73,833 tons of municipal solid waste were recycled in McLean County in 2013, a 3.4% increase from the 2012 rate. This is the highest rate yet recorded by the Ecology Action Center in its annual calculations of total waste generated and total waste recycled.
While minor fluctuations in the recycling rate have occurred over the past several years especially during the economic recession, McLean County continues to inch closer to the community-wide recycling goal of 40%. This goal is established within the McLean County Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan, which is updated every five years.
| Year | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| Total MSW Recycled | 80,541 | 71,099 | 66,737 | 73,833 |
| Total MSW Landfilled | 134,325 | 136,927 | 116,290 | 121,991 |
| Incinerated/Fuel Blended | – | – | 52 | 0 |
| Total Municipal Solid Waste Generated | 214,866 | 208,026 | 183,079 | 195,824 |
| Percent Change from Previous Year | -5.9% | -3.2% | -12.0% | 7.0% |
| Recycling Rate | 37.5% | 34.2% | 36.5% | 37.7% |
| Percent Change from Previous Year | 6.7% | -8.8% | 6.7% | 3.4% |
| population | 169,572 | 170,701 | 172,295 | 174,647 |
| per capita per day (pounds) | 6.9 | 6.7 | 5.8 | 6.1 |
The Ecology Action Center annually collects data on the amount of municipal solid waste generated and recycled for all of McLean County. This data is used for solid waste management planning purposes. Among other services, the EAC acts as the solid waste agency for Bloomington, Normal, and McLean County and provides technical assistance, recycling promotion, nontraditional recycling program administration, household hazardous waste coordination, and education and outreach.
Information on residential recycling, recycling of nontraditional materials, and information on disposal of household hazardous wastes is available by calling (309) 454-3169 or visiting ecologyactioncenter.org.
The Ecology Action Center is a not-for-profit environmental agency with a mission to inspire and assist residents of McLean County 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.
