Friends of the Chicago River

The Litter Free Supply Stations program, led by Friends of the Chicago River, aims to reduce plastic pollution in local waterways by providing community-hosted stations stocked with tools and resources for self-directed cleanups. Since 2023, the program has expanded to several new locations, strengthened community partnerships, and introduced multilingual toolkits to improve accessibility. With the addition of a full-time events coordinator, Friends has scaled the program to meet its growing popularity, despite challenges such as inconsistent usage data. This initiative highlights a community-driven solution to address local plastic waste, achieving significant environmental and educational impacts.