Village of Schaumburg Receives Green-T Award for Outstanding Recycling Event

USAgain, the textile recycling company based in West Chicago, IL, has announced the winners of its annual Green-T Awards. The Village of Schaumburg, recipient of the award for Best Recycling Program Promotion, was one of the 15 award winners.

The Green-T awards are to recognize and reward individuals or organizations that support recycling and sustainability in Illinois. The awards were presented Oct. 7 at the Green-T Awards ceremony where Martin Metreger, Logistics Coordinator, accepted the award on behalf of the village.

The Village, in partnership with School District 54 and Schaumburg Township District Library has been co-hosting an annual recycling event since 2007. Over the years, the event has grown in number of participants, selection of items recycled, and the quantity of items accepted. In partnership with USAgain, the event successfully collected 3,100 pounds of clothes and shoes in 2014. The recycling event is a valuable opportunity for making recycling convenient and accessible to the community.

“There are two main components that attribute to the success of the Village of Schaumburg Annual Recycling Event,” said Martin Metreger, Logistics Coordinator. First you must recruit the right program partners. Enthusiastic people and motivated vendors provide the best service and dedication recognized by the participants. Second, make it easy for people to take advantage of the event. By increasing what we accept at the event, people can make one easy trip to unload a multitude of reusable and recyclable household items.”

USAgain offers a huge variety of acceptable items that participants love to take advantage of, and provides the collection of clothing, textiles, shoes, and more. Their employees are extremely nice and accommodating to participants, going so far as to help the neighboring vendors and volunteers with their collections.

By recycling 3,100 pounds of textiles, the Village prevented more than 21,700 pounds of CO­2 from entering the atmosphere; they also saved more than four million gallons of water through their commitment to recycling textiles, serving as a role model for municipalities in Illinois.

“Our partnership with municipalities is a great step toward increasing textile recycling awareness and opportunities,” says Mattias Wallander, CEO of USAgain. “The Village of Schaumburg did a great job on offering residents free textile recycling at their annual collection event.”

Other recipients of USAgain’s Green-T Awards include Agassiz Elementary, Hanover Township, the Chicago Sky and the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County. For a full list of award recipients, visit http://www.usagaingreentawards.com/winners.