More residential recycling in a COVID world

MCHENRY COUNTY – Cardboard boxes may not be the stuff you’re recycling lately but cardboard is the most recycled product in this COVID-19 climate, according to MDC Environmental Services in McHenry and Kane Counties.

If you want to know some of the changes about our society in the world of COVID-19 besides the fact we’re wearing a mask, washing our hands more often, and separating ourselves from everyone but our own family, just take a look on garbage day at the curb on your neighbors’ property and you may very well see a lot of cardboard boxes left for recycling.

MDC Environmental Services District Manager Greg York reacted to how COVID-19 has impacted the company’s recycling operation.

“As more individuals have begun to work from home and schools moved to remote learning, we are seeing an increase in the amount of recyclables that are generated at the residential level,” he said.

York has also noticed a corresponding decrease at the business and institutional levels.

“As more residents shop online, we have seen an increase in the amount of boxes and other packing materials being recycled at the curb,” York said. For now, cardboard, boxes, and general paper items constitute the majority of recyclables for MDC Environmental Services in McHenry and Kane Counties,” he said.

MDC Environmental Services is very aware of the types of items that are common right now with so many people working from home.

“Soiled food containers—whether it’s pizza boxes or other fast food type boxes—if the cardboard has food bits attached or oil and grease stains, it needs to go into the garbage,” York said.

York is hoping this article will help for the customers in the Village of Huntley and throughout McHenry and Kane Counties in their service areas.

“People are improving in what they separate between refuse and recycling, however there are still many non-permissible items placed into the recycling stream.  Permissible items can be found on this site,” York said:

dataservices.epa.illinois.gov/recycle/curbside-bin-recycling-guide.html

With the New Year comes change but MDC Environmental Services is not changing the items accepted for recycling and not removing any items from its list of recyclables.

“The list of permissible recyclable items is determined by the ease in which an item can be recycled for future use along with the demand for that recycled item. If no demand exists, the recycling companies do not have an incentive to process those items,” York said.

The items are trucked to the MDC material recovery facility in Elk Grove.