Your Guide to Recycling Almost Everything, Part 1
Hazardous and Electronics Waste Collections
The Green Sanctuary Group of the Beverly Unitarian Church will host two household hazardous waste collections in 2020, Sat., May 2 in the 9th Ward and Sat., Aug. 1 in the 19th Ward. Exact locations will be announced closer to the dates.
The City of Chicago’s only site that accepts household hazardous waste is 1150 N. North Branch St. (Goose Island). This site also accepts electronics and is open Tuesdays, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Thursdays, 2 to 7 p.m.; and the first Saturday of the month, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Following is a list of where and when you can drop off electronics, televisions, Styrofoam/foam packaging, small appliances, waste motor oil and other challenging materials:
Electronics & TVs
900 E. 103rd St. (103rd & Cottage Grove) – 3rd Friday of every month, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
2300 W. 52nd St. (52nd, one block east of Western) – 3rd Wednesday of every month, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
3800 S. Iron St. – 2nd Friday of every month, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
ONLY the listed items are eligible for recycling. Give to the drivers at the site. Do NOT leave in parking lot.
Computers, monitors
Televisions
Printer, fax, scanner
Keyboards, mice
Video game consoles
Portable digital music players
Digital converter boxes
Cable and satellite receivers
Small scale servers
Styrofoam/Foam Packaging
A drop off container is open 24/7 at Dart FOAM RECYCLING, 7575 S. Kostner Ave., located between Pulaski and Cicero, north side of 76th Street. Questions? Call 800-288-CARE. For large deliveries call 773-838-2515.
Instructions:
Foam should be in clear, sealed bags.
Foodservice containers should be wiped clean or rinsed.
NO packaging peanuts, straws, lids, plastic wrap or foam insulation will be accepted.
Old Motor Oil
Any Jiffy Lube or Quick Oil service center will accept used motor oil and anti-freeze.
Fluorescent Bulbs, Lamps
Lowes Home Center and Menards accept fluorescent bulbs and lamps.
Unused Prescription Drugs
The CVS at 3951 W. 103rd has a box for unused pharmaceuticals and OTC drugs. Do NOT throw drugs of any type in the toilet or sink, or in garbage that will go into the landfill.
Alkaline Batteries
Alkaline batteries cannot be recycled. Although they are not considered hazardous waste, they do contain trace amounts of mercury.
Rechargeable batteries are inexpensive and come with chargers from Amazon or Batteries Plus. Batteries Plus takes car batteries, alarm batteries and all rechargeable batteries. Nearby locations: 6227 W. 95thSt., Oak Lawn, and 16205 S. Harlem, Tinley Park.
Small Appliances & Metals
Most small appliances are mainly composed of metal so they have useful materials that are pretty easy to recycle. Home appliances account for 10 percent of steel recycled in the U.S. each year. Microwaves have computer chips in them that contain valuable metals like gold.
Drop off small appliances as well as Aluminum, copper, brass; auto parts; ferrous metals, stainless steel; radiators at South Chicago Iron & Metal, 1313 W. 74th St., Mon. through Fri., 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sat., 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If you buy an appliance or television at BestBuy, the store will accept your old appliance.
If you want help in getting your electronics or Styrofoam to the collection centers cited above call Eileen Klees of the Green Sanctuary Group, 773-708-5111, and leave a message. A good website to learn more about how, when and where to recycle just about anything is www.earth911.com.
(Thank you to Eileen Klees for researching and compiling this comprehensive list. Part 2 will cover blue bin recycling, and be published in the March issue of The Villager.)
