Chicago leaf collections are finally picking up
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Chicagoans made a record number of 311 requests for yard waste pickups last year, and the city responded with record collections, according to an Axios analysis of city data.
Why it matters: It's a reversal from previous problematic years, when pickup requests rose while actual tonnage collected mysteriously plummeted.
Context: State law requires Chicago to collect all yard waste separately from regular trash and compost it rather than send it to landfills.
- Following the law reduces the emission of powerful greenhouse gasses.
Yes, but: Previous years' data suggested Chicago workers were either ignoring requests or illegally dumping yard waste in landfills.
- In 2021 and 2022, city officials declined to explain how requests could go up while collection went down, but promised to try to do better.
The bottom line: They finally have!
What's next: Folks can help divert more plant material from the landfill by bringing their Christmas trees to one of 27 city recycling points, or to others in the burbs, starting Saturday.