Have you heard about Recycle Coach? This free app is the official waste and recycling app for residents of Chicago and Illinois. Thousands of Chicagoans are already using the app!
Recycle Coach provides personalized collection reminders, recycling guidance, and a searchable tool that lets you find out what belongs in the Blue Cart recycling program by typing in an item or snapping a photo. It also includes a “Discovery” section with facts and educational content for both adults and children to learn more about proper recycling in Chicago. While reducing and reusing should come before recycling whenever possible, this app focuses specifically on helping residents recycle correctly and confidently.
The app’s address-based guidance is tailored to the City’s official residential curbside services (single-family homes and buildings with up to four units). Even if your building contracts separately for recycling, the educational content can still help you understand local recycling practices. We encourage residents to explore the app and share feedback directly through the app or directly to dssrecycling@cityofchicago.org— the more people who use it and provide input, the more accurate and helpful it can become.
After using the platform for approximately one year, the Chicago Recycling Coalition conducted a review of its features, strengths, and opportunities for improvement. Our review explores how Recycle Coach is being used as a communication and education tool, examines its item search and photo-recognition features, and discusses the broader role the platform could play in improving transparency and public understanding of Chicago’s recycling system. We also highlight opportunities for continued refinement as resident feedback and participation help shape the platform’s future.