Pumpkin Smash 2022 Results

Here are the results from our smashing good day:

• 26 volunteers (20 of them were Parker Junior High School NJHS students)
• 96 attendees
• 1,000 lbs of pumpkins

The pumpkins are being composted at Possibility Place Nursery in Monee, Illinois. This was also our second year collecting Halloween candy wrappers for recycling by partnering with The Center for Dental Excellence in Flossmoor and Rubicon’s Trick or Trash recycling program.

Thank you to our wonderful volunteers and everyone who participated in Pumpkin Smash. A huge thank you to Homewood Disposal for sponsoring the dumpster and Coyote Run for hosting this event for the seventh year in a row!

Hazardous Materials Recycling

The Sauk Trail Baptist Temple will collect hazardous materials on November 12 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for recycling. Outdated prescription pills, electronics, books, CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes will also be accepted.

Accepted hazardous materials and limits:

• 1 TV
• 4 tires
• 4 boxes of shredding
• 4 cans of paint
• 4 cans/jars/ bottles of chemicals
• No limit on batteries
• All steel and aluminum accepted

This event is sponsored by Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart’s Recycling Program, Village of Richton Park and Southland Voice.

H-F Holiday Recycling

Looking for light and tree recycling options for the 2022-2023 winter season? Holiday light recycling containers are located at the H-F Racquet & Fitness Club, Irwin Community Center, outside the Goldberg Center and Irons Oaks from November 21 to January 18.

Live Tree Recycling runs December 26 through January 18. Bring your undecorated and unwrapped holiday trees to Irons Oaks’ Vollmer Road lot. Trees should be stacked neatly with the trunks pointed towards the parking lot. Yard waste will not be accepted.

Park Forest Holiday Recycling

Drop off your holiday lights November 22 to January 18 at Park Forest Village Hall to be recycled. Live Christmas trees will be accepted December 26 to January 18 at the Aqua Center parking lot.

Park Forest Holiday Lights Recycling is sponsored by Gaby Iron and Metal.

Pumpkin Smash 2022

Pumpkin Smash 2022 is scheduled for November 5, the first Saturday following Halloween. The event will take place between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Coyote Run Golf Course, 800 Kedzie Avenue, Flossmoor, Illinois. Pumpkin Smash is an annual effort, organized by the Chicago Southland Green Committee, to divert pumpkins from landfills by providing a location for residents to drop off jack-o-lanterns to be composted.

The Center for Dental Excellence in Flossmoor will be collecting Halloween candy wrappers for recycling at this event, as part of the Trick or Trash recycling program. Community members are encouraged to bring their candy wrappers to be recycled. Paper, food, and aluminum can not be recycled in the Trick or Trash receptacle. More information about Trick or Trash is available at rubicon.com/trick-or-trash.

Thanks to Homewood Disposal for donating a dumpster and delivering the event’s compost to Possibility Place.

Pumpkin Smash is sponsored by the Chicago Southland Green Committee, Homewood Disposal, and the Homewood Science Center. For more information about Pumpkin Smash, visit scarce.org/pumpkins.

pumpkin-smash-22-flyerDownload

Recyclepalooza 2022

Get Ready To Recycle!

Have theses things around your house? Here’s your chance to Recyclepalooza! Collect your recyclables and stop by Parker Junior High School on Saturday, October 8, between 9 a.m. and Noon to drop them off. Stay in your vehicle, sort items by category and clearly marked, then place them in your truck to be unloaded by volunteers contact free!

Accepted Items:

•    Electronics

•    Metals

•    Ink/Laser jet printers

•    Bicycles

•    Pop can tabs

•    Used razors

•    Eyeglasses

•    Gently used clothes

•    Sporting goods

•    American Flags

•    Pastic gift cards

•    LEGOs

•    Trophies

•    New travel size toiletries

•    Small household items

•    Gently used towels and blankets

•    Used mascara wands

•    Plastic bread tags

•    Clean & dry Styrofoam (no packing peanuts)

•    Used oral care products & packaging

•    TVs ($20 per set)

Recyclepalooza is sponsored by the Village of Flossmoor Green Commission, Chicago Southland Green Committee, Flossmoor School District 161 and Homewood Disposal.

Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Event

The Highway Department of Orland Township is presenting a household hazardous waste collection event on Saturday, August 13th from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Victor J. Andrew High School, located at 9001 W. 171st Street in Tinley Park, Illinois. This event is free to all Illinois residents, but a reservation is required to participate. Register online by visiting calendly.com/othd/hhwc22. Any questions or concerns should be directed to the Highway Department of Orland Township: 708-403-5148.

RecycleFest 2022

The Village of Park Forest will host RecycleFest 2022 on Saturday, July 30th from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Main Street & Orchard Drive. Electronics, TVs ($20 per TV), bikes, eyeglasses, housewares, clothing, shoes, trophies, sporting goods, styrofoam, American flags, prescription drugs, and oral care products will be collected. Plastic bags and paper for shredding will not be accepted at this event.

Box your collectable items together and clearly label them. Place the items in the trunk of your vehicle, and pull your vehicle through the designated RecycleFest lane.

Questions can be directed to the Village of Park Forest Sustainability Office at 708-503-9372. Learn more at villageofparkforest.com/sustainability

Prepare for Plastic Free July

Here are 18 things you can do to reduce plastic waste this Plastic Free July:

1. Bring your own shopping bag. If necessary, use paper bags.
2. Purchase secondhand.
3. Buy loose & in bulk. Buy items you purchase often in bulk with little to no packaging. Look for sustainable packaging options like glass or cardboard.
4. Use cloth diapers. 7.6 billion pounds of diapers are discarded in the U.S. each year.
5. Stop buying bottled water.
6. Ditch straws. If needed, use paper or metal alternatives.
7. Make your own cleaning products. Use nontoxic ingredients to improve indoor air quality and eliminate the need for multiple plastic bottle cleaners.
8. Skip products with microbeads. These beads pass through water treatment plants and cause harm to animals.
9. Use reusable containers. Skip plastic baggies or wrap. Use green, durable alternatives such as glass jars, cloth produce bags, or beeswax wrap.
10. Recycle!
11. Cook like a natural. If you cook with less processed food, you’ll reduce packaging waste.
12. Shave smart. Eliminate plastic disposal razors. Use razors with replaceable blades.
13. Keep a zero-waste kit. When planning a day out, pack your travel mug, metal container, jar for leftovers, napkin, and real utensils.
14. Use natural sponges. Use cotton rags or cellulose sponges like loofah, hemp, or bamboo.
15. Skip K-cups! Grind your own coffee or have it ground at the store.
16. Shop at a farmer’s market. Buy fresh, local, unpackaged produce!
17. Don’t trash it! Compost it. Composting reduces plastic garbage bags and lowers CO2 emissions. Composting helps grow unpackaged food.
18. Refuse stuff. Tell your server you don’t want a straw or you brought your own cutlery or takeout container.

Spread the word about these Plastic Free July tips using the image or pdf below!

csgc-plastic-free-july-2022-pdf-1Download

Park Forest Shredding Event April 30

Recycle sensitive documents at the Village of Park Forest’s shredding event. This event will take place Saturday, April 30, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Village Hall parking lot: 350 Victory Drive. Enter at Main Street off Orchard Drive.

Limit of 2 copy paper sized boxes of paper per vehicle
– No moldy paper
– No metal clips
– No plastic sleeves

Just pull up in your vehicle, and we’ll take the boxes from your trunk!
Residency not required.

Learn more and get involved at villageofparkforest.com/sustainability