CITY OF PARK RIDGE EARNS RECYCLING AWARD

The City of Park Ridge won top honors from local clothing recycler USAgain for its “Commitment to Greener Living.”

During the 2015 Green-T Award Ceremony held recently at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, USAgain recognized the city for achievements in textile recycling and waste reduction. The City and the Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce has shown a keen commitment to recycling by hosting citywide textile collection drives in the fall and spring. The program has proven very successful, collecting more than 1,500 pounds of clothes and shoes.

“USAgain partners with cities like Park Ridge to help communities across the country go green. Thanks to the added enthusiasm and support of administrators in Park Ridge, their clothing recycling program has flourished” said USAgain CEO Mattias Wallander.

For the past three years, these efforts have increased recycling rates and raised environmental awareness amongst residents.

Accepting the award on behalf of Park Ridge, Mike McGrath, Vehicle Maintenance Supervisor noted, “When we started textile recycling, most Park Ridge residents knew they could recycle things like paper, cans and bottles but they weren’t sure about what to do with their extra clothes and shoes. Textile recycling has provided the opportunity for our community to see that we aren’t limited in ways to green our community and our partnership with USAgain has made that possible.

The Green-T Awards reward individuals and organizations that support recycling and sustainability in Illinois. USAgain believes that recognizing the efforts of green leadership encourages environmental stewardship at all levels. In partnerships with cities, local businesses and non-profit organizations - including schools, churches, fire stations, humane societies and youth groups - USAgain hosts 1,100 recycling bins in the Chicagoland area that diverted seven million pounds of textiles from going into landfills in 2014 alone.