Advancing Sustainability & Recycling Initiatives in Illinois
Your monthly update from the Illinois Recycling Foundation
Upcoming IRF Events in 2026
🗓️ CERA and Battery Stewardship Workshop
January 30, 2026
In-Person at Heartland Community College, Bloomington, Illinois
📅 IRF Annual Conference – August 19-20, 2026
Tinley Park, Illinois
Mark your calendars for these exciting in-person events! More details, including registration and agendas, to follow in the coming months.
Quincy Recycle has been solving waste stream problems for manufacturers and other industrial suppliers for over 50 years with a nationwide network of trading partners and plants centrally located in the Midwest. With in-house logistics, equipment distribution, and food waste processing, Quincy helps their partners maximize their financial and sustainability goals, with paper, plastic, and metal recycling, as well as helping industrial clients build sustainable industrial waste solutions within their business. They are also a major supplier and buyer of Gaylord boxes. Their knowledgeable team helps companies from coast-to-coast achieve their goals through custom solutions.
Founded in 1974 by Bryan Stokes, his son Keith took over the business that serviced box manufacturers in the area and made up the company base. In 1978 Charlie Stuedle was hired to provide a really important introduction to the brokerage business model and to jump-start Quincy Recycle's North American Brokerage Services.
Bryan's historical perspective is that the challenges were much different and far greater for his dad, particularly in the late '70s and early '80s. Pricing was low and stayed low. The tide began to turn in the mid-1990s when supply and demand became more global with the opening of markets in Asia.
Shredding technology became a strategic tool for Quincy Recycle after a small supplier came to the company in 2001 with a destruction need. This customer demand was a wake-up call for Quincy. In order to secure more sought-after material, they were going to have to handle the challenging stuff or leave opportunities on the table.
Quincy began designing custom service offerings around its shredding capabilities after taking delivery of the company's first Cresswood shredder. Quality of output and uniformity of particle sizes are essential for their market, and they also wanted to optimize their loads and drive out costs by densifying bales.
As the pace of growth accelerated, Quincy Recycle's corporate culture evolved, and the company fine-tuned its sales efforts to meet new customer requirements. The concept of sustainability changed the mindset.
They offer a variety of services in paper converting, plastic recycling, metal recycling, cardboard recycling, food waste management, product destruction, reverse logistics (the process of moving products from consumers back into the supply chain), and will strive to meet your recycling needs.
Learn More About Quincy Recycle
For more information or to explore opportunities for your organization to work with Quincy, please visit their website.
President's Message
Clair Ryan
President, Illinois Recycling Foundation
As we kick off 2026, I'm grateful for the momentum our recycling community continues to build across Illinois—especially as new stewardship programs expand and local governments, processors, and educators work together to make recycling safer, more consistent, and more accessible. In the months ahead, IRF will stay focused on practical, on-the-ground support: sharing best practices, hosting in-person learning opportunities, and elevating the partnerships that keep materials moving in the right direction.
If you're reading this and you're not yet a member, I invite you to join the Illinois Recycling Foundation. Membership helps sustain the trainings, resources, and statewide convening that strengthen Illinois' recycling infrastructure—and it connects you to the people and ideas shaping what's next. Whether you represent a municipality, business, school, nonprofit, hauler, or recycler, there's a place for you in IRF's network, and your voice matters.
Help Shape the NRC Plastics Policy – Your Input Needed!
The NRC Plastics Subcommittee, led by Chair Jeremy Drake, is gathering member feedback to guide the development of a new NRC plastics policy. Your participation is essential in shaping how NRC approaches plastics issues statewide.
This work supports NRC's mission to develop and share best practices and policies that advance sustainable materials management and promote a circular economy.
NRC is currently exploring the development of a plastics policy, and your input will help determine the policy's direction, priorities, and member-driven focus.
Thank you!
Jeremy Drake, Chair, NRC Plastics Subcommittee
As we embark on a new year, the opportunity for fresh starts and renewed commitments beckons, especially for those responsible for OSHA recordkeeping. This time of year signals not only the closure of the previous year's records but also the imperative to initiate and manage the 2025 OSHA Injury and Illness Logs. In this article, we will delve into the essential responsibilities outlined in OSHA's Part 1904, explore the nuances of exceptions for smaller businesses, and discuss the functionalities of the Injury Tracking Application (ITA).
This work supports a comprehensive approach to essential documents and reporting requirements. We aim to equip you with the information necessary to navigate this crucial aspect of workplace safety and compliance effectively.
Eighty percent of private sector employers are exempt from maintaining OSHA Forms 300, 300A, and 301, collectively referred to as OSHA Injury and Illness Logs. OSHA has set minimum employee thresholds to reduce the compliance burden on smaller businesses and has specific exemptions for low-hazard industries. Employers who did not exceed a company-wide peak of 11 employees at any time during 2025 are not required to maintain these logs.
Visit https://worksafe.illinois.gov/ or contact Harry (Hap) Hileman with the Illinois Department of Labor at 217-993-2111 for more information.
Recycling News Around Illinois and Beyond
New Statewide Battery Stewardship Program Launches
A new statewide battery stewardship program for portable and medium format batteries began on January 1. This program includes all closed-cell battery types, both single-use and rechargeable. It does not include automobile batteries, which are covered elsewhere in state law, or batteries that are embedded and not easily removable from battery-powered devices. The collection and recycling program is being organized by The Battery Network under a stewardship plan approved by IEPA. IEPA's updated battery page and the program stewardship plan are available at epa.illinois.gov. The Battery Network is the new name of Call2Recycle, which rebranded earlier this month. The Battery Network is working with local governments and retail partners, including the large hardware chains Lowe's and Home Depot, to set up a public collection network for batteries. There is a web directory of drop-off sites available at batterynetwork.org/illinois. Due to the developing nature of the program, we strongly recommend calling retail locations to check their participation and types of batteries accepted before bringing batteries to drop off.
The Battery Network recently announced their hire of long-time IRF Board member, former IRF Board President, and long-time Will County Recycling Program Coordinator Marta Keane as the Regional State Stewardship Manager. In this role, Marta will be the primary point of contact for Illinois battery stewardship program coordination, partner outreach, and ongoing stewardship activities. Her experience working closely with local governments, household hazardous waste programs, and collection partners will be very valuable to supporting and strengthening battery recycling access across the state. Marta can be reached at mkeane@batterynetwork.org.
Plastic recycling is contracting when it needs to grow
The plastics recycling industry is urging regulatory reform to reverse its contraction across Europe and the US. Over the past few years there's been a steady stream of closures, all rooted in what's being described as market failure.
While there are different policy impacts in different jurisdictions, recyclers say they're caught in a perfect storm: large capacity expansion in China means an influx of virgin plastic that's much cheaper than recycled material. That price differential has lowered demand for recycled materials, which has also been impacted by policy uncertainty as the sector moves from voluntary to mandated targets.
Where new 2026 recycling and waste laws are taking effect
Colorado, Oregon, Illinois, Nevada, New York, Vermont and Washington have new laws, including electronics and battery EPR and right-to-repair policies.
Multiple states rang in the new year by enacting laws to update key recycling, organics and waste policies. New laws will expand electronics recycling programs, establish extended producer responsibility for certain batteries and enact right-to-repair policies. New organics and landfill emissions laws are also in effect.
Illinois Launches Statewide Paint Recycling Program
As of December 1, 2025, Illinois households and businesses can now recycle leftover paint, stain, and varnish at over 250 drop-off sites across the state. The program is operated by PaintCare, a nonprofit organization created by paint companies through the American Coatings Association.
Illinois is now the 11th state to implement a PaintCare program, which is expected to recover nearly one million gallons of paint in its first year. Sites accept both latex- and oil-based architectural paint products, including interior and exterior paints, primers, stains, sealers, and varnishes. There is no cost to drop off paint—the program is funded by a small fee on new paint sales. Find a drop-off location at paintcare.org/states/illinois.
Thank You to Our 2026 Benefactors
Your generous support helps make statewide recycling programs, education, and advocacy possible. We extend our sincere appreciation to our benefactors for their continued commitment to sustainability.
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"The case for recycling is strong. The bottom line is clear. Recycling requires a trivial amount of our time. Recycling saves money and reduces pollution. Recycling creates more jobs than landfilling or incineration."
— David Morris