Kane County Recycling Coordinator Jennifer Jarland told the county’s Energy and Environmental Committee members today (Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016) that electronics recycling could resume as soon as September, with an action plan that will provide multiple drop-off sites and a regular series of events.

The county had suspended its free electronics recycling program in June, following a deluge of big TVs and run-on-the-bank attendance at the county’s April and May recycling events, and after local municipalities stopped allowing electronics at their drop-off locations.

“After two months of outreach to and negotiation with numerous villages and cities, we are tentatively in a position to reinstate the Kane County Electronics Recycling Program in mid to late September,” Jarland said.

Kane County’s new electronics recycling program will include at least three drop-off locations and will resume the collection events in St. Charles.

The program took time to put together, because County Board members and staff from the county’s Energy & Environmental Division needed to reach out and establish new intergovernmental agreements with municipalities willing to provide drop-off sites. The plan, from the beginning, aimed at finding convenient drop-off places in three regions of Kane County: northern, central and southern.

Jarland said a key element of the new program is that eWorks, the county’s electronics-recycling contractor, will provide staff for the new drop-off locations. The staff will maintain each site, take fees for screened equipment and prevent dumping of unacceptable material, including large loads from businesses that are not eligible for the residential-user program.

The following list represents status of the future drop-off locations and events, as of Wednesday, Aug. 10:

Northern Location — The village of West Dundee’s Board voted Monday, Aug. 8, in favor of partnering with the county to host an electronics recycling drop-off at the village’s public works facility, contingent on the other sites accepting the agreements.

Central Location — The village of South Elgin is moving out of its old public works facility in mid-September, and Kane County is proposing that the county use the vacant lot for a central-Kane drop-off. The proposal will be presented at the South Elgin Village Board meeting on Monday, Aug. 15, and the board is expected to vote at its following meeting on Sept. 6.

Southern Location — The city of Aurora is considering hosting an electronics drop-off site, but the city has a lengthier timeline, and officials are still trying to identify an ideal location. While talks continue, the county is planning to use a parking lot near the former Kane County jail site at 517 Fabyan Parkway as a temporary location for dropping off electronics items.

Kane County Monthly Recycling Events

Kane County will NOT be holding a monthly recycling event this weekend, on Saturday, Aug. 13, as previously scheduled.

Pending final word from the villages of West Dundee and South Elgin, Kane County Recycles plans to hold its next event in mid to late September, then return to its regularly scheduled “second-Saturday of each month” events, starting Oct. 8. The Nov. 12 event, in addition to electronics and books, will include shredding and latex paint, as previously planned.

Jarland said she doesn’t expect the overwhelming crowds that attended the events in April and May because e-Works, the county’s electronics recycling contractor, will charge a fee for recycling larger-size items.

The fee, which may be paid in advance online or at the point of drop-off by cash or card, will be collected by eWorks. The cost for recycling of TVs and computer monitors — both tube and flat screen — will be $25 for items with a diagonal screen size of 20 inches or less, and $35 for items with a diagonal screen size of 21 inches or more.

About eWorks

Kane County’s electronics recycling contract is with eWorks, a non-profit organization. While eWorks will charge residents a per-piece fee for TVs and monitors under the new program, Jarland emphasizes the organization provides staffing for events and drop-offs — as well as supplies, transportation, processing and recycling — at no cost to Kane County or its partners.

“eWorks has displayed an extraordinary level of commitment and dedication to Kane County throughout this process, and is looking forward to deploying the new system as soon as possible,” Jarland said.

Read More

• 100 Tons of Stuff, 1,600 Residents Recycled at Saturday’s Event
• Expect Long Lines April 9 When Kane County Re-Starts Monthly Recycling Collection
• Where to Recycle Your Big Old TVs Today
• Illlinois’ Electronics Recycling Struggles Affect Kane County
• Changes Coming in Kane County Electronics Recycling Program
• Why Big TVs, Illinois Law Are Killing Electronics Recycling Programs
• Glut of TVS, Old Laws Force Elgin Habitat ReStore to Stop Accepting Electronics
• Kane County Suspends Free Electronics Recycling After ‘Overwhelming’ May Event
• So, What’s Next for Kane County Electronics Recycling

About Kane County Recycles

The Kane County Recycles office manages recycling programs for electronics, books, hazardous materials, and other hard-to-recycle materials, and promotes best practices for household recycling, commercial business recycling, and composting. This office oversees recycling-related information and community outreach initiatives, oversees the annual licensing of Waste and Recycling Haulers, provides backyard compost bins, and implements the Kane County Solid Waste Plan. The office oversees the Recycling and Hauler Licensing Ordinance which requires commercial businesses and multi-family residences to recycle, and provides the provisions for hauler licensing and reporting.

For all you ever needed to know about recycling in Kane County see the Kane County Recycles webpage and also sign up here to receive an electronic copy of the new Green Guide each spring.Subscribe to KCC’s E-Newsletter and receive all the most recent updates and news!