Ongoing initiatives

Once we're finished putting all the decorations away, some of us will be looking to do some home improvement projects this winter. Often, that old can of paint we had intended to use for touch-ups is no longer viable, and we're faced with the question of what to do with it. Good news! A new paint recycling program that began December 1 enables households and businesses to recycle leftover paint, stain, and varnish conveniently and sustainably. The program is operated by PaintCare, a nonprofit organization created by paint companies through the American Coatings Association (ACA) to manage leftover paint in states that have enacted paint stewardship laws. A collection network of over 250 drop-off sites across Illinois are anticipated, which is achieved through partnerships with paint and hardware retail stores and local government facilities. Find out more here.

As a result of the new Hefty ReNew program offering (see below), and due to increased uncertainty about the Village's current polystyrene recycler's capacity to accept more product, THE VILLAGE'S POLYSTYRENE DROP-OFF PROGRAM WAS DISCONTINUED AS OF JANUARY 1, 2026. Residents are encouraged to utilize the Hefty ReNew program, as it can accept more products and disposal is simplified through curbside recycling. Large or voluminous amounts of polystyrene can be taken to Abt in Glenview (white packaging foam only) or to Mount Prospect Public Works. 

Please contact the Winnetka Public Works Department with questions at 847-716-3568.

In 2025, the Village began participating in the Hefty ReNew Orange Bag program, which significantly expands the amount of household plastics being diverted from landfill. Did you know the follorecycled in Hefty ReNew bags?It's just three easy steps: 1. Purchase Hefty ReNew bags at your local grocer. 2. Place hard-to-recycle plastics in the orange bag. 3. Place the filled bag in your curbside recycling bin.

•    Salad, fruit, and veggie bags
•    Shredded cheese bags
•    Dry mix (muffins, cakes, cookies, etc.) plastic bag liners
•    Foam egg cartons
•    Food storage bags
•    Plastic utensils
•    Plastic plates and bowls
•    Bubble wrap
•    Plastic pillow wraps
•    Foam peanuts
•    Clear plastic overwraps (bags that many clothing items ship in)

Want to know more? Visit the Hefty ReNew website and download this infographic by clicking here.

Recycle Coach* is a state-wide program made available at no cost to every municipality and resident, funded through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Residents may download the Recycle Coach app at recyclecoach.com, the App Store, and Google Play and may access the information on the Village of Winnetka’s Website the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County's website, and more.

Recycle Coach is a communications platform available via web and mobile app that informs, educates, and saves time for residents and Village staff with three primary features:

• REMINDERS ABOUT WEEKLY CURBSIDE PICKUPS AND SCHEDULE CHANGES for refuse, recycling, and yard waste, as well as information about standing collections for polystyrene, electronics, and more; 
• 'WHAT GOES WHERE' TOOL that provides localized information entered by municipal and waste agency staff for every material *not collected curbside, whether through donation, drop-off location, event, or other (batteries, electronics, soft plastics, bulky items, tires, paint, eg - you name it, it’s in there); and
• EDUCATIONAL CONTENT AND WORDLE-LIKE QUIZZES that collectively work to increase recycling rates while at the same time decreasing contamination - it's win-win-win! 

*Go Green Winnetka’s president is employed by Recycle Coach and helping to roll out this state-wide program.

EcoShip is a Chicago-based nonprofit that diverts packaging materials from landfills and provides them to local businesses and artists for reuse. Now you can drop off materials at Rebuilding Exchange in Evanston.

Drop off packaging materials, along with other hard-to-recycle items such as toothbrushes, sneakers, and more in collaboration with the City of Evanston. You can also pick up materials like bubble wrap and packing peanuts. This site will accept a limited list of items: mailers, bubble wrap, packing peanuts, packing paper, and crinkle cut shred (no personal documents of any sort!)

Know someone moving? Have new neighbors unpacking? Let them know about EcoShip. We also have a handy New Homeowners Guide on our website to assist in making environmentally-friendly choices throughout the moving process.

Go Green Winnetka has created a New Homeowners Guide, a go-to resource to help people moving homes make a sustainable transition. The Guide has numerous suggestions for conscious choices before and after the move that positively influence our environment. Practical tips are offered, from eco-friendly packing materials to waste diversion strategies.

Please pass this link along to friends and neighbors who are moving or have recently moved. 

That's why Go Green Winnetka is partnering with other organizations to collect  Bread Tags for Wheelchairs. These tags (bread, bagel, muffin, produce, veggies) are pristine plastic and a valuable raw material and billions are made each year. They can’t be recycled through standard curbside programs because they are too small and too lightweight to sort easily. Most are made from #6 plastic/polystyrene.
 

Look for Mason jars at D36 schools—and start saving those bread tags!

260,000 bread tags = 200 lbs of plastic = one basic wheelchair

Check out these websites of participating organizations for more information.

Go Green Winnetka
Glencoe Sustainability Task Force
SCARCE
Danielle Cares for Chairs

Contact Go Green Winnetka with any questions.