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SWALCO cart‑tagging campaign reduced recycling contamination in targeted Waukegan neighborhoods, agency reports
Summary
The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County and partners said a four‑week bilingual cart‑tagging campaign in Waukegan reduced recycling contamination from about 60% to 25% in targeted blocks; the campaign targeted roughly 900–1,000 homes and cost about $4.50 per household for tagging and outreach.
The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) told Waukegan’s Environmental and Sustainability Committee that a targeted recycling education and outreach pilot reduced contamination rates in curbside recycling.
SWALCO representatives (Pete Adrian and consultant Frank Pettis) said the program used bilingual postcards, bin tags with pictures and translation, and community outreach workers who visited households early in the morning before haulers arrived. The campaign targeted roughly 900–1,000 homes in Waukegan’s 1st and 2nd Wards where contamination had been high.
According to SWALCO’s data presented to the committee, initial participation in week one was about 75–80% with contamination near 60%. After the tagging and outreach, contamination fell to roughly 40% in week two, about 30% in week three and approximately 25% by the final week. SWALCO attributed the change to direct, bilingual education rather than penalties or rewards and estimated a per‑household tagging cost of about $4.50 (cards, tags and personnel).
Frank Pettis emphasized that most residents wanted to do the right thing but faced language and knowledge barriers. The program will continue through 2027 with another 1,000 homes targeted and follow‑up visits to earlier households to sustain improvement. Recommended next steps include bilingual materials, ongoing cart tagging, digital tools like Recycle Coach and tabling/outreach events.
Council members thanked the SWALCO team and asked for printed materials to distribute to constituents; staff said they would provide brochures and follow‑up data.
