“Cook County’s Path to Zero Waste is Justice”

Author: Ian Talley

Department: UIC Institute for Policy & Civic Engagement

Advisor: Dr. Joseph K. Hoereth, UIC IPCE / Karlie Sanchez, Graduate Assistant, IPCE

Abstract: In 1991, Illinois passed legislation requiring county governments to establish Solid Waste Management plans that must be updated every five years; additionally, Illinois also passed legislation in 2011 to advance Environmental Justice initiatives throughout the state. In accordance with these policies, Cook County has been in the process of establishing an environmental Justice (EJ) policy at organizational and departmental levels. Unfortunately, some departments like Cook County’s Solid Waste Division are particularly ill-equipped to make the system-level changes necessary to advance environmental justice efforts. The solid waste management industry, especially in Cook County, has historically excluded and undervalued communities of color through zoning practices that allowed landfill and recycling sites to open in Southern Cook County. The effects of these practices continue to disparately impact Chicago communities today: Southern Cook County has lower access to waste diversion opportunities but remains disproportionately affected by the emissions that the industry produces. This research study aims to identify opportunities for Cook County to improve waste diversion rates across all of Cook County through their 2024-2029 Solid Waste Management Plan. This study employs a policy evaluation of Cook County’s initial implementation steps, supported by a literature review and field data to critically examine Cook County’s first year accomplishments. Findings from this study indicated that Cook County’s efforts in 2024 were stalled by stakeholder resistance and limited implementation strategization, preventing them from lowering waste diversion rates from 2023 to 2024; the study also found that further constraints emerging from federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) bans may prevent Cook County from meeting any of its goals observed in the 2024-2029 Plan. This study recommends two implementation strategies that may allow Cook County to improve waste diversion rates while preserving environmental justice principles in the process: reallocating department funds towards non-recycling waste diversion development and introducing informal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that support environmental justice.

Keywords: Solid waste management, waste diversion, zero waste, environmental policy, recycling, composting, Standard Operating Procedures, Cook County