FAQ
Categories
Recycling
Can I recycle a TV, string lights, computer or electronic item?Where can I recycle button-style batteries?Where can I recycle #6 Styrofoam?Can I recycle glass ornaments?How can I recycle shredded paper?Where can I take used fluorescent tubes (not CFL)?Where can I recycle vhs tapes?How do I dispose of brick pavers and landscape rocks from my yard.
Special Events
Where can I take household hazardous waste?
Household Hazardous Items
What do I do with paint?How do I dispose of old medications?Where do I recycle automotive anti-freeze?Where do I take old gas and oil from my snow blower?
Frequently Asked Questions
Recycling
Q: Can I recycle a TV, string lights, computer or electronic item?
A:
YES! Will County offered 13 permanent electronic drop-off sites in 2015 but due to funding from manufacturers changing the level of service available, only one permanent site is open currently. We also offer four recurring electronic collection sites open twice a month. The County is working to offer more options in additional locations and several one day collection events. Please click below to link to our electronics recycling page for a list of items accepted, locations and hours of operation.
Electronic Recycling Information
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Q: Where can I recycle button-style batteries?
A:
Button Batteries no longer contain small amounts of mercury. They are safe to dispose of with your garbage. Please see our battery page and brochure for more information.
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Q: Where can I recycle #6 Styrofoam?
A: Some foam plastic products are recyclable but are not taken in curbside program and most drop-offs due to their light weight and high space needs. It is simply not economical to collect them and send them by truck to a manufacturer like the other items taken curbside; Verdeco Plastic and Dart container accept some types of foam plastic. Dart has participated in one-day collections with the County. Verdeco is open weekdays with a drop-off in their lobby. For more information, please visit http://www.willcountygreen.com/greenguide/latex1.aspx
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Q: Can I recycle glass ornaments?
A:
Not in the recycling bin! Glass ornaments are different from glass bottles and jars; therefore they cannot currently be recycled. If they are still usable, the best thing you can do is donate them or sell them through a garage sale or on-line service. There is an online service called FREEECYCLE that allows people to list items they wish to give away. http://www.freecycle.org/ If they are broken, people who do crafts might still be able to reuse them.
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Q: How can I recycle shredded paper?
A:
Shredded paper cannot be recycled in the curbside recycling programs. Please consider limiting shredding to paper items that contain active bank, credit card or social security numbers. Please tear credit card offers in half, place one half in with some papers and the other half with some other papers in your cart if you are concerned with theft. Please be sure to place all types of paper securely in your bin, recycling cart or recycling dumpster by placing it in a paper bag to prevent blowing when the container is emptied.
The Paper Retriever dumpsters are some schools, churches and other organizations are open to the public and accept paper bags full of shredded paper. They take the paper directly to a paper only plant to be baled and sent to a pulping plant where it is washed and recycled. Use this link to find a Paper Retriever Bin near you: http://paperretriever.com/binlocator/index.html
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Q: Where can I take used fluorescent tubes (not CFL)?
A: They are accepted at the Illinois EPA Regional Household Hazardous Waste Collection Sites (closest is in Naperville) Information on all the items accepted and hours of operation are on our website, under the Green Guide Tab - under the Map and under the Household Hazardous Waste page.
We accept tubes whenever we have one-day Household Hazardous Waste collections, but these events are only held in the Spring and the Fall. They will be shown on the calendar on the website and through our monthly emails if you sign up to receive them.
If these items were generated by a business, there are companies that provide service, these are listed on the Green Guide Database - be sure to click business circle, under the search term box.
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Q: Where can I recycle vhs tapes?
A:
Commercial VHS and Cassette Tapes with movies and music can be donated. If they cannot be donated, then you can place them in the garbage. There is a firm in Elgin that is recycling them but no local drop-offs in our area. Electronic recycling firms can take CDs and DVDs but the film in VHS and Cassettes gets tangled in the equipment.
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Q: How do I dispose of brick pavers and landscape rocks from my yard.
A:
This is an uncommon item in as much as regular recycling outlets do not exist, however, it is still an item that many people may want. Brick pavers and rocks are terrific for aiding in drainage, as well as a landscape decoration. Here are a few suggestions on ways to find someone willing to take these items from you. List an estimated amount on a local on-line newspaper such as Patch or on Craig's list or ebay (when you give something away, they allow FREE listings) There is an on-line group that is dedicated to giving away unwanted items: https://www.freecycle.org/ Remember, you don't have to give your complete address to list an item, just the city and an email address to make arrangements for interested parties to contact you. Only the person you choose comes to pick up the material. There is a non-profit: Restore. It has a location in Joliet on Larkin and in Aurora/Naperville off Rt. 59. They may accept the material. Call first. http://www.habitatillinois.org/restores/ You may also contact your local public works department to learn if they have any projects that these materials may be needed. If not, they may have contracts with landscape firms that may want to use the materials.
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Special Events
Q: Where can I take household hazardous waste?
A:
Will County has one-day HW collection events each Spring and Fall. Be sure to visit the calendar of events on the home page of this website to learn if any are coming up. Year round there is a permanent site, funded by the County and State of Illinois: 180 Fort Hill Drive, Naperville every Sat and Sun from 9am to 2pm. More information is under the Green Guide Tab, under Household Hazardous Waste.
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Household Hazardous Items
Q: What do I do with paint?
A:
Determine if it is Latex Paint or Oil-Based Paint.
Latex paint is not hazardous. It is water-based and cleans off with soap and water. It is better for the environment than oil-based paint. It can be recycled for a fee at many Ace Hardware Stores. It can be hardened and discarded but remember the steel can is recyclable. Please click here for more information.
Oil-Based paint is hazardous. It requires strong cleaning chemicals to clean off of skin. It usually contains air polluting VOCs. It must be taken to a Household Hazardous Waste Collection event or permanent site. Please click here for more information.
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Q: How do I dispose of old medications?
A:
If you miss the occasional national Medication Take-Back or one of the County's HHW one-day collection events, then visit one of our 15 partner pharmacies and police departments that offer medication take-back year round! Click this link for the list of sites and hours: http://www.willcountygreen.com/greenguide/pharm.aspx
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Q: Where do I recycle automotive anti-freeze?
A:
Please visit the willcountgreen Green Guide database. There is a listing for antifreeze. http://www.willcountygreen.com/recycling_centers.aspx Click on the drop-down menu and choose antifreeze. This material is also accepted at our Household Hazardous Waste collection events and at the permanent site we help fund in Naperville, open every Sat and Sun except holidays.
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Q: Where do I take old gas and oil from my snow blower?
A:
Many snowblowers mix oil and gasoline, making it unacceptable at local retailers that accept motor oil. However it is still recyclable through a household hazardous waste collection, such as the permanent site in Naperville or one of the County's one-day collection events held in the Spring and the Fall. Please visit the Upcoming Green Event calendar on the website for one-day event information. For permanent year-round site information, please visit our Household Hazardous Waste page under the Green Guide tab. http://www.willcountygreen.com/greenguide/household.aspx
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