Metropolitan Mayors Caucus

Why does our recycling bin mascot, Loop the Cart, have googly eyes?

The Chicago Tribune explains how giving objects human traits, like Loop, can actually influence behavior and help people recycle more effectively.

It’s a fascinating look at how anthropomorphizing has shaped our campaign and other marketing efforts.

We won’t be changing Loop’s name to Loopy anytime soon, though, as the article suggests!

Read the full article: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/15/loop-chicago-blue-recycling-bin-mascot/

Güd Marketing

Googly eyes and a blue bin: Meet Loop, Chicago’s new recycling mascot Like Microsoft’s Clippy of old, a pair of googly eyes are enough to anthropomorphized the familiar recycling bin.

Outreach specialists Juliet Mathey and Tori Woolbright (along with Loop the Cart) have been busy this Earth Month, tabling at events and helping community members learn more about recycling and the ComEd Whole Home Electric Program.

They recently attended the Home Show in Oak Lawn and are headed to two more free Chicago Home Shows:
• Schaumburg Convention Center this Sunday, April 19, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake on Sunday, April 26, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Stop by to ask Tori and Juliet questions on recycling, electrification, and making your home more sustainable!

Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns, Environment and Energy Committee Chair, and Director of Environmental Initiatives Edith Makra spoke this weekend at the League of Women Voters of Illinois 2026 Issues Briefing and shared insights from the Caucus’ Data Center Task Force.

They highlighted what municipalities are learning about the rapidly growing data center industry, including why Illinois is a top market, impacts on water and energy use compared to other businesses, tax revenue and jobs from data centers, and how communities can balance economic growth with residential considerations.

Thank you to the League of Women Voters of Illinois for the opportunity to contribute to this important conversation and share key takeaways from the Task Force’s work.

We love this Recycling Today magazine article that tells the story of our “Feed the Cart” recycling education and outreach campaign, the largest recycling campaign in Illinois’ history!

It all started with a decision to collaborate with partner organizations rather than compete for grant funding. Together, we’re working to improve the recycling rates, reduce contamination, and make recycling easier to understand.

From Loop, the friendly blue cart, to community outreach across the region, this effort shows what’s possible when we work together.

"The creation and reach of Loop are good examples of the creativity this program uses to improve participation in local recycling," the EPA noted.

Read the full article:

Keeping Chicagoland in the loop Chicago’s Metropolitan Mayors Caucus launched its Feed the Cart campaign last October, calling it the largest recycling education and outreach initiative in Illinois’ history.

There's still time to receive funding in 2026 through elective pay if your community purchased or is in the process of purchasing clean energy assets, such as EV chargers, energy storage, solar or geothermal HVAC.

The Illinois Power Agency (IPA) is hosting in-person informational sessions to let local governments and other tax-exempt entities know how to receive reimbursements of 30%+ for clean energy projects through elective pay.

The sessions in our region include an afternoon event in Barrington on April 2 and a morning session in Evanston on April 3.

Find out more at the IPA Elective Pay website at https://bit.ly/4s01RVJ or register for a session at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDFve9jspwcZ9nRFwnOPRtaUJ5TTag8so1y0I0eiv6eTQhfw/viewform

Thank you to the City of Naperville, Illinois, Government and Mayor Scott Wehrli for hosting the Caucus’ quarterly meeting on Friday.

Mayors engaged in a lively discussion during our legislative roundtable on the BUILD housing proposal and potential cuts to LGDF, issues that are top of mind for communities.

We also explored how state and federal plans and policies, from aging and homelessness to energy, are impacting local communities and what our region’s history can teach us about leading through change.

Thank you to the Village of Park Forest and Mayor Joseph Woods for hosting our Executive Board meeting as part of our effort to rotate meetings throughout the region.

We enjoyed learning more about this historic community, the first planned community built for World War II veterans.

The Village is a hub for arts and culture in the Southland, from concerts at Freedom Hall to the Tall Grass Arts Association annual Art Fair and the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra’s office in town.

We also heard about exciting developments, including plans for a manufacturing trade school that Gov. Pritzker recently highlighted in his State of the State, as well as new highly energy-efficient affordable housing under construction near Village Hall.

Thank you to Mayor Woods and Village Manager Jon Kindseth for the warm welcome and for sharing more about Park Forest’s past, present, and future.

The Powering Safe Communities grant application deadline is this Friday, March 13, at 5 p.m. Apply today for grants of up to $10,000 for public safety equipment, electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging stations.

The Caucus is proud to partner with ComEd to administer the program.

Find out more and apply at: https://mayorscaucus.org/initiatives/environment/psc/

Last Monday, our Data Center Task Force toured three different data centers in the region to get a firsthand look at how these facilities operate. More than 30 Task Force members, including mayors, managers, planners, and other local leaders, visited Digital Realty in Franklin Park, CyrusOne in Aurora, and Meta DeKalb Data Center.

Seeing these facilities firsthand helped local leaders better understand their design, operations, and relationships with host communities.

Thank you to the companies for offering the tours and to the Task Force members who helped coordinate them, including DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes and Brad Tietz of the Data Center Coalition.

The Task Force has been meeting since November to help local governments gather information as they consider data center proposals. Key takeaways and resources for communities will be shared after the Task Force concludes its work in the spring.

We’re excited to see our Data Center Task Force featured in the Illinois Farm Bureau's FarmWeekNow newspaper. Task Force Chair/City of Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns and Caucus Director of Environmental Initiatives Edith Makra are quoted discussing how the group has been helping local governments gather the information they need to make informed decisions about data center developments.

The Task Force will wrap up its meetings this month, and the Caucus plans to share insights and resources from its work.

Read the full article:

Illinois local governments weigh data center decisions Local governments balance data center incentives with land use concerns and environmental impacts.

The Caucus is calling for a comprehensive Housing Task Force to be established to address local government concerns following Governor JB Pritzker’s Building Up Illinois Developments (BUILD) Plan.

The proposed statewide initiative would limit local planning authority by updating zoning standards, minimum lot sizes, residential density allowances, and more, to increase housing availability and affordability.

“From the numerous Mayors Caucus Housing Studies we have done throughout the region, we recognize the importance of addressing housing affordability and supply challenges in communities throughout the metropolitan region and across the state,” said Village of Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson, Chair of the Caucus Housing and Community Development Committee.

“We urge for the continuing role of local governments in land use planning,” said Caucus Executive Director Neil James.

Find out more: https://mayorscaucus.org/caucus-responds-to-governors-new-build-housing-proposal/

Thank you to the Suburban Building Officials Conference for inviting us to speak at your recent luncheon on the stretch codes and other advanced building policies.

Caucus staff members Cheryl Scott and Edith Makra briefly shared how local governments can get involved in the Caucus’ Advanced Building Energy Efficiency Policies (ABEEP) Task Force and participate in energy code development.

Technical experts John Gossman and Emma Hurbanis from the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance explained stretch codes for new construction, as well as benchmarking and building performance standard policies for existing buildings.

We appreciate the questions and feedback from attendees, and the opportunity to connect with code officials from across the region.