PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
May 13, 2019
Contact: Michael Brown
Phone: (309) 454-3169 x.11
Local residents and visitors to Downtown Bloomington have access to eight new and conveniently located recycling bins in the area for the first time this summer. In early 2018, funding awarded to the Ecology Action Center (EAC) through an Illinois Prairie Foundation Grant – IPCF Annual Campaign Fund Green Endowment allowed for the installation of four permanent recycling receptacles at the four corners of the McLean County History Museum. The EAC’s partner on this project, the City of Bloomington Public Works Department, provided a match for the grant funding.
In late 2018, the EAC leveraged the success of the initial program to secure donations for the addition of four more recycling receptacles for the downtown area. Midwest Fiber, Henson Disposal & Recycling, Area Disposal, and Republic Services generously provided donations to fund the purchase and installation of four additional receptacles that have been installed in the downtown commercial district.
The nearly 90,000 visitors passing through and attending events such as the annual Farmer’s Market can now easily divert recyclable items away from the landfill with these receptacles located in areas of high pedestrian traffic. All eight receptacles accept common recyclable items that are currently accepted in Bloomington’s and Normal’s single-stream curbside recycling programs. To date, over one ton of potential waste has been diverted through the four original receptacles alone. This number is expected to increase over the coming months as other outdoor events resume and overall activity in the commercial district spikes with the arrival of more favorable outdoor weather.
This program coincides with the long-anticipated closure of the McLean County Landfill which stopped accepting waste on September 30. The landfill closure strongly reemphasizes the need for more sustainable methods of waste reduction as iterated in the updated 20-year Solid Waste Plan for McLean County. It is anticipated that a continual increase of available recycling options will help improve the County’s updated recycling rates goals over the next twenty years.
The Ecology Action Center is a not-for-profit environmental agency with a mission to inspire and assist local residents in creating, strengthening and preserving a healthy environment. The EAC acts as a central resource for environmental education, information, outreach, and technical assistance in McLean County.
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