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Community Corner

Will County wins Green T award for recycling

      JOLIET – Will County’s Resource Recovery and Energy Division has been named a winner in USAgain’s inaugural Green T awards.

     The Resource Recovery and Energy Division will receive its Green T award from the textile recycling company for Outstanding Recycling Event during a ceremony Nov. 12 in St. Charles.

      “This award is an acknowledgement of the good work the Resource Recovery and Energy Division does for the residents of Will County,” said Will County Executive Larry Walsh. “It also is an acknowledgment of the concern our residents have for the future of our County. We provide ‘green’ avenues; the residents are the ones who take them. This is their award as well.”

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     Will County RRE, a division of the County’s Land Use Department, will be one of 15 environmental leaders to be honored in 12 categories at the Green T award ceremony, Rasham Grewal, from the Marketing and Public Relations Department of USAgain, said in an e-mail. Winners will be recognized for everything from leaders in green education to innovative community recycling programs.               

     The West Chicago-based firm has been in operation since 1999. It has operations in 18 states, and has more than 12,000 recycling bins placed in partnership with schools, local businesses, municipalities, recycling centers, counties and forest preserves, Grewal wrote.

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     Will County Recycling Specialist Marta Keane said this year the County had partnered with USAgain in May at the textile recycling event at the County Office Building in Joliet, the Green Apple Day event in Bolingbrook and at Sharefest in New Lenox. The County has also partnered with the firm in previous years.

     It was the May event at the County Office Building that earned USAgain’s award. Nearly 4,000 pounds of textiles were collected, and Keane said USAgain officials were impressed with the community outreach connected with the event, which included a live broadcast with 1340 WJOL-AM during which Keane and other County officials talked about some of the County’s environmental initiatives.

     Hundreds of individuals and organizations were considered for the awards, said Grewal. Some awards were earned by pounds; others were based on green leadership and community outreach. A USAgain green team reviewed and voted on the awards for the latter.

     Grewal said that the company decided to start the awards as a way to increase recycling and reinforce those “who are leading the way toward greater sustainability.”

      For more information about the Resource Recovery and Energy division, visit the website: www.willcountygreen.com. The Land Use Department is led by Director Curt Paddock. It is one of the departments under the County Executive’s office. 

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