Calendar

Free-4-All
September 13, 9am-1pm
Anderson Park, Normal

History

In 1970, many Bloomington/Normal community members noted recycling programs in other area towns and decided they’d like to begin one of their own. Unfortunately, the Bloomington and Normal governments did not support its creation. Fortunately, Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan professors and students responded with their own recycling drives which took place at six week intervals throughout the year. These drives proved a huge success and, eventually, this recycling group teamed up with the social service organization, Mid-Central Illinois Community Action, to start Operation Recycle: a not-for-profit recycling business.

Recycle received a number of grants from the State of Illinois and hired a series of people to help run the business. One of its early directors, Myra Gordon, determined that to go along with the recycling program, community environmental education was needed, and helped implement Operation Recycle’s first environmental education program.

Throughout the 1990s, Operation Recycle worked for the Town of Normal collecting recycled materials from local drop off boxes. Then, in September 1994, with the aid of the Town of Normal, Operation Recycle became the Ecology Action Center with a new home in the Hewett House. Anne McGowan opened the Ecology Action Center in 1995 and served as the first director. Anne retired in 2005, but still remains an active and valued member of the community.

Michelle Covi started as an EAC volunteer in 1996, and became its first full-time director in 1998. At that time the Town of Normal implemented a municipal recycling program and Operation Recycle ceased processing recyclables, while the Ecology Action Center implemented the McLean County Solid Waste program. Today the Ecology Action Center continues to have a positive impact on the community, with help from members, as well as Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University interns.