In 1988, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act to reduce reliance on landfills for waste disposal and assign counties the responsibility for conserving landfill space. Plans must reach a recycling rate of at least 25% by 1996, which Peoria County achieved and has since increased to 37% in 2000. In February 1993, the Solid Waste Management Department was created and tasked with implementing and monitoring recycling programs for Peoria County. The department’s name was changed to Recycling & Resource Conservation in March 2003.

Meeting the State’s Recycling Goal
Details of the County’s waste disposal patterns were surveyed and identified in the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan. As indicated in this plan, 54% of the refuse generated in Peoria County was from the commercial sector. As a result, the County passed a new law, the Commercial Recycling Ordinance (CRO).

What is the CRO?
The CRO is a county-wide ordinance that mandates all businesses to recycle two items from their waste stream. The Peoria County Board unanimously adopted the ordinance effective January 1, 1994. For more information, see the Commercial Recycling Ordinance brochure.

Recycling Awards
Each April, the County recognized businesses and schools that have Outstanding Recycling Programs. For this year’s winners, please click on the Recognition Awards link on the left.

GARBAGE
Something everyone has but doesn’t want. Every week garbage is left on the curb to be taken away. But, our trash doesn’t go away, it’s buried in the ground in our community.

Peoria City/County Landfill
In April 1998, the City and County of Peoria opened a new landfill in Edwards, Illinois. This facility, operated by Waste Management, is projected to have 20 years of life (capacity). Peoria County residents may bring one free pick-up load of household waste per week. To encourage other methods of disposal, this site also has a compost facility and a drop-off site. For more information, check out our landfill brochure, or call 565-4282.

Subscribe to a curbside program
Residents of Peoria can sign up for curbside recycling program by calling 674-5176; Chillicothe residents – 274-4589; West Peoria – 694-6246; Peoria Heights and Princeville – 888-932-2936. Dunlap and Bartonville residents can call 674-5176.

Drop-off Sites
The County of Peoria sponsors five drop-off sites: two in Peoria, one each in Bartonville, Princeville, and Elmwood. Click here for locations and materials accepted.

Composting
The natural way to recycle. Instead of putting out garbage to be landfilled, composting household items is easy and gives you dark, soil-like material rich in nutrients. Check out our composting guide to get your compost program started.

Education
Rebecca Cottrell, Recycling Educator, is on staff to provide free presentations to school classrooms, businesses, civic groups and neighborhood organizations. For a list of programs, please click on the Education Programs link on the left. A newsletter full of recycling tidbits and school news is sent out twice a year. To be added to the mailing list, please call 681-2551.

Dates for Raising Awareness
Earth Day is April 22, but many people also observe Earth Week and Earth Month. Since most events and festivals need to take place on a weekend, Earth Day is observed on the weekends before and after April 22. For those of us who are really committed to the environmental well-being of our planet, Earth Day is Every Day.

America Recycles Day
November 15 has been proclaimed nationally as America Recycles Day, a day dedicated to increasing the purchase of recycled-content products and recycling throughout America to conserve resources for future generations. For more information, check out www.recycleguide.org