Ever wondered what you can do with a string of holiday lights that have ceased twinkling? Or a limp-bristled toothbrush?
Other than just tossing them in the garbage, that is.
Several organizations are convening on the South Side on Sunday to show people how to divert these and other household items from landfills. They plan to take them off of people’s hands, share information about where to recycle them in the future — and tell them how to avoid buying them in the first place.
It’s called Reuse-a-Palooza, and it runs Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Plant, an urban farm and food production facility at 1400 W. 46th St. in Back of the Yards. It’s free and open to the public, no registration necessary.
Organizers are encouraging folks to bring odds and ends they’re ready to trash but haven’t yet because they feel there must be another option.
“We’re trying to show people what to do with all the stuff you can’t put in the blue bin,” said Carolee Kokola of Bubbly Dynamics, operator of The Plant and host of the event.
Besides the tips on waste reduction, there will be arts and crafts for kids; food and drink from an onsite pizza kitchen and brewery; and additional bites from a vegan pop-up.
This is the second such event at The Plant. The first was earlier this year, around Earth Day, but organizers decided to make it semi-annual, to keep the sustainability fire going.
Items acceptable for dropping off include alkaline batteries, bicycles, books, corks, crayons, electronics, eyeglasses, food scraps, gym shoes, jars, keys, shipping materials, office supplies and paint.
Organizations on hand will share information on where to recycle those items in the future and show how they may not need to buy some of them again.
“Our true goal is is to expose people to alternatives for the items that they use,” said Sherry Skalko, co-founder of Reduce Waste Chicago, one of the organizations taking part.
Rather than a plastic toothbrush, for instance, use a bamboo toothbrush, she said; instead of a plastic tube of toothpaste, try toothpaste tablets.
People lead busy lives and nobody’s perfect, Skalko said, but changing habits one by one can make a difference.
“We have to be more mindful,” she said.
A comprehensive list of items being accepted is on The Plant’s website.
Michael Loria is a staff reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times via Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster the paper’s coverage of communities on the South and West sides.
