ROGERS PARK — The Far North Side is set to be one of the first areas to see an expansion of the city's blue cart recycling program, officials announced.
Ald. Joe Moore (49th) and Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th) told constituents that all homes north of Devon Avenue in their wards would be covered by the curbside and alley recycling pickup program already available to 260,000 homes in the city.
Each single-family home or apartment building of up to four units within the boundaries of the newly remapped 49th and 50th wards can participate, the aldermen announced.
Betsy Vandercook, Moore's chief of staff, said neighbors can expect to receive their blue carts beginning Monday, with the first pickup to begin the week of March 11 or March 18.
Silverstein said the 50th Ward should expect the first pickup during the week of March 11.
The program allows residents to dump unsorted paper, bottles, cans and some plastics into blue bins, which are then picked up twice a month.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel promised last year to expand the program citywide by the year's end after the rollout had stalled because of budget constraints.
Moore said he had been working for 22 years to bring recycling to Rogers Park, and even started a petition to persuade the mayor to start with the alderman's neighborhood.
"I was a strong and vocal opponent of the city's failed blue bag recycling program in the 1990s and introduced an ordinance in 2005 to implement a citywide program similar to the current Blue Cart program," he wrote in a message to constituents.
For 49th Ward residents, Moore plans to host an informational meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Rogers Park library, 6907 N. Clark St.
For those living in the 50th Ward, Silverstein has planned two meetings about the program. The first is set for 7 p.m. Thursday and the second 7 p.m. Feb. 28, both at the Northtown Library, 6435 N. California Ave.
