News Releases - 2000

Household Hazardous Waste Collections Announced

Springfield, Ill. -- The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will sponsor nine household hazardous waste collection days between September 9 and October 28. The events, each held on a Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., will be held in Watseka, Robinson, Bartlett, Libertyville, Decatur, Broadview, Effingham, Chicago and Arlington Heights.

"We are very pleased to have added to the number of collections," said Illinois EPA Director Tom Skinner. "During the last legislative session, Governor George H. Ryan proposed an additional $1 million in state funding for this fiscal year, which was passed by the Illinois General Assembly. This allowed us to increase the number of collections from four last fall to nine this fall."

The events are free to the public and are paid for by a portion of the statewide fees on landfilled solid waste. The collections are conducted in partnership with local governments and other organizations.

"These collections give citizens the opportunity to rid their homes of unused or leftover household products that are potentially harmful. Household hazardous waste reduction is an important component of our overall strategy to make Illinois' environment safer," Skinner said. Since 1990, more than 208,000 households have participated in 222 events, with almost 43,000 drums of material collected.

A contractor hired by Illinois EPA disposes of the wastes dropped off at the sites in an environmentally friendly manner. Citizens may bring motor oil, chemical cleaners, paints, thinners, antifreeze, weed killers, insecticides and pesticides and similar household products. Fluorescent and other high-intensity discharge lamps may also be brought to the collections. Items not accepted include auto batteries (which should be taken to local recyclers), explosives, propane tanks, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, agricultural chemicals and all business wastes.

The Fall 2000 schedule is:

September 9, (Iroquois County),

Iroquois County Recycle Center U.S. 24 West, Watseka Co-sponsor: Iroquois County Office of Solid Waste

September 16, (Crawford County),

Wastewater Treatment Plant 1000 N. Mitchell Ave., Robinson Co-sponsor: City of Robinson

September 23, (Cook/DuPage County),

Public Works Facility 1150 Bittersweet, Bartlett (Off Stearns, 1 mile east of Jewel) Co-sponsor: Village of Bartlett

September 23, (Lake County),

Commonwealth Edison Facility 1500 Franklin Boulevard, Libertyville (NW corner of Rte. 45 & Winchester Road) Co-sponsor: SWALCO

September 30, (Macon County),

Illinois Power Company 2460 North Jasper, Decatur Co-sponsors: Macon County Solid Waste Mgmt. Dept., Illinois Power

October 7, (Cook County),

Location to be announced Broadview Co-sponsor: Village of Broadview

October 14, (Effingham County),

K's Square Factory Outlet Mall 110 Avenue of Mid America, Effingham, Co-sponsor: Effingham County Soil & Water Conservation District

October 21, (Cook County),

University of Illinois Chicago 1135 South Morgan, (between Roosevelt & Taylor) Chicago Co-sponsors: Chicago Dept. of Environment, University of Illinois Chicago

October 28, (Cook County),

U.S. Army Reserve Facility 1515 West Central, Arlington Heights Co-sponsors: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, U.S. Army 88th RSC, Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg

Related Information

• Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program