Recently We’ve Had Inquiries About The Disposal Of Paper Shredding And Furniture

So we thought, let’s just go over all the basics.

When it Comes to Proper Disposal of Garbage and Waste, Here are Some Basic Do’s, Don’ts and Reminders:

1. PROPERLY SECURE CHUTE WASTE – Do you want to help REDUCE ODORS and avoid ATTRACTING PESTS? All garbage placed in the chute needs to be properly secured in appropriate bags intended or strong enough to secure the enclosed waste. Doing this will help prevent debris from flying out of the chute, and reduce odors caused by unsecured food waste, rotting items and other perishables. 

DO:                                 

DON’T:

2. NO SHREDDED PAPER IN CHUTE OR RECYCLING BINS – Do not dump shredded paper and documents down the chute. As with other waste, please properly secure it in an appropriate bag.  ALSO – shredded paper IS NOT recyclable through our bins and dumpsters. It gums up our haulers sorting machines. If you want to recycle shredded paper, wait for one our semi-annual shred events. We will have one coming up in November, and one every year with Green Week in April.

3. NO UNBAGGED, EXCESSIVE, BULKY OR HEAVY ITEMS DOWN THE CHUTE – Heavy and bulky items, large belongings, appliances, carpeting, ceramics, construction debris, buckets, paint cans, furniture, glass and cardboard boxes are prohibited. Heavy and bulky items like these can cause thousands – even TENS of THOUSANDS of dollars in damage, and potentially cause the chute to be closed down for repairs, creating a nightmare for everyone. 

4. RECYCLING IS CONSIDERED MANDATORY – Clean cardboard, glass, metals and appropriate plastics must be discarded in the recycling dumpsters or receptacles intended for recyclables, pursuant to the City of Chicago Recycling Ordinance. 

  View Recyclables

5. FOR LOOSE ITEMS, LARGER WASTE & RECYCLING – There are two large dumpsters in the back driveway adjacent to the loading dock and park, available for larger materials. The dumpster with the light blue lid is intended for Recycling and the dumpster with the darker blue lid is available for waste that cannot go down the chute. 

HOWEVER – this is not the place to leave mattresses, furniture and any other waste that will not fit completely into the dumpster. Residents need to arrange for removal of any such items separately. To do so, we do have a couple services we can suggest:

Dina with DL Services LLC – 708-574-2551

Mike with Removal Masters 773-457-3231

S&L Cleaning 708-737-9074

The Association can also arrange for disposal of large items or furniture. There is a minimum fee of $100 if scheduled and properly coordinated.

But leaving any large items or waste next to the dumpster may result in a minimum fee of $250. So just leaving that old mattress leaning up against the building could be very expensive. Beyond the fee, any work associated with removal beyond half an hour would be subject to regular maintenance labor charges.

6. FOR RECYCLING ON 1P and 2P – There is one larger Recycling dumpster in the 1P garage across from the attendant’s office, there are recycling bins in the laundry room along the counter under the bulletin boards, and Recycling bins in the Service Area on 2P just outside Service Elevators 5 & 6. 

7. DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING ON THE FLOOR IN COMMON AREAS – Neither in the hallways nor the service areas and storage rooms.  This is prohibited by the City of Chicago Fire Code and goes for any materials – waste, garbage bags, furniture, boxes, containers, water bottles, personal belongings, etc. Boxes and packaging should be broken down and taken to a recycling bin or the dumpster with the light blue lid in the back of the building.

8. COMPOSTING BINS ARE AVAILABLE – BlockBins Composting service is available to residents, free of charge. Contact the office for sign-up instructions. (see below) 

Learn more about our BlockBins Composting program! Click Here

9. FEES FOR VIOLATIONS – Not properly removing waste and recyclable materials can result in a minimum $60 service charge and $250 waste removal fee. 

If there is anything you are not certain how to handle or you need more information on what is or is not recyclable, OR if you observe problems with your floors chute, chute door or find debris in the hallway or service area, feel free to contact our team in the Management Office at 773-769-3250, or by e-mail at parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.