Today the Chicago Tribune reported that the expansion of Chicago's "blue cart" recycling program wouldn't get the expansion that many residents were hoping for. Right now the city is test piloting the program where residents place recyclable materials in a blue container that looks like the regular garbage cans. On specific days a special garbage truck picks up the items in the recycling cart and takes them to be processed.
I'm not sure why the city needed to test pilot this program instead of just rolling it out. I for one would welcome the availability of the blue cart recycling program in my Chicago neighborhood. I've watched with a healthy amount of envy coverage the program has been receiving on local media outlets like Chicago Tonight. I certain that next year I'd see it come to my area and recycling would get just a little bit easier. But the much needed program is falling victim to Daley's budget plan and promises to cut some taxes.
Now the Daley administration is proposing to save $2.4 million by delaying the program's expansion until July 1. Wendy Abrams, a spokeswoman for the city's Budget Department, could not say how many new homes will be included in the program next year but acknowledged that "fewer households and fewer wards will get expanded recycling."
Chicago Tribune: Recycling Setback
