Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Coca-Cola and Keep America Beautiful (KAB) have jointly announced a $2.59 million grant to support the expansion of Chicago’s Blue Cart Recycling Program through the purchase of 50,000 blue carts over the next five years.

In a release, Mayor Emanuel says, “Chicago residents have been asking for citywide recycling services for many years, and this grant will help expand blue cart recycling to all communities by the end of 2013 and pay for damaged and replacement carts for years to come. With the help of Coca-Cola and Keep America Beautiful, Chicago will become a greener, more sustainable city.”

The Coca-Cola Company and its philanthropic arm, The Coca-Cola Foundation, are granting $2.59 million over the next five years to KAB to increase recycling in Chicago. The investment will bring blue cart recycling to all 50 wards in the city.

“Our actions supporting Chicago’s sustainability reflect our belief that when we all work together, real progress happens,” says Steve Cahillane, president and CEO, Coca-Cola Americas. “By bringing business, government and community organizations like Keep Chicago Beautiful together, we can help create long-term solutions – here in Chicago and across the globe.”

Through the grant, 25,000 recycling carts will be delivered to Chicago neighborhoods. In addition, The Coca-Cola Company will donate an additional 25,000 recycling carts over the next five years.

The blue cart recycling program provides bi-weekly recycling collection services to residents who live in single family homes, two-, three- and four-flat buildings. The expansion will include 340,000 households and is scheduled to be complete by this fall3. The City began expanding blue cart service in March. Currently, 327,000 households receive blue cart recycling service.

Chicago’s recycling service providers include the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation, Sims Municipal Recycling and Waste Management. The collection program is a single stream recycling system.