Productivity is up 42 percent since 1981. Back then, an average Illinoisan generated about 3.87 lbs. of solid waste per day. Currently, we're at 5.5 lbs. per person per day. But reports from the state's general refuse landfills required by the Solid Waste Management Act of 1986 indicate that the estimate is a little conservative.

Source: Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).

The state of Illinois generates an estimated 37 million cubic yards or 11.2 million tons of household and commercial solid waste a year. Over 90 percent of it is landfilled in general refuse landfills. This means we need 14,430 acre feet of landfill space annually — or 22.55 square miles. It will take 2,467.63 years, however, to cover the state entirely.

Source for tons, yards and acre feet: Department of Energy and Natural Resources. (DENR).

In industrial countries packaging accounts for about 30 percent of the weight and 50 percent of the volume of household and commercial waste. Food and yard wastes make up most of the remainder.

In U.S. municipal waste the amount of plastics has doubled over the last decade to an estimated 6-10 percent.

More than half the paper and glass produced in the U.S. and about one-third of the plastics go into items with a lifespan of less than a year. Producing this packaging consumes 3 percent of the U.S. energy budget.

Source: Cynthia Pollack, "Mining Urban Wastes: The Potential for Recycling." Worldwatch 76. April 1987.

That's an estimate of disposables thrown away in one year by residents of Ramsey County, Minn, (which includes St. Paul).

Source: LeAllen Estrem"What's to be done with Our Garbage?" CBE Environmental Review, Chicago. Summer 1986.

Illinois has 147 general refuse landfills. These take solid waste from households and commercial establishments. They also take some nonhazardous industrial waste. Some of these landfills will fill up in six months, some in 100 years. But if you take the total volume and total capacity and distribute it evenly, the state's general refuse landfills will be filled up in five years.

Source: IEPA.

Chicago and the suburbs. The East St. Louis metro area — which also gets municipal waste from St. Louis. Counties that don't have their own landfills; there were 28 of them during the first quarter of 1987.

Easily recycled materials — paper, glass and cans — make up about 32 percent of the nation's wastestream. Slightly over 25 percent is being recycled nationwide, and Illinois is doing about the same. This means we're recycling about 8 percent of the wastestream.

Cardboard is purchased and remanufactured by Chicago Paperboard Co. and several other midwestern mills. Most of Chicago's newsprint is made into new newsprint by FSC Paper Co. in Alsip. Glass is recycled into new bottles by Ball Glass Co. in Dolton and Owens-Illinois in Streator. High density polyethelene is remanufactured at plants in Michigan and Wisconsin. Aluminum markets are more distant, but a strong network of brokers exists in Illinois.

Source: Chicago Department of Economic Development. Recycling: An Economic Development Opportunity. May 1987.

Illinois could recover 62.3 percent of all paper, glass and cans. This would translate into a 20 percent recycling rate. Illinois could also recover yard waste, which accounts for 15-18 percent of the waste stream, to use for wood chips and mulch. Assuming a recovery rate of 70 percent, we could get rid of another 10-15 percent of our solid waste, thus recycling a total of 30-35 percent of our wastestream.

Source: Illinois Association of Recycling Centers, Champaign.

Illinois is a source of quality recyclables and should be going after industries using recycled material as a manufacturing base the same way we go after auto plants.

Source: Patrick Barry, chair of the Coalition for Appropriate Waste Disposal's Recycling Task Force, Chicago.

There's a trend in the U.S. to go for a quick fix with incinerators which burn garbage and produce steam and electricity. European countries are worried about dioxin emissions from their incinerators. And although the debate over dioxin is still going on, everyone agrees pollution controls for dioxin and other pollutants will be costly. Waste-to-energy plants burn only 70 percent of the waste. The ashes are much more dangerous than the original garbage and must be landfilled — sometimes in hazardous-waste landfills. To guarantee a supply of garbage for big waste-to-energy plants, some cities might have to enact ordinances prohibiting recycling or composting. That could be a costly error when the worldwide technological trend is to recycle more and burn less.

Source: David Morris and Neil Seldman (Institute for Local Self-Reliance). "New ways to Keep a Lid on America's Garbage Problem." The Wall Street Journal. April 15, 1986.

Results of a poll of 39 solid waste management pros from 18 states and the District of Columbia representing all segments of the solid waste field:

• Dioxin emissions from incinerators create a lesser threat than other common sources of carcinogens such as cigarettes or charcoal-broiled meat.

• Europe's 20 years of experience with incinerators shows no evidence of health problems from dioxin emissions, but the public won't believe it.

• Most people judge such issues irrationally and cannot comprehend technical arguments.

• U.S. households are not ready for source separation of usable wastes (putting different recyclables into different containers). Less than 30 percent of citizens would do this unless there were economic incentives.

• Mass burn (burning raw garbage to get energy) will remain the technology of choice, but possible air-quality benefits of refuse-derived fuel (metal and glass removed and waste shredded) may provide incentives for future fuel recovery plants.

Source: American Public Works Association. APWA Reporter. June 1987.

The general funds balance at the end of June was $154.282 million; the average daily available balance was $155.955 million. At the end of July the general funds balance was $151.754 million with an average daily available balance of $162,764 million.

Source: Office of the State Comptroller.

In the U.S. the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 6.1 percent in June and 6.0 in July (lowest since December 1979). and in Illinois it declined to 7.5 percent in June and 7.3 percent in July.

Illinois' civilian labor force rose to 5.727 million in June, and a record 5.297 million people had jobs. June's all-time record was exceeded in July when the labor force rose to 5.778 million with 5.356 million people employed. Unemployment declined in June to 430,000 people and again in July to 422,000. Strong seasonal and business services employment plus the recall of about 1,500 Chrysler plant workers swelled the job surge.

Final unemployment rates for April and May in the state's metro areas were:

Aurora-Elgin, 6.4 percent, 6.1 percent.
Bloomington-Normal, 5.1 percent, 5.4 percent.
Champaign-Urbana-Rantoul, 5.0 percent, 4.9 percent.
Chicago, 7.4 percent, 7.5 percent.
Davenport-Rock Island-Moline (Illinois sector), 9.3 percent, 9.2 percent.
Decatur, 11.5 percent, 10.8 percent.
Joilet, 8.4 percent, 8.2 percent.
Kankakee, 10.2 percent, 10.1 percent.
Lake County, 4.9 percent, 4.9 percent.
Peoria, 9.3 percent, 9.1 percent.
Rockford, 11.5 percent, 11.7 percent.
Springfield, 5.8 percent, 5.7 percent.
St. Louis (Illinois sector), 10.3. percent, 10.1 percent.

Source: Department of Employment Security.

Margaret S. Knoepfle