Chicago’s waste won’t be going to waste anymore; it’ll be for sale

Gov. Bruce Rauner recently signed House Bill 1445 allowing biosolids from Chicago’s wastewater and sewage to be cleaned and turned into productive, marketable compost across Illinois.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, commonly known as MWRD, is responsible for creating renewable resources from its operations, and plans to sell biosolids to the public next year.

MWRD has been making biosolids for over 30 years; what’s new is that the public can now buy it. The agency is currently giving the compost to Cook County residents for free at its Stickney Plant, but plans to partner with an outside company to handle marketing and distribution soon…Please click here for Alexis Myers and Ryan Connelly Holmes’ story in Medill Reports Chicago.