Springfield, IL — September 5 — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Recycle Coach have teamed up to provide residents access to digital technology, aimed at revolutionizing waste management across the state. The llinois EPA is committed to help all Illinois residents understand how to properly recycle or dispose of household materials. This initiative will include a statewide study, a tool kit, an interactive map, and a smartphone app to identify recyclables and what to do with non-recyclables. The tool kit, map, and app will each be tailored to the unique opportunities available to participating communities.
Key Features and Benefits:
- Statewide Coverage: All Illinois communities now have access to Recycle Coach’s comprehensive digital tools, ensuring that residents have access to timely collection schedule reminders, material search capabilities, and hyper-local educational content.
- Accessible through Mobile and Desktop: The initiative includes an interactive web widget for all local government websites and access to the Recycle Coach mobile app. These resources will guide residents on how to properly dispose of household waste, identify recyclables, and manage non-recyclables.
- Community-Specific Solutions: Recycle Coach will begin with a statewide needs assessment, working with the Illinois EPA and local entities, such as county and municipal solid waste coordinators. Recycle Coach technology will be customized to cater to the needs of 12.5 million Illinois residents and 6,835 units of local government.
- Environmental Impact: The program aims to decrease contamination at material recovery facilities, increase the diversion of materials from landfills, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Proper waste management will also mitigate contamination of waterways and land.
“The Illinois EPA is excited to offer this innovative technology that will provide Illinois residents with advanced tools to allow them to increase and improve recycling throughout all our communities,” said Illinois EPA Interim Director James Jennings. “We look forward to the full implementation of this program, which will expand the amount of recyclables properly diverted from Illinois landfills.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome the State of Illinois to the Recycle Coach movement” says Jeff J. Galad, President of Recycle Coach. “The Illinois EPA has demonstrated their environmental leadership by adopting robust digital tools that provide hyper-local waste and recycling information, notifications and education to every community, thus every resident”.
Recycle Coach is available at no cost to Illinois communities. Local governments can request an onboarding meeting by emailing successgroup@recyclecoach.com. A secure web app will be provided for municipal waste websites, and residents will be encouraged to download the free Recycle Coach app.
About the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
The mission of the Illinois EPA is to safeguard environmental quality, consistent with the social and economic needs of the State of Illinois, so as to protect health, welfare, property, and the quality of life.
The Illinois EPA works to safeguard natural resources from pollution to provide a healthy environment. By partnering with businesses, local governments, and the public, the Illinois EPA is dedicated to continued protection of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we live on.
About Recycle Coach:
Recycle Coach provides solid waste and recycling education and communication solutions to more than 1,600 cities in North America and Australia. Far more than just a collection calendar, Recycle Coach’s mobile app creates engaging, interactive learning experiences that address local environmental challenges. By educating residents on the correct recycling practices and the importance of these actions, municipalities achieve long-term, sustainable results. Recycle Coach has been a leader in waste and recycling information and education through technology for more than two decades.
