on The Mike Nowak Show with Peggy Malecki where she discusses this issue. Her segment starts at the 50:23 minute mark. (Photo courtesy of Chicago Sun Times)

Federal researchers have developed a process that could make lithium-ion battery recycling more economically viable. https://resource-recycling.com/e-scrap/category/news/

USEPA Announces Comprehensive Strategy to Address PFAS Pollution

John Foster Dulles