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The Resource Center, a non-profit environmental organization, has led the way in demonstrating how everyday “wastes” can be converted into valuable community assets throughout Chicago. The programs that have evolved over nearly forty years of resource recovery are wide and varied, yet specifically designed to meet the needs of as many neighborhoods as possible, across geographical and socio-economic barriers.

The Resource Center offers recycling drop-off, pick-up, and buy-back programs in neighborhoods throughout Chicago. The City Farm program of the Resource Center serves as a successful model of urban food production. The Perishable Food Recovery program connects local food pantries and shelters with surplus produce and perishable food from supermarkets, restaurants, and caterers. The Creative Reuse Warehouse program collects surplus industrial products for reuse by artists, teachers, and the general public. The Resource Center continues to build on its legacy of pioneering work in resource recovery.