Ready to Unload Those Big TVs? Next Recycling Event Coming Up This Saturday (Oct. 8) in St. Charles
Are you finally ready to unload those big old TVs that have been sitting in your basement? Do you have all kinds of books or electronics sitting around gathering dust? Well, now’s your chance to do a little fall housecleaning.
Kane County’s next recycling event is set for 8 a.m. to noon Saturday (Oct. 8, 2016) at the Branch Court parking lot at 540 S. Randall Road.
The county will be accepting electronics and books at this event, and Kane County Recycling Coordinator Jennifer Jarland is getting out the good word so that residents can get back in the habit of attending the popular one-day events.
After experiencing a little run on the bank back in April, Kane County’s monthly recycling events had a little hiatus during the summer while Jarland and many others set about reinventing the electronics recycling program. Only thing is, when the events restarted last month, attendance was less than overwhelming.
“Last month was super slow; only 230 cars came through!” Jarland said. “The good news is, that’s still one semi-truck full, with 15,300 pounds of electronics. But ideally, 700 or 800 cars is a good number to keep us busy and to provide efficient service to residents.”
After this weekend’s collection event the next one is set for 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Branch Court on Randall Road. The Nov. 12 event will include electronics and books, confidential document shredding and liquid latex paint recycling.
There’s a fee of $25 to $35 now to recycle electronics with monitors. (More about that below.) And for the Nov. 12 event, there’s a fee for recycling latex paint: $3.50/gallon, payable by cash or check only.
Electronics Drop-Off Locations at Hit!
One reason the September recycling event might have been slower than expected is the September openings of the three new electronics recycling drop-off locations. Jarland said Tuesday that the three sites already have served around 400 residents.
All locations are staffed during open hours, and an attendant will be there to help you unload and take payment for TVs and monitors (cash or card only).
All locations will recycle the following electronics for free: cable and satellite receivers, cables and cords, cell phones, PDAs, circuit boards, computers (CPUs, laptops, tablet PCs, computer batteries), digital converter boxes, digital recorders, DVD players, fax machines, hard drives, keyboards, mice, phones, portable digital music players, printers, scanners, small-scale servers, VCRs and video game consoles.
Jarland recommends using the convenient daily drop-off locations if you wish to avoid waiting in line at the collection event. Not only is it more ecologically responsible to avoid idling for long periods but spreading the volume of electronics between sites will help the county maintain a professional level of service at the one-day collection events.
The new drop-off locations are staffed full time to avoid the dumping issues, such as businesses taking advantage of the residential program, the dumping of large quantities of TVs or residents dumping unacceptable and/or hazardous materials at the sites.
Motion-detecting security cameras monitor the sites after hours, and offenders will be fined. Illegally dumping a TV or any other material at the drop-off sites after hours is a Class A misdemeanor which has a maximum fine of $2,500, a jail sentence of up to 364 days, or both.
3 Sites Throughout Kane County
The drop-off locations are:
North — West Dundee Public Works
- Location: 900 Angle Tarn, West Dundee, IL 60118 SEE MAP
- Hours: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. (Note: Hours are an hour earlier than other sites.)
Central — South Elgin Old Public Works
- Location: 735 Martin Drive, South Elgin, IL 60177 (drop-off is on the south side of the building) SEE MAP
- Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
South — Fabyan Parkway, Batavia
- Location: 517 E. Fabyan Parkway, Batavia, IL 60510 (Old Juvenile Justice Center) SEE MAP
- Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday
Cost for TVs and Monitors
These sites offer free recycling for most electronics on the accepted items list. However, eWorks is charging a fee for TVs and computer monitors, due to the high cost of recycling these items. The fee that you pay for screened equipment goes directly to eWorks, an organization whose main mission is to employ developmentally disabled individuals.
The fee is $25 for screens under 21 inches (measured diagonally) and $35 for screens 21 inches and over.
It is recommended that you pay online in advance and bring your receipt to any drop-off or the collection event, though the fee may be paid onsite by exact cash or card.
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.
