Commercial Recycling Ordinance and Reporting

The Commercial Recycling Ordinance (CRO) is a county-wide ordinance that states all businesses in Peoria County must recycle two of their most quantified recyclables from their waste stream. 

View the complete Commercial Recycling Ordinance on the Municode website: https://library.municode.com/il/peoria_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COCO_CH7.1CORE

Planning, implementing, and monitoring your recycling program takes a little effort from employees, but by doing this your company is helping the environment and saving money. By recycling, we save diminishing landfill space, conserve our natural resources, and reduce pollution.

Reporting Requirements

All businesses, schools, and government agencies must submit a Quarterly Report regarding their recycling efforts.

Access the online Quarterly Report Application at https://apps.peoriacounty.org/CRO/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fcro

Quarterly Report Due Dates

  • First Quarter (January, February, March): April 30
  • Second Quarter (April, May June): July 31
  • Third Quarter (July, August, September): October 31
  • Fourth Quarter (October, November, December): January 31

Why was the CRO implemented?

The Illinois Assembly, recognizing the solid waste management crisis that impacted all communities in the state, passed the Solid Waste Planning and Recycling Act in 1988. With these Public Acts, the State of Illinois assigned to counties the responsibilities for conserving remaining landfill space.

Counties then developed, adopted, and implemented plans to reduce reliance on landfills for waste disposal and establish solid waste management plans for a 20-year period. These plans must seek to recycle at least 25% of a county’s waste stream. 

In order to meet the State mandate, the County of Peoria performed a study on waste disposal patterns. As 54% of the waste generated in Peoria County was from the commercial district, the County Board adopted the CRO in 1993.

How does my business start recycling?

Follow these steps to set up your recycling program or fine tune your current program:

  1. Get support from top management.
  2. Choose a recycling coordinator or team.
  3. Define your program by determining what will be recycled.
  4. Select a vendor (hauler) who will accept your items or choose to transport to a facility.
  5. Choose the type of containers and where it/ they will be placed.
  6. Choose a central location for materials to be stored.
  7. Decide who will transport recyclables to the storage area.
  8. GET THE STAFF TO PARTICIPATE!
  9. Monitor the storage area to make sure waste is not being mixed in.
  10. Follow up. Post the results to employees and top management.

And remember, you can always reach out to Peoria County's Recycling and Sustainability Office with questions.

Waste Hauler Licenses

Part of Peoria County's Commercial Recycling Ordinance involves licensing waste haulers. Find details at https://www.peoriacounty.org/248/Waste-Hauler-License.