Complaints of improper disposal of waste in hallways, service areas and down the chute, have become commonplace in recent months. That, coupled with the City of Chicago’s recycling mandate means change is needed!

Owners and residents can help keep the building cleaner, reduce blow back from the garbage chute, and reduce our carbon footprint all at the same time.

• Properly Bag And Tightly Secure Any Waste Placed In The Chute
• Separate and Properly Dispose Recyclables as Mandated By City Effective January 1st, 2017

 Complaints about boxes and garbage being left in service areas have become common. Also reports of bits of torn and shredded paper blowing up and out of the chute when it is opened have become more numerous. Very often, these nuisance bits of paper are found in service areas, and blow back of the material is observed when opening the chute from most floors.

ALL RESIDENTS CAN HELP US AVOID THESE UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCES AND ODORS FROM THE CHUTE!

Be mindful to properly bag and tightly secure all waste you deposit in the trash chute – particularly bits of paper. This should be securely disposed of in a trash bag. Trash containers are located at various places throughout the building for less secure debris, such as junk mail. Perishables, such as left overs or rotten food, particularly fruit and meat must be tightly secured in garbage bags. When it is not properly secured, it can result in unpleasant odors and attract pests such as fruit flies and roaches. Cleaning the chute is costly, odors can linger for days and pests in the chute can be near impossible to eliminate.

For garbage that is awkward or cannot be bagged or properly secured for any reason, or garbage that is heavy with perishable items such as fruits and meats, we encourage residents to use the dumpster on the back dock. This keeps the mess, odors and pests out of the building.

ALSO – boxes and bulky garbage may not be left in hallways or in the service areas by the chute for any reason. No materials can be left in this location, as it is unsightly and violates fire code. If the source of any such debris is identified, for health and safety reasons it will be removed and properly discarded. The source unit will be charged a $40 Service Charge for our staff’s time and a $500 Waste Removal Fee.

ALL CITY OF CHICAGO RESIDENTS MUST SEPARATE AND PROPERLY DISPOSE OF RECYCLABLES, effective January 1st, 2017.

This mandate passed City Council and was signed into code by the Mayor earlier this year. Below, you will find more information and illustrations to help identify appropriate locations for disposal of waste and recycling. Contact the office with any questions.

Thank you.

(NOTE: Special thanks to Unit Owner Mike Magliane who contributed to this article and provided the photos.)

Please Properly Remove All Waste And Recycling!
Not doing so may result in a $40 Service Charge and $500 Waste Removal Fee

Not only is it unsanitary and unsightly – and not neighborly, leaving garbage in the hallways or service areas, such as above, is considered a fire hazard and can result in the $500 fee a $40 service charge, and fines.

LARGE DUMPSTER ON BACK DOCK

For BULKY TRASH and NON-RECYCLABLES, or garbage very heavy with perishables such as fruits and meats, use the dumpster around the corner beside the loading dock. Large bags of rubbish, non-recyclable plastics, foams, metals, very small furniture or other trash which otherwise won’t fit down the garbage chute should go here:

RECYCLING DUMPSTER IN 1P GARAGE

For LARGE CARDBOARD BOXES & RECYCLABLES, there is a dumpster inside on 1P in the garage. Follow the 1P hallway when you exit the service elevators into the garage, and walk to the wall opposite the valet stand:

By City Ordinance, all Chicago residents must separate and properly dispose of all recyclable materials. Besides the 1p location, for MOST RECYCLABLES, PAPER, BOTTLES, CANS and METALS, SMALL BOXES and CARDBOARD, there are two convenient locations:

1P LAUNDRY ROOM

The counter below the bulletin board, just to the right as you enter the laundry room, has three holes for disposing of recyclables. Smaller materials fit best for this location:

2P SERVICE ELEVATOR VESTIBULE

There are three large, blue, plastic tubs to hold recyclables, or folded cardboard boxes. These are most convenient being next to the elevators. They have nice large openings to swallow up your recyclables. They do not need to be bagged, in fact our recycling service prefers they not be bagged. You can bring them down in a bag and just pour them into a bin. For very large boxes, fold them up and rest them against the wall by the bins.

Anything you are not certain how to handle? Just call the office at 773-769-3250 or send an e-mail to parktowercondo@dkcondo.com. Our staff may be able to provide some limited assistance in some cases, but the best thing is that you communicate with us.