Expanding the conversation
A new law focused on recycling and composting brought reuse advocates to the table
By Cerise Bridges
I recently attended the Illinois Event/Large Venue Sustainability Listening & Working Session hosted by Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability and the Chicago Sustainability Task Force. The purpose of the meeting was to share priorities and concerns with City, County and State leaders and stakeholders and explore funding and partnership opportunities, in preparation for the Large Event Facilities Act that will go into effect Jan. 1 in Chicago—requiring large event facilities with legal occupancies of at least 3,500 people to provide attendees with recycling and composting bins, reducing single-use plastic and food scrap waste. Representatives from the city’s sports teams, large concessionaires, environmental non-profits, and county, state and city officials were in attendance.
In breakout groups, we identified challenges and barriers to implementing the law—including costs, infrastructure, contamination, policy, and people (fans/attendees and staff/food service). The groups also brainstormed solutions and opportunities such as: having a clear communications plan, a toolkit for implementation and impact measurement, EPR sponsorships, the reinvestment of fines and lastly, reuse prioritization and infrastructure.
While many participants acknowledged that we should be working on reuse and reuse infrastructure, it fell to the bottom of the list of topics for the day because so many believe it is too hard to do in current conditions. Fortunately, there were reuse advocates in the room who were able to make sure reuse was part of the conversation and to show people that it is doable. In sports stadiums, cultural attractions, entertainment venues, restaurants and schools around the country, communities, non-profits, businesses and concerned citizens have come together to implement reuse programs — some in cities where there is policy in place that requires it, but many in places where there is not.
Many of the discussions regarding the barriers and solutions to implementing this compost and recycling-focused act—like infrastructure, cost, and education and outreach—are highly relevant to scaling reuse as well. Having stakeholders at the table to move the conversation forward with reuse in mind will hopefully ease the path for reuse as it begins to scale in cities like Chicago.
I’ll be keeping tabs on how this law is implemented in the coming year and will be working to ensure reuse is not left behind as a key factor for the long-term success of this law.
