Village Wide Commercial Recycling Gets Closer

A majority of Deerfield’s reusable business waste came a step closer to being recycled after the Village Board of Trustees conducted a public hearing to consider granting a village wide commercial franchise today during its regularly scheduled meeting at the Village Hall.

Should the Trustees approve a resolution at their Jan. 21 meeting granting Lakeshore Recycling Systems a franchise to collect waste from the Village’ business, 75 percent of those enterprises will be recycling by the end of April, 2017.

“Fifty percent will be recycled by April 30, 2016, and 75 percent by April 30, 2017,” Andrew Lichterman, the assistant to the village manager, said. “They (the businesses) will get a four-cubic yard container and one free pickup a week.”

Currently, Deerfield’s businesses contract for refuse services on their own and recycling is voluntary. The proposed containers should take care of the needs of 75 percent of the Village’s enterprises for free, according to SWALCO (Solid Waste Agency of Lake County) Executive Director Walter Willis.

If approved, the agreement will go into effect on May 1, 2015, because of the legal requirements of granting a franchise for community wide commercial hauling. This project has been years in the making.

Mayor Harriet Rosenthal first remembered the matter discussed during a committee of the whole meeting in 2009. “This has been a long time coming,” she said. “We have done our due diligence and are keeping our promise to our residents to care for the environment.”

In other business, the Board unanimously approved a report from the Plan Commission to grant a special use permit to allow One Price Cleaners to open a green show at 190 Waukegan Road. An ordinance will be drafted for consideration at the Jan. 21 meeting.

Patch will have more detailed stories later this week on these issues and other matters discussed at the meeting.