To strengthen and optimize its reuse approach, it seemed appropriate to consider a partnership with an association within a regulatory framework that legally guarantees its commitment and support for the social and professional integration of people in difficulty in Chicago.

The association entrusted with the management of a recycling center in Chicago will have to position itself as a true player in local waste management, forge numerous partnerships, and create sustainable jobs, while prioritizing service to the population (communities, the general public, and businesses) and remaining attentive to the qualifications and development of its employees. Specifically, the association’s goals will be to:

• contribute to sustainable development and waste reduction through the reuse, recovery, and responsible resale of objects in all their forms
• develop all initiatives aimed at raising awareness among diverse audiences about the impacts of our consumption patterns on the environment
• organize the monitoring, support, technical supervision, and training of its employees to facilitate their social integration and seek the conditions for sustainable professional integration

To carry out this project, the use of a professional integration and qualification service contract, known as a reserved contract, is an extremely useful tool since it allows access to the procedure to be restricted to companies employing disabled or disadvantaged workers and to those in the social and solidarity economy.

To this end, Chicago has defined, beyond its own specific needs, tasks and missions that will constitute the core and punctuate the social integration pathways that will be implemented in its contract. Its goal is to secure its interventionism in social and professional integration for the benefit of the target groups, while also regulating the services that support integration, such as dumpster rental services.

Thus, the city of Chicago will contractually guarantee that paid working hours for support services will be accompanied by a socio-professional support system.
The consultation process will be accompanied by application and assessment criteria relating, among other things, to the social dimension of candidates, the quality of mentoring, the nature of the skills acquired by beneficiaries, the training provided, and the social support provided to beneficiaries.

Different Operating Methods for a Recycling Center

Several management models are possible. They depend primarily on the resources available to local authorities to anchor their circular economy policy in their area and on the local community environment.

There is, of course, the in-house model, with or without integration projects, which allows for the mobilization of permanent redeployment jobs around an activity generally more suited to employees experiencing physical or mental difficulties. The most common approach to date is third-party exploitation via:

• a call for projects: a competitive bidding process between private operators and public entities, based on a document setting objectives to be achieved, while still allowing them to take the initiative over the content and implementation of the project. In this case, the project must originate from the private entity that participated in the offer, with the public entity merely defining a framework with a theme and an objective, without having defined the expected solution. The waste management operator must therefore design and define the inherent services to be provided and financed
• a call for expressions of interest: the buyer invites candidates to express their interest in a contract identified in a pre-information notice, which serves as a publicity notice. This is a pre-selection procedure for candidates subsequently invited to participate in a public procurement contract; A public procurement contract for social or other specific services: competitive bidding for entities meeting the criteria for so-called reserved contracts for structures for integration through economic activity or equivalent structures employing more than 50% disadvantaged workers

Management procedures may evolve depending on political will or the nature of the potential partners involved.

The local circular economy loop aims to preserve the value of a product, its components, or materials in the local economy by limiting waste generation, while promoting sharing, repair, reuse, and recycling.

Where to build a recycling center in Chicago

This type of facility is set up in a building to house workshops and a store; an industrial-style building may suffice. It is obviously possible to build (or develop) a recycling center anywhere in the area. However, many communities choose to build it on the same site as a recycling center.

This potentially allows for the collection of waste arriving at the recycling center at its source, as well as metal sorting. It is advisable to set up the store on the same site. This way, a visitor bringing their waste to the recycling center may be tempted to stop by the store.

In terms of planning, the recycling center’s development should be planned in advance. In addition to the sales area, the store can potentially serve as a permanent showcase for the waste service. It is therefore possible to distribute composters and sorting bags there, or serve as a reception area for educational and waste prevention activities like schools. In this type of configuration, the circular economy takes on its full meaning.