Park District struggles with low recycling rates

For years, Albany Park resident Mike Caplan says he's watched trucks snake through Legion and River parks emptying garbage and recycling carts into a single hopper.

Why it matters: The city contracts with Flood Brothers to collect and process garbage and recycling bins separately.

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• But park users contaminate blue bins with so much non-recyclable junk that only about 15% of waste actually gets recycled, city officials told Axios.
• That still beats the city's dismal 9% residential recycling rate.

Driving the news: Folks are expected to flood local parks for the July Fourth holiday and leave lots of trash behind.

How it works: Flood Brothers picks up recycling and garbage bins on separate routes.

• But when recycling route drivers discover more than 10% contamination in a blue bin, they leave it and flag it for the next scheduled garbage pick-up.

Park officials say many recycling bins get emptied into garbage trucks because park patrons contaminate them with non-recyclables. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios

Yes but: Caplan says he's never seen a truck pick up just recycling or just garbage over two years of walking his dog in the parks three times a day. He says trucks always pick up both.

• "As far as I can tell there's no distinction between the two bins," he says. "The whole thing feels performative."

The intrigue: Last year, Chicago spent nearly $1 million on the parks' recycling program.

• But the district doesn't keep track of how often bins are rejected for contamination.

What's next: Park officials say they're "planning a campaign to encourage park patrons to recycle properly and reduce contamination."

• They're also urging Flood Brothers to affix magnetic signs to their trucks to indicate when the truck is collecting recycling.

Monica's thought bubble: During recent peeks inside park recycling bins, I've spotted lots of cans and bottles, but also poop bags, old food, diapers and plastic bags.

• It's clear that we park users have a part to play in improving the situation, so let's keep garbage where it belongs.