Litter is an important issue for our communities, rivers, and oceans. It will take all of us working together to create a Litter Free Chicago-Calumet River system that is clean and safe for all people, wildlife, and communities who depend upon it.

Friends is now introducing Litter Free Supply Stations at locations across the watershed. With the support of Mars Wrigley Foundation, and in partnership with supply station host organizations listed below, Friends is empowering any person or group to borrow cleanup supplies, utilize our Litter Free Toolkit (or a similar toolkit in Spanish from American Rivers), and run their own cleanup in their neighborhood. 

What is a supply station?

Supply stations contain all the tools, supplies and information you need to run your own cleanup. There are about 10 litter grabbers, 5 buckets, plenty of bags and gloves, along with a Litter Free Toolkits (or a similar toolkit in Spanish from American Rivers) which give guidance on safety, planning and executing a litter cleanup. Think of it like a tool library where you can "check out" supplies for your independent cleanups. They may operate as an outdoor locker or be run by a host organization who manages the supplies and check out process. 

How do I borrow cleanup supplies from a Litter Free Supply Station?

Any person or group is welcome to check out supplies from one of our Litter Free Supply Stations. Click on our request form here and follow the signup form prompts to select a station and enter your preferred dates for checking in and out the cleanup materials. Once your request has been submitted, you will be contacted by staff from Friends or from the supply station host organization to confirm your dates or offer alternate dates. 

Currently, you can check out cleanup supplies from the following locations:

• 47th Ward Alderman Matt Martin's Office - 4347 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60618 [Hours: M - F, 9am - 5pm]
• Chicago’s 35th Ward and Cook County’s 8th District County Office - 2934 N. Milwaukee Ave. Unit C. Chicago Il 60618 [Hours: M - F, 9am-5pm]
• Cook County Commissioner Bridget Degnen’s Office - 4253 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60641 [Hours: M - F, 9am - 4pm]
• Ford Calumet Environmental Center - Big Marsh Park, 11559 S. Stony Island Ave, Chicago, IL 60617 [Hours: M - Sat, 10am - 4pm]
• McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum - 99 Chicago Riverwalk, Chicago, IL 60601 – SW Bridgetower at Michigan Ave. & Wacker Dr. [Hours: Wed - Sun, 10am - 5pm]
• Northbrook Public Library - 1201 Cedar Lane, Northbrook, IL 60062 - [Hours: M-Th: 9am-9pm, F: 9am-6pm, Sat: 9am-5pm, Sun: 1pm-5pm]
• REI - 905 W Eastman St, Chicago, IL 60642 [Hours: M-F: 10am-9pm, Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 10am-7pm]
• RiverLab at River Park - 5100 N Francisco Ave, Chicago, IL 60611 [CLOSED FOR THE SEASON]
• **Glenview Public Library - 1930 Glenview Rd, Glenview, IL 60025 - **Available to library cardholders of the Glenview Public Library only. Checkout is run through their Library of Things checkout system. 

Once you checkout cleanup supplies, we will email you links to add your cleanup to our Litter Free Map and take our Litter Free Survey where we track our collective impact. 

Is your organization interested in hosting a supply station? Our goal is to have stations spread across the watershed. Reach out to Becky Lyons at blyons@chicagoriver.org or (312) 939-0490, ext. 23 if you would like to bring a supply station to your area.