Social entrepreneurship and inclusion are hallmarks of IRF's newest member. Founded in 1998, PCs for People is a national leader in digital inclusion. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, every project, program and initiative at PCs for People is centered on getting low-cost computers and affordable broadband internet into the homes of low-income individuals. Through an unwavering commitment to the communities they serve, they have provided 155,000 people with home computers, connected 165,000 people to low-cost internet, and recycled over 8 million pounds of electronics. Digital inclusion efforts such as this are essential in today’s society where it is increasingly hard to access education, healthcare or employment opportunities without access to a computer and the internet. Their model is a self-sustainable social enterprise centered on building community value in every part of their program.

PCs for People’s model contributes to environmental sustainability by intercepting usable computers

before they reach landfills and refurbishing them for reuse. Businesses typically retire computers long

before their usable life is over and this has contributed to America becoming the largest producer of

electronic waste in the world. Their environmental certifications ensure that all electronic waste they

cannot reuse is recycled sustainably with zero-landfill impact. In creating their recycling workforce, they

have built an award-winning partnership with MSS (formerly Midwest Special Services), a nonprofit that

supports adults with intellectual and physical disabilities to help them reach their personal goals and

achieve their full potential. MSS clients are provided hands-on experience through work training,

internship and volunteer opportunities within our electronic waste recycling processes.

For more information, please visit their website www.pcsforpeople.org or view their contact info on our Membership page.

Members of the Illinois Recycling Association enjoy the benefit of spotlighting their Business, Government, Educational Institution or Non-Profit entity in a future Newsletter. If you would like to be featured, please send an email to info@illinoisrecycles.org.

Summer is here and it is time to celebrate. Businesses are reopening, people are vaccinated and beginning to gather together again. Chicagoland is in the midst of an 8-week glass recycling program for bars and restaurants thanks to Corona! Our C&D Recyclers are pleased with the legislation that passed and the Material Management Advisory Committee is putting the finishing touches on their recommendations for our state's next steps forward. The best news, of course, is our first in-person event will be held on July 29 and is a tour with a presentation. We are checking all the boxes to make the most of 2021! Thanks for being here and I can't wait to see you at our next event.

This program kicked off June 11 and we are offering a link to see the upcoming locations on our website. Let your friends and social media contacts know they can support glass this unique Corona recycling experience at the following bars throughout the Chicagoland area. The June 11th & 12th dates were a great success. Here are more dates. When more dates are added they will be posted here.

We are delighted to report that on May 30th the Senate concurred with the House amendment to SB1089, the IRA's C&D recycling bill. Thanks to IRA's lobbyist, Chris Nybo, the IEPA's feedback, and a dash of compromise from all the stakeholders; the bill passed the legislature (one day before they adjourned) and has been sent to Gov. Pritzker for his signature. Want to learn more about this legislation and why the C&D recyclers needed it? Plan to attend our first in-person event, a tour of a C&D Recycling facility on July 29th.

Only the names of 2021 members of the Illinois Recycling Foundation appear in the Member Directory on the IRF website. Please join now to add your name.

The Illinois Recycling Foundation recognizes that we have members with different needs. We want to do more to address their concerns with targeted meetings on specific topics. Please consider joining one of these committees today to be part of discussion. Email us at info@illinoisrecycles.org with your committee interest.

We also welcome members to join our Communications Committee, Conference Committee, Events Committee and Grants Committee. Full committee descriptions are available here.

The National Recycling Coalition sends a monthly newsletter to all IRF members. If you haven't received one, please contact IRF and it will be corrected. For many years NRC has focused on national recycling issues, they began the national celebration of America Recycles Day and later sold it to Keep America Beautiful due to financial issues. It was at this time they ceased offering the National Recycling Congress. Resource Recycling folded the NRC annual meeting into their conference but this year, NRC is reconstituting the National Recycling Congress in partnership with the New York Recycling Association. It will be two days in November and held virtually. In December they will also offer another Zero Waste Conference, which was a huge success last year. The Board is working on a new NRC Strategic Plan, possible new financial agreements with affiliate state organizations and more. Most importantly, they are working to have recycling infrastructure recognized as a national infrastructure priority. Please sign on by clicking this link, where you can read the petition.

IRF Member, Kane County, is opening a third permanent Recycling Center - this one in Aurora - for electronics (fee for TVs), non-freon appliances, clothing, and scrap metal. This last edition means residents have access to convenient electronics recycling across the county by having a Recycling Center in the Southern (Aurora), Central (Batavia), and Northern (West Dundee) regions of Kane County. Click here for a full list of locations and hours.

The Illinois Recycling Foundation website frequently contains job postings submitted by IRF members. Take a look! https://illinoisrecycles.org/jobs/

If you are a member and have jobs available, please send the postings to info@illinoisrecycles.org. The posting(s) will appear on our website and in our social media.

RRS helps Lakeland FL decrease contamination, reduce processing costs & engage residents around recycling in lasting ways.

Extended Producer Responsibility. Ontario has unveiled the final details of its sweeping plan to hand over its entire blue box recycling system – and all of its costs – to the industries that produce the waste. But the new system includes lower diversion targets for paper and plastic than initially proposed./

City of Edwardsville Implements Single Use Bag Fee Delayed due to COVID the City of Edwardsville, in Madison County and looking forward to reducing single use plastic by implementing a fee for bags.

Carton Council Short Series. Announcing the first Carton Council Short taking place June 22nd at 11:30pm CT. The first short will feature Carton Council representative Kris Kaar and will take a look at where residents get their information on recycling and the importance of providing accurate and up to date information. We will cover how to best update your website – a mandatory activity for receiving award/money later this year – and highlight some shining examples, as well as answer any questions. We hope you can join us and look forward to connecting. Thank you, The Carton Council

Click here to join the meeting<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MjYyZTA1NTgtMDIxZS00ODk3LTg4OTItMTM1MWQ3NzI5Y2Zm%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2225ff744a-50db-448d-8769-cf3d7cce1211%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22084c9834-8c7e-4881-903b-a8170accd088%22%7d>