Alderman Schulter Announces New Recycling Initiative

Alderman Gene Schulter and Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley (10th District), in conjunction with the United States Post Office and Clover Technology Group, introduced a new recycling service being provided by the Post Office.  The "Mail Back" program provides Chicago residents with a free, environmentally-friendly option for disposing of printer cartridges and small electronics, such as cell phones, digital cameras, and mp3 players. All residents have to do is pick up the free, pre-paid postage envelopes from the Post Office, fill them with used electronics, and place them back in the mail to be recycled.  Within three years, industry experts predict that up to 130 million mobile phones will be thrown away each year in the United States.  This waste contains harmful toxic chemicals such as arsenic, beryllium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc.  

This pilot program is being introduced in the Chicagoland area along with nine other areas throughout the country.

Postage for the program is paid for by Clover Technologies Group, a nationally recognized company that recycles, remanufactures, and remarkets inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges, and small electronics.  Clover Technologies Group has a zero waste to landfill policy which assures program participants that their old electronics will not end up in area landfills.

The free, postage-paid "Mail Back" envelopes are available in both Post Office lobbies all across Chicago and the offices of Alderman Schulter (4237 N. Lincoln Avenue) and Commissioner Quigley (1057 W. Belmont Avenue).  Alderman Schulter and Commissioner Quigley's support and enthusiasm for this program is a continuation of their ongoing efforts to bring more green initiatives to the City of Chicago and Cook County.

In 2007, Alderman Schulter was pleased to bring the Blue Cart Recycling Program to the 47th Ward.  "The residents of the 47th Ward are excited about recycling and always challenging me to help create more opportunities for the community to really lessen our impact on the planet," states Alderman Schulter.  "As a community, we've really come together to support the Blue Cart Recycling Program and we're gong to support this program as well.  I look forward to working with my colleagues in the City Council to help make this great program a success."

Commissioner Quigley added, "I fully believe that the residents of Cook County want to be environmentally friendly.  And I believe it is my job as a Commissioner to make being ‘green' as easy and accessible as possible.  So when I learned about the ‘Mail Back' program I recognized this as a worthwhile program for which I am excited to advocate."