This goal focuses on how the District can limit contributions to the landfill, through waste reduction and diversion.
Highlighted below are initiatives the Park District has taken on to reduce waste sent to the landfill.
Since 2015, the Park District has been working to install recycling stations at District parks and facilities. The new standard receptacle for parks (pictured) have been installed in parks alongside projects.
Over the next 10 years, the Park District will continue to replace trash receptacles with the standard dual stream receptacle.
Since 2015, Park District staff have increasingly identified opportunities to reduce paper waste.
Examples include:
In 2023, the Park District kicked off the first annual Pumpkin Smash in Highland Park. Pumpkin Smash events provide a fun way for communities to compost their pumpkins.
In 2024, PDHP was one of more than 100 registered host sites and the Illinois program diverted over 165 tons of pumpkins from the landfill. Learn more by visiting SCARCE’s website.
It is standard practice for the Park District to compost landscape waste that is not left on site.
Organic materials like leaves, grass clippings, and fallen trees (where possible) are left on site to naturally degrade – returning nutrients to the soil, providing habitat for insects, and supporting the decomposer organisms.
Organic materials that are not left on site, in addition to hay bales used for the sled hill or fall events, are collected for commercial composting. Commercial composting is a great way to compost herbaceous materials like weeds, which require higher heat to break down without leaving viable seeds.
Working with Riobamba Latin Kitchen and Collective Resource Compost Cooperative, the Park District piloted composting at a park pop-up event, Celebración in the Park.
With the support of Riobamba Latin Kitchen, compostable materials were used to serve food (plates, utensils, etc.) so that the food waste, alongside serveware, could be composted. The Park District plans to implement composting at more events in the future.
The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) donates compost annually to support giveaways across Lake County in celebration of International Compost Awareness Week.
The last few years, Go Green Highland Park has hosted a compost giveaway at a Park District site. In 2025, the giveaway was at Hidden Creek Aqua Park and more than 100 people came to collect compost.
Annually, the holiday trees collected are chipped for use as woodchips. The woodchips may also be picked up by residents for use in their gardens. Typically trees are collected through the end of January.
If you’d like to recycle your holiday tree, connect with Glenn Nance at [email protected].
The Park District partnered with the City of Highland Park to add a Clothing and Textile Recycling bin to the shared Senior Center and Recreation Center of Highland Park parking lot.
This program is run by the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO), materials collected are recycled and upcycled to ensure they do not end up in the landfill. See the list of accepted materials here.
The Highland Park community is fortunate to have a City and County with an abundance of resources for recycling and reducing one’s contribution to the landfills.
Stop by the City of Highland Park Recycling Center to recycle some of the materials that cannot be recycled through the City’s curbside collection bin.
The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) offers a variety of resources to help you learn where to recycle items that cannot go into your curbside bin.
Go Green Highland Park shares tips on their website on how to recycle, compost, and reduce landfill waste at home.
