SWALCO Pleased with North Chicago’s Response to New Recycling Campaign

Over the course of two weeks of bin tagging, the SWALCO team has found North Chicago residents to be friendly and willing to learn. The goal of this campaign is to boost recycling participation and reduce contamination in the recycling bin.

“Residents have shown some tangible improvements. The Wednesday route had a much lower initial contamination rate than the Monday Route in Week 1 (55% to 74%).  Also, the contamination rate has decreased by more than 10% (12% - Monday, 14% - Wednesday) in both areas in just one week. We are hoping it continues to drop,” SWALCO shared in an email.

North Chicago Monday Route

Tagging Area - Adams, Wadsworth, Park (10th St. - 13th St.) 

Approximately 280 Homes 

Week 1 Results - 

60% Recycling Participation 

74% Recycling Contamination Rate

plastic bags/plastic wrap accounted for over 90% of all contamination

Bulk Items accounted for 6%

Week 2 Results - 

62% Participation

55% Contamination

Plastic Wrap/plastic bags accounted for nearly 90% of all contamination

North Chicago Wednesday Route 

Tagging Area - Elizabeth, Seymour (Broadway - 18th). Grove, Hervey (MLK - 18th)

Approx 200 Homes 

Week 1 Results - 

62% Recycling Participation 

55% Recycling Contamination Rate

plastic bags/ plastic wrap accounted for over 95% of all contamination

Week 2 Results - 

60% Participation

41% Contamination

Plastic Wrap/plastic bags accounted for nearly 90% of all contamination

SWALCO Launches New Recycling Campaign in North Chicago — Aims to Boost Participation and Reduce Contamination

The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) has launched a new campaign in North Chicago to encourage residents to recycle more and improve recycling habits. The campaign focuses on increasing participation in curbside recycling while reducing contamination caused by items that do not belong in recycling carts.

Campaign Focus

Key elements of the campaign include:

  • Recycling cart checks and tagging: SWALCO team members will review recycling carts and provide residents with real-time feedback on recycling practices.
  • Expanded educational resources: Information and materials will be updated and expanded to reach a broader, multilingual audience.
  • Community education and outreach: Grassroots efforts will provide residents with information about what can and cannot be recycled and how proper recycling helps reduce contamination.

“We look forward to helping Lake County residents get more materials into their recycling containers,” said Walter Willis, executive director of SWALCO. “Many Lake County residents are already doing a fantastic job, and we want to help them understand how they can do even better.”

As part of the campaign, residents will be encouraged to rethink how they dispose of everyday household items and identify additional materials that can be recycled.

“Our team members will be looking at the recyclables and tagging residents’ recycling carts with information on incorrect practices they observe, such as mistakenly putting recyclables into plastic bags rather than depositing them loosely in the container without plastic bags,” Willis said.

Residents are encouraged to speak with SWALCO team members when they visit their neighborhood to learn more about proper recycling practices and the benefits of recycling, including reducing landfill waste, conserving natural resources, and saving energy.

Community Outreach

SWALCO is a municipal joint action agency serving 43 municipalities, including communities throughout Lake County and Naval Station Great Lakes, representing approximately 230,000 households. SWALCO and its municipal government members are implementing and measuring the grassroots education campaign, which is designed to increase awareness of curbside recycling, encourage greater participation, and increase the amount of material properly recycled.

Campaign activities include marketing, an enhanced web and social media presence, advertising, public relations, and grassroots community outreach. SWALCO will measure the campaign’s impact and issue a report following its completion.

Funded Through EPA Grant

The campaign is funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which awarded a $2 million grant in 2024 to support the Chicago Metro Recycling Education and Outreach (REO) Campaign. The REO grant is intended to increase the collection of recyclable materials and reduce contamination in the recycling stream throughout the Chicagoland region.

SWALCO received a subaward through the REO program to lead targeted recycling education efforts in Lake County. The agency has also hired Frank Pettis, founder of environmental consulting firm GreenLit Solutions, to focus on improving recycling practices in North Chicago, Waukegan, and Zion.

Residents can learn more about SWALCO’s reuse and recycling programs by visiting swalco.org. Additional information about the Chicago Metro Recycling Education and Outreach Campaign is also available through SWALCO.