City launches Recycle Coach app to educate residents about waste management

Is Styrofoam recyclable? What about that pizza box? And when will it be picked up?

Answers to those types of questions, and other hyper-local waste and recycling information, are now available to Chicago residents through the Recycle Coach mobile app and the city’s website.

A new partnership announced Tuesday between the city Department of Streets and Sanitation, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the waste management educational company Recycle Coach aims to help residents quickly solve those puzzling pieces of garbage — or recycling.

The ultimate goal of the informational app, officials say, is to decrease contamination at material recovery facilities, increase the diversion of materials from landfills, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Easier access to information on how and where to recycle is one of our key strategies to increase recycling and waste diversion participation in Chicago,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. “Thanks to a significant partnership with the IEPA, the new Recycle Coach app brings these answers to city residents’ fingertips through a simplified, yet comprehensive resource bringing us one step closer to achieving our climate action goals.”

The Recycle Coach app can be downloaded for free from the Apple or Google Play stores. It can also be found at chicagorecycles.org.

Residents can enter their address to find their specific waste and recycling schedule. The “What Goes Where” part of the app allows residents to search for whether an item should be recycled or thrown out.

The app provides further information about the item, such as how to dispose of it, where it can be dropped off, and, in some cases, how it can be reused for something else.

“This additional tool will help residents make more informed waste management decisions and actively participate in reducing household waste through recycling efforts,” Department of Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Cole Stallard said in a statement.

Updates about local waste service changes and other educational content like weekly recycling quizzes and tips are also provided on the app.

The Illinois EPA announced its deal with Recycle Coach last June, allowing local governments to opt into providing the app’s services to residents. The company provides its content to more than 1,600 cities across North America and Australia.