Recycling
Information from the Waste Reduction Committee
The McHenry County recycling directory -
The Green Guide
is distributed annually with
the Northwest Herald on Earth Day. Paper copies are available at the
Defenders' office, MCC, local libraries and village offices, or click on the link to the left for the
PDF
edition.
Defenders'
McHenry
& Woodstock Recycling Drives
What:
We collect fluorescent tubes,
household batteries, car batteries, button batteries, and clean styrofoam for recycling. The suggested donation for this service is
50 cents per pound of
batteries and 50 cents each for fluorescents. Packing peanuts and re-useable bubble wrap* may be dropped off for no charge.
(Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) can be recycled for no fee at Home Depot or Ace Hardware -
see below)
We also accept electronics -
Computers, phones, printers, electronic toys, hair dryers, vacuum
cleaners, etc. TVs and computer monitors
will be accepted for a donation of $10-$35, depending on size.
When:Second Saturday of every Month
The
Woodstock collection takes place on the second Saturday of each
EVEN
numbered month,and
will be held in front of the Farm Bureau, 1102 McConnell Rd in Woodstock,
from 9 AM until noon.
McHenry’s
collections are held on the second Saturday of
ODD
numbered months
at the
Metra Station Parking lot, 4005 Main Street in McHenry, from 9 AM until
noon.
We WILL be taking aluminum cans at the McHenry drives, paying you a
reduced rate or accepting them as a donation to help fund our
educational and advocacy programs.
*Yeah,
I know it's fun to pop it, but then it's just garbage. So resist the
temptation, and bring it to us for re-use!
Why:
Fluorescent tubes & bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, and need to
be properly recycled to avoid contamination of the landfills and
groundwater. Styrofoam does not break down and takes up a
lot of landfill space.
Batteries contain heavy metals which are known health
hazards. Click here for more info.
Additional Styrofoam recycling spots:
Chicago Logistic Service, 1700 Big Timber Rd, Elgin
847-429-1926
The Village of Lakewood
has placed 24 hour drop off bins throughout the village for residents
and non residents to deposit their clean styrofoam for
recycling. These rolling bins are clearly marked for styrofoam. They are
located at:
Lakewood Village Hall,
2500 Lake Avenue
Lakewood Public Works
garage, 6570 Haligus Road
Redtail Golf Course, 7900 Redtail Drive
What to do with PAINT!
Quick
Clicks:
Electronics recycling (computers, printers, etc):
Computer Recycling
Center in Crystal Lake,
MRK Group in Elgin
847-468-1700, Best Buy and Office Depot.
Televisions:Falcon in
Woodstock 815-334-8689, MRK
Group in Elgin 847-468-1700, Best Buy and Office Depot.
Paint:
Click here for Illinois EPA programs. Oil based paints need to
go to Household
Hazardous Waste collections. Latex paints in useable condition
can be shared with school theater departments, churches, etc (try Freecycle.org to find it a new home) Old latex paint can be dried
out completely & disposed of in your regular trash. Empty, clean
cans can then be recycled.
Junk
Mail: Take steps to get off the mailing lists -
click here.
Ooh! A new widget!
ILLINOIS SCHOOLS FREE COMPUTER RECYCLING
For a limited time, MRK Group in
Elgin is offering free computer recycling to area schools. Please
click here for
more information.
That Old Second Refrigerator in Your Garage is
Costing You Money!
ComEd is running an old
refrigerator and freezer recycling program. While funds last, they
will not only pick up your old appliance, but will pay you! Click here for details!
Television Recycling
Televisions contain reusable materials - plastics, glass, and scrap
metals such as copper and gold. They also contain hazardous materials
like lead, chromium, mercury, and polybrominated flame retardants, which
should NEVER be thrown in a landfill where they can leach into
groundwater or surface water.
If you are buying a new television, you should be able to recycle
your old one where you buy your new one. And in McHenry County, we have several
other options
available, some with a small fee:
Any
Best Buy,
Office Depot,
Falcon
in Woodstock 815-334-8689, or MRK
Group in Elgin 847-468-1700.
And don't forget to do some research on the environmental impact of
that new TV - LCDs are said to use substantially less electricity than
Plasma, and size does matter.
Click
Here for more info... Sony, Samsung and LG have gotten good grades
for greeness.
Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act
"Illinois became the 16th state to adopt a
comprehensive electronics recycling law when SB 2313 was signed into law on September 17, 2008. The law includes a
2012 landfill ban and will require product manufacturers to develop
a system to ensure that these products are recycled or re-used."
"The Home Depot, the world's largest home
improvement retailer, today expanded its long-term commitment to the
environment and sustainability by launching a national in-store,
consumer compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb recycling program at
all 1,973 The Home Depot locations. This free service is the first
such offering made so widely available by a retailer in the United
States and offers customers additional options for making
environmentally conscious decisions from purchase to disposal."
Click Here to read the press release.
Many Ace Hardware stores will also
accept CFLs and rechargeable household batteries for recycling. Contact your
local store. Woodstock is NOT, but McHenry & Crystal Lake are.
"OMG! I broke a
compact fluorescent light bulb! It's got mercury in it - now what do I do?!?!"
Don't Panic!
Click Here for the answer.
Residents should check with their waste hauler for curbside recycling
options.
West
side of county:
·Falcon
Waste & Recycling, (815-334-8689). Click
Here for current information. Currently accepting cardboard, newspapers, magazines, metal, untreated
wood, computers, junk mail, food & beverage containers. Also accepting carpeting from non-commercial customers.
Woodstock
area:
·Behr Woodstock,
13914 Washington St. in Woodstock (815-206-5511). Call for drop-off hours.
Metals only.
·Woodstock and
Harvard elementary schools have Abitibi (green and yellow) large bins in
school parking lots for drop-off. All types of paper. NO CARDBOARD.
·Defenders' Woodstock Drives are held on the second Saturday
of EVEN numbered months in front of the Farm Bureau, 1102 McConnell Rd
in Woodstock. We collect household batteries for a suggested donation of
50 cents a pound, and
50 cents for fluorescent bulbs and tubes 4 ft and shorter. Packing peanuts and
re-useable bubble wrap may be dropped off for no charge.
McHenry
area:
·Aid Association for Lutherans drop off, Zion Lutheran Church (next
to Jewel-Osco), 4206 W. Rt. 120 in McHenry. Contact: Curtis Bremer at
815-385-2853.24 hour drop-off.
Aluminum cans, all types of paper, books. NO PLASTIC BOTTLES OR GLASS, NO
CARDBOARD.
·Defenders' McHenry Drives are held on the second Saturday of
ODD numbered months at the Metra Station Parking lot, 4005 Main Street in
McHenry. We collect household batteries for a suggested donation of 50
cents a pound, and
50 cents for fluorescent bulbs and tubes 4 ft and shorter. Packing peanuts and
re-useable bubble wrap may be dropped off for no charge. The McHenry
collection will also pay for your aluminum, brass and copper.
Crystal
Lake area:
·Elgin/Crystal
Lake Recycling, Inc., 5114 E. Terra Cotta Ave. (Rt. 176), Crystal Lake
(815-455-7700). Call for drop-off hours. Aluminum and steel cans, all
types of paper and cardboard. NO PLASTIC BOTTLES OR GLASS.
·Day's &
Crawford Scrap Metal, 304 Briarwood, Crystal Lake.(815-459-7751). Call for drop-off hours. Non-ferrous metal
only.
·T & C Metal
Co, 378 Prairie St., Crystal Lake (815-459-4445). Call for drop-off hours.
Non-ferrous metal only.
·
Computer Recycling Center,
7510 Virginia Rd, Crystal Lake (815-455-6300).
Call first. Computers, accessories, electronics.
No TVs. New and refurbished
computers are available for purchase.
Township
facilities (must be a resident):
·Algonquin
Township Road District, 3702 US 14, Crystal Lake (847-639-2700 ext. 6).
Drop-off. Aluminum and steel cans, all types of paper, cardboard, glass
and
plastic bottles.
Paint & brush during warm months. Call for details.
·Nunda Township
Road District, 3518 Bay Rd., Crystal Lake (815-459-4410) Call for details.
Environmental Defenders of McHenry County,
110 South Johnson Street, Suite 106, Woodstock,
Illinois 60098
Environmental
Defenders of McHenry County 
