Don't dump it--recycle it!

What do you do when one of your energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs burns out? These bulbs should be recycled because they contain a small amount of mercury, a neurotoxin. However, the amount is miniscule compared to the mercury put into the atmosphere from coal-burning power plants.

Here are some suggestions:

• Ace Hardware stores in Aurora will take back CFLs for recycling. Check the Ace in your area.
• Home Depot has just announced that it will accept CFLs for recycling at stores across the U.S.
• IKEA stores will also accept CFLs.
• Many varieties of household hazardous waste, from CFLs and other fluorescent tubes to oil-based paints to prescription medication, can be dropped off Naperville's Household Hazardous Waste Center, 971 Brookdale Road, on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For a map to the facility, which is open to DuPage County, Kane County and Will County residents, click here. 

What do you do if a CFL breaks? U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has the answer. Click here to see the cleanup process.  

Other recycling resources

According to Kane County officials, residents and businesses are recycling 42% of their waste, a vast improvement over the 8% that was recycled in 1986. Some stats from the county's recycling web site:

• The average Kane County home recycles about 60 pounds of material each month.
• Last year, we recycled about 65,000,000 aluminum cans in Kane County (or 168 for each person), but we still threw away 30 million cans (or 86 cans per person).
• Kane County residents recycled 30 million pieces of junk mail (85 pieces per person). 44% of the junk mail was never opened.
• We recycled 94 million pounds of paper, saving the equivalent of 796,000 trees. Each day, 2 million trees are cut down in the United States.

Click on a category to find out where and when you can recycle the following items:

• Municipal trash pickups: (Weekly pickups) What will my local trash hauler accept for curbside recycling?
• Electronics and books: (Monthly dropoffs) Computers and Peripherals: Personal Computers, Monitors, Printers, Scanners, Modems, Tape, Disk, CD Drives, Cables, Keyboards, Mice, Plotters.
  Entertainment Equipment: Televisions, Camcorders, Cameras, Stereo Equipment (no speakers), Game Players, Joysticks.
  Office Equipment: Telephones, Cell Phones, Pagers, Answering Machines, Typewriters, Calculators, Adding Machines, Fax Machines, Shredders, Copiers, Postage Meters.
  Electronic Media: Floppy Disks, Compact Discs (and cases), Videotapes (no audio cassettes).
• Household hazardous waste: (Weekly dropoffs) aerosol products, antifreeze, batteries (auto and household), blacktop sealer, cleaning products, fluorescent bulbs, gasoline, hobby and photographic chemicals, lawn chemicals, mercury, motor oil, oil-based paints, pesticides, pool chemicals, propane tanks and solvents. Not accepted: ammunition, explosives, fireworks, biological or medical wastes, farm machinery oil, fire extinguishers, latex paint, smoke detectors.
• Used motor oil.
• Used tires.
• Printer cartridges

Don't live in Kane County? No problem! Just go to www.Earth911.com and type in your ZIP Code at the top of the page to get a list of recycling sites.

More recycling services

• If you're doing any work around the house, you can find materials at Habitat for Humanity's ReStore, an Elgin-based store that sells at bargain prices donated items from contractors, remodelers, manufacturers, distributors and homeowners – much of which would otherwise be destined for the landfill. Proceeds support the building of Habitat homes in Kane County. The store is located at 860 North State Street in Elgin. Details and map to store ...
   
• Homeowners and small businesses in Batavia now can recycle electronic equipment, office equipment and books Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Batavia Public Works Department, 200 North Raddant Road. When you arrive at the Public Works facility, please enter the main entrance on Raddant Road and advise the receptionist you have equipment to drop off.

  Items accepted for recycling:

  • Computers and Peripherals: personal computers; monitors; printers; scanners; modems; tape, disk and CD drives; cables, keyboards, mice; and plotters. There is a limit of 25 pieces on PC towers/CPU's and monitors.
  • Entertainment Equipment: Televisions; camcorders; cameras; stereo equipment (no speakers); game players; and joysticks.
  • Office Equipment: Telephones; cell phones; pagers; answering machines; typewriters; calculators; adding machines; fax machines; shredders; copiers; and postage meters.
  • Software: Floppy discs; compact discs (and cases); videotapes; and audio cassettes. Please remove all paper and recycle it with your mixed paper at home.
  • Books: Hardbound and paperback books.
  • Please DO NOT bring manuals, packing material, air conditioners, other appliances or household hazardous waste.

  For additional information contact the Public Works Facility 630-879-1424 ext 310.

Check out our new cartoon!
Rustle the Leaf is a weekly cartoon with an environmental theme. Here's this week's installment: