For the average household, there are multiple, advertised environmental fairs, hazardous waste collections, dropoffs and recycling events that are all FREE. For the average business it can be difficult to find a way to be green and operate economically.
The Illinois EPA has one way to help. They have set up an Industrial Material Exchange that allows businesses to post both the materials they have available for recycling or materials they would like to obtain for their own uses. Check out the website here.
Since most smoke detectors contain small amounts of radioactive materials, they are not readily accepted at most hazardous waste dropoffs. Federal regulations stipulate that all smoke detector packaging must contain the company’s mail back address so that they may be disposed of properly. Please call the company for instructions on mailing the detctors back properly.
BRK ELECTRONICS:
Accepts BRK and First Alert smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Will accept 4 for free and then charge $1 per additional unit.
www.brkelectronics.com
1-800-323-9005
Based in Aurora, IL
For more info: www.epa.gov/radtown/smoke-detector.html
In coordination with Recycling Avenue, the Village of Hoffman Estates is sponsoring a small electronics dropoff at the Village Hall. Take your used laptops, ink cartridges, cell phones, digital cameras and MP3 players to 1900 Hassell Road. They are open Monday 8:30 to 8:00, Tuesday through Friday 8:30 to 5:00 and Saturday 9:00 to noon. The time frame for accepting electronic items is indefinite.
Items not accepted are computer monitors, towers, fax machines, TVs, DVD players or any other large electronic.
For more information, please visit www.recyclingavenue.com
State Representative Fred Crespo, in conjunction with AT&T Illinois and the Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce, is giving you the FREE opportunity to shred those old documents and paperwork in your home or office.
The shredding will take place at Rep. Crespo’s Constituent Service office at:
1014 E. Schaumburg Road
Streamwood
September 26, 2009 from 9:00 to Noon
There is a limit of three boxes per constituent.
For questions, or to RSVP, please call Rep. Crespo’s office at 630-372-3340.
Here’s your chance to participate in a one-stop dropoff of many of the recyclable items in your home! The Village of Hanover Park and the Hanover Park Environmental Committee are sponsoring a major recycling event to be held on Saturday, September 19, 2009 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Pack up your car and take your items to the Hanover Park Municipal Complex at 2121 W. Lake Street in Hanover Park. All items are either recycled or donated to charity. As a thank you for participating, all cars will receive one free CFL bulb while supplies last.
Accepted items are:
- Bicycles in working, usable condition
- Personal documents for shredding. 3 boxes maximum. No businesses. Paper clips and staples okay.
- Motor oil and antifreeze
- Eye glasses, hearing aids and keys
- Scrap metal
- Large lead acid batteries from cars, sump pumps, SLAs and boats
- American flags
- Cell phones and ink-jet cartridges
- CFL bulbs
- Clean, usable clothing for children and adults
- Fire extinguishers
- Household office equipment and electronic items. (Computers, monitors, TVs, VCRs, stereos, microwave ovens, video game equipment, etc. ) All items in this category are recycled.
Unaccepted items are: Large appliances, air conditioners, water heaters, garbage disposals, propane tanks, compressed air tanks, smoke detectors, radioactive materials, ammunition, explosives, hazardous wastes, household batteries, paint, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical waste of any kind, business waste or regular garbage.
For further information and to volunteer, contact 630-550-5005.
What: Document cross-shredding event for SWANCC residents. Proof of residency in a member community is required.
Documents include: bank statements, medical forms, personal files, retired tax forms, receipts, etc. Remove large metal clips and binders. Staples and paper clips are acceptable. Documents should be put in a box or bag.
When: Saturday, August 29, 2009. 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Where: Elk Grove Village Hall
901 Wellington Ave.
Info: www.swancc.org or 847-724-9205
Are your closets full of everyone’s old gym shoes now that school is almost here? Has it been difficult to make yourself throw away all of those old pairs of running shoes? The Schaumburg Township District Library is happy to help.
We are sponsoring a used athletic shoe dropoff at the library for the week of August 17-23. Drop-off bins will be available at the Central Library in Schaumburg and at the Hanover Park and Hoffman Estates Branches. All shoes will be donated to Nike who will turn them into Nike Grind, a material used in sport’s surfaces, parks and playgrounds.
We will accept: running shoes, gym shoes, walking shoes and court shoes
We will NOT accept: shoes with metal eyelets, zippers, batteries, cleats or spikes. No other kind of dress or casual shoe will be accepted.
So, clean out your closets, basement and garage and help us clean up the environment!
How many packages have you opened only to have those pesky stryofoam peanuts come spilling out? As a packing material, these peanuts act as a great cushion but, in order to keep them out of a landfill, it is necessary to reuse them. In Schaumburg Township these peanuts can be taken to Pak Mail. They are one of the Peanut Hotline Collection sites and are generously accepting peanuts from the public–as well as conducting a Cell Phones for Soldiers program. So, take your peanuts and phones to:
Pak Mail
2511 W. Schaumburg Road
Schaumburg, IL 60194
847-594-3355
Now you can bring everything from TVs and computers to DVD players and more to any U.S. Best Buy store, and they”ll recycle it. Best Buy does not charge a fee for recycling most consumer electronics. However, they do charge $10 for TVs, CRTs, monitors and laptops, which is offset with a $10 gift card.
They accept up to two items per household per day.
Exclusions and exceptions are:
1. Before they accept your desktop or laptop computer for recycling, the hard drive will need to be removed.
2. Console TVs, or TVs and monitors larger than 32″ are NOT accepted.
3. Electronics containing freon are NOT accepted.
4. Large appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, washers and dryers, ranges and microwaves are NOT accepted.
Join our National Library Month celebration this April by dropping off some of your electronic items to be recycled. The Schaumburg Township District Library, in partnership with Recycling Avenue, will be collecting any of the following items ONLY:
- Laptops/Notebooks
- Cameras
- Cordless Phones
- Cell Phones
- Ink Cartridges
Where: Schaumburg Township District Library
130 S. Roselle Road
Schaumburg, IL
When: The month of April, 2009
M-F 9 a.m.–10 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.– 5 p.m., Sun 12 p.m–9 p.m.
Info: Library 847-985-4000
Recycling Avenue 847-951-1607
