The Village's Concern on Single Use Plastics

The Village of Mount Prospect understands the importance of removing single use plastics and the impacts that single use plastics can have on our environment and the community of Mount Prospect. The Mount Prospect Sustainability Committee, members of the Village Board, and the Mayor have expressed  concerns around single use plastics and want to see change happen in the community. A direct result of this concern can be seen in the Villages 2023 - 2028 Sustainability Plan Implementation Guide. This plan clearly states in Action Item Three of Goal Two: 

”Ask restaurants to reduce single use plastic (provide upon request only). Collaborate with the Mount Prospect Downtown Merchants Association to achieve this action. Create a recognition or award for these businesses.”

Clear direction has driven Village Staff to believe now is an effective time for the Village to make a public effort to reduce single use plastics.  This program aims to engage consumers and retailers alike and work both sides of the single use plastic equation. The program can only be successful if both consumers do not take single use plastic utensils and restaurants do not give them away  when they are not asked for. 

Participating Businesses 

 
Interested in participating in the program? Please email jallain@mountprospect.org to sign up as participating businesses and receive your free pickup area tri-fold and window cling! 

What is the programs goal?

How often do you go to pick up carryout orders, you get home, take out the plastic utensils in their induvial plastic bags, then you either throw away the carryout utensils or put them in the kitchen junk door to just use your own utensils? This happens all the time and was the common idea shared behind the creation of this program! Therefore the goal of this program is to prevent that from happening by changing the culture around plastic utensils.

Signs near carryout locations, frequent social media blasts, and restaurants asking if you need plastic utensils are just a few ways that the Village hopes to help change people's habits for the better. Small changes like this can make a huge difference here in the community and can also to larger change as people continue this habit in locations outside of Mount Prospect.