Waste Reduction

How can Chicago help curb Lake Michigan microplastic pollution?

Every year, 11.6 million pounds of plastic trash makes its way into Lake Michigan, Chicago’s largest source of drinking water. Even as the city tries to tackle this issue, it means that microplastics — the tiniest pieces — pass through the cities’ filtration systems and into our faucets. Researchers have found that ingesting plastics can have detrimental

How can Chicago help curb Lake Michigan microplastic pollution? Read More »

The plastic we drink: How can Chicago help curb Lake Michigan microplastic pollution?

“This is a huge problem that we need to address at a systemic level,” said Gabby Plotkin, senior policy manager at Illinois Environmental Council.  Right now, she added, municipal filters can’t remove microplastics. “The only way to do that would be on an individual level like buying a filter that particularly addresses microplastics,” Plotkin said.

The plastic we drink: How can Chicago help curb Lake Michigan microplastic pollution? Read More »

Illinois lawmakers consider banning plastic bags for large retailers

Jennifer Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, has been working for more than 12 years on the bill to reduce the use of plastic bags. She believes this is the year it will make it across the finish line. “(Plastic bags) are a huge percentage of litter,” Walling said. “They clog infrastructure, they’re

Illinois lawmakers consider banning plastic bags for large retailers Read More »

Plastic is in your brain. Researchers and advocates still aren’t sure how that impacts health

Whether you’re a hot cup of tea and meditate kind of person or a toss the leftover pizza in the microwave kind of person, you probably ate plastic this morning. Tiny plastic particles called microplastics easily find their way into the things we eat and drink — and there’s little you can do to avoid

Plastic is in your brain. Researchers and advocates still aren’t sure how that impacts health Read More »

Illinois First Great Lakes State to Reduce Single-use Plastic Bottles in Hotels

Chicago, IL – On Friday, Governor Pritzker signed the Small Single-Use Plastic Bottle Act (SB2960) into law, which requires hotels with 50 or more rooms to eliminate the use of small, single-use plastic bottles containing personal care products in individual rooms and public bathrooms beginning July 1, 2025. By Jan. 1, 2026, all hotels are

Illinois First Great Lakes State to Reduce Single-use Plastic Bottles in Hotels Read More »

Greenwashing: Avoid falling victim to misleading marketing claims of eco-friendliness

IL Environmental Council has tips on how to spot greenwashing More and more people want to be good stewards of the earth by being green and more sustainable. But despite their best efforts to research and stay informed, it’s easy to fall victim to something called greenwashing. “It’s essentially a marketing ploy by corporations and

Greenwashing: Avoid falling victim to misleading marketing claims of eco-friendliness Read More »