Pilsen in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Material Recycling
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Reciclaje de Material
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 10, 2026
1. Material Recycling side of marker
What Is It?
Take a look around this street. Can you guess which parts of this street are made from recycled materials? Is it the sidewalks? The benches? The asphalt in the street? How about all of these things and more! Check out the diagram below to see what recycled materials we've used in different parts of the street.
How Does It Help?
Material Recycling
We not only used recycled materials when building this street, but we also maximized recycling of demolition debris from the old street up to 90% so that these materials can be used to make future sustainable streets. By reusing materials in this way, we're conserving our natural resources and reducing the amount of waste that is hauled to landfills.
The asphalt and concrete used in this project are the most sustainable pavements used in Chicago to date. They are made from old pavements, roof shingles, and tires and they perform as well if not better than roads made from new materials.
Energy Conservation
When we paved this street, we used a cutting-edge technique called warm-mix technology, in which the asphalt is mixed at much lower temperatures than usual. This reduces the amount of fuel used in the process and the amount of odor and fumes released into the air.
Cermak Road (top) and Blue Island Avenue (bottom) as seen from abovewith information on the percentages of recycled materials that were used to build these streets. Pilsen's Sustainable Street is also a partial reconstruction-we've literally reused part of the existing roadway while building the new one and, where possible, salvaged materials such as the lightpoles for reuse elsewhere in the city.
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Pilsen
Sustainable Street
Material recycling is just one part of Pilsen's Sustainable Street—a demonstration project of the City of Chicago's Sustainable Streets program. Here you can explore sustainability in action. We've installed inventive technologies on this street that can improve the quality of your life and create a healthier environment for the future. Take a look at other signs like this one to see the ways we've changed this street for the better.
[Spanish language text on the west-facing side:]
¿Qué Es?
Mire alrededor de esta calle. ¿Puede adivinar qué partes de esta calle están hechas con materiales reciclados? ¿Son las aceras? ¿Las bancas? ¿El asfalto de la calle? ¡Qué tal todas estas cosas y otras más! Vea el siguiente diagrama para saber qué materiales reciclados hemos usado en diferentes partes de la calle.
¿Cómo Ayuda Esto?
Reciclaje de Material
No solamente utilizamos materiales reciclados cuando se construyó esta calle, sino también maximizamos el reciclaje de los escombros de la
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 10, 2026
2. Reciclaje de Material side of marker
El asfalto y el concreto que se utilizaron en este proyecto son los pavimentos más sustentables que se han utilizado en Chicago hasta ahora. Están hechos con pavimentos antiguos, tejas de techos y de llantas, y su rendimiento es tan bueno o hasta mejor que el de caminos hechos con materiales nuevos.
Conservación de Energía
Cuando pavimentamos esta calle, utilizamos una técnica de vanguardia llamada tecnología de mezcla en caliente, en la que el asfalto se mezcla a temperaturas mucho más bajas de lo normal. Esto reduce la cantidad de combustible utilizada en el proceso y la cantidad de olor y humos que se liberan al aire.
Vista superior de Cermak Road (arriba) y Blue Island Avenue (abajo) con información sobre los porcentajes de materiales reciclados que se utilizaron para construir estas calles. La calle sustentable de Pilsen también es una reconstrucción parcial: literalmente, reutilizamos parte del camino existente mientras construíamos el nuevo y donde era posible, recuperamos materiales como los postes de luz para reutilizarlos en otros sitiosde la ciudad.Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 10, 20263. Material Recycling / Reciclaje de Material Marker at the intersection of Cermak (22nd) and HalstedThe overpass in the background is the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94).
Pilsen
Sustainable Street
El reciclaje de material es solo una parte de la Calle sustentable de Pilsen-un proyecto demostrativo del programa de calles sustentables de la Ciudad de Chicago. Aquí puede explorar la sustentabilidad en acción. Hemos instalado tecnologías creativas e innovadoras en esta calle que pueden mejorar la calidad de su vida y crear un medio ambiente más saludable para el futuro. Observe los demás letreros como éste para que vea cómo hemos cambiado esta calle para mejorarla.
Erected by Chicago Department of Transportation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Roads & Vehicles.
Location. 41° 51.154′ N, 87° 38.808′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Pilsen. It is at the intersection of West Cermak Road (22nd Street) and South Halsted Street, on the right when traveling east on West Cermak Road (22nd Street). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Chicago IL 60608, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Chicago’s West Side. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 10, 2026
4. Material Recycling / Reciclaje de Material Marker, facing west down Cermak
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Cermak Road Bridge (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Cermak Road Bridge (approx. 0.4 miles away); Chinese American Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); Confucius 551-479 B.C. The Great Educator, Philosopher and Statesman of China (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Story of Thalia Hall (approx. 0.7 miles away); Ping Tom (approx. 0.7 miles away); Dr. Sun Yet-San (approx. 0.7 miles away); All As One Mural (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.
More about this marker. Based on archived images from Google Maps Street View, this marker was added sometime in 2011 or 2012.
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 10, 2026
5. Material Recycling / Reciclaje de Material Marker at Halsted and Cermak
Credits. This page was last revised on October 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 11, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 3 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 11, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 12, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
