GUIDE TO BEING A MORE ENVIRONMENTAL CHICAGOAN

The following information is meant to be a quick and easy reference for all Chicagoans to improve their environmental awareness and behavior. We envision this page to be a shared living resource, so please send any suggestions, updates, corrections, or any other information you think would make this a better resource to us at thecityofneighborhoodsproject@gmail.com. Thanks!

RECYCLING

  1. What can and can’t be recycled with city services?

  2. Where to recycle (or safely discard) various items not accepted in blue bin (computers, appliances, furniture, clothing, medication, pharmaceuticals, household chemicals, paints, auto fluids, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, etc.):

  3. Multi-unit apartment and condo buildings (4 or more units):

  4. Crafting materials (art materials, craft materials, National Geographic, Fabric, Office Supplies, etc.):

  5. Furniture, books, clothing, and construction materials:

  6. Plastic bags:

COMPOSTING

  1. How to home compost:

  2. Residential pick up composting:

  3. Commericial:

  4. Support businesses and organizations who compost:

    • North side: Backlot Coffee (Old Irving), Beans & Bagels (Ravenswood), First Slice Pie Cafe (Ravenswood, Ravenswood Manor, and Andersonville), Katherine Anne Confections (Logan Square), necessary & sufficient coffee (Logan Square), Spacca Napoli (Ravenswood), Tweet (Uptown), Spoken Cafe (Ravenwood), Bru Coffeeworks (Ravenswood Manor)

    • South side: Philz Coffee (Hyde Park), Back of the Yards Coffee

    • West side: Eden (West Town), Hoosier Mama Pie Company (East Village),

    • Downtown: Catch 35 (Loop), Dos Toros Taqueria (Loop), Farmhouse Chicago (River North), Food Court at Ogilvie (West Loop), Molly’s Cupcakes (West Loop), Rustle + Roux (Loop), Sopraffina (Loop),

    • Suburbs: Backlot Coffee (Evanston), Blind Faith Cafe (Evanston), Campagnola (Evanston), Cupitol Coffee (Evanston), Found Kitchen and Social House (Evanston), House 406 (Northbrook), Reprise Coffee Roasters (Evanston), Spirit Elephant (Winnetka), The Barn (Evanston), Unicorn Cafe (Evanston)

SUSTAINABLE CONSUMERISM

  1. Farmers markets

  2. Local products and stores:

  3. Bulk shopping:

  4. CSAs:

  5. Vegetarian and vegan restaurants:

  6. General tips:

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

  1. Residential and Business Solar:

  2. Community solar programs:

  3. Residential and business energy assessments:

  4. Backyard:

  5. Weatherizing:

  6. Rebuilding Exchange

  7. The Chicago Tool Library

  8. General tips:

GET INVOLVED

  1. Donate to Organizations:

  2. Volunteer:

  3. Climate Action Ambassadors

  4. Join a community garden

  5. Support Local Businesses!

  6. Support Local Initiatives