Electronics recycling to continue in 2017

The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County has announced that its Residential Electronics Recycling Program will remain operational throughout 2017.

Earlier, the agency had successfully secured contracts with qualified recyclers to continue to operate the program with no direct cost to Lake County residents.

"SWALCO has been effective in our efforts to maintain this very popular program, we are committed to recycling electronics and our residents have responded to create the most successful program in the state," said SWALCO Chairman Glenn Ryback, mayor of the village of Wadsworth. Ryback added, "Through the hard work of the SWALCO staff and the voluntary efforts of our members and townships we have been able to keep this program running."

In addition, Peter Adrian, SWALCO's Recycling coordinator, said, "The city of Highland Park, the village of Grayslake and the townships of Cuba and Grant have been instrumental serving Lake County as regional collection sites. In 2016 these four sites have shouldered the burden of collecting nearly 4 million pounds of consumer electronics."

"SWALCO is taking the lead in long term planning for establishing a stable statewide electronics recycling program for 2018 to 2020," Adrian said. "We are working closely with state legislators, product manufactures and the electronics recycling industry to amend the current state law so to establish permanent collection opportunities statewide while also assisting Lake County municipalities in developing alternative collection options through their municipal waste and recycling service contractors."

Under the Illinois Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act, local government is not required to provide collection services, but since the law was first implemented in 2010 numerous county and municipal governments have provided collection services and residents have relied on those programs to comply with the law which bans TVs, printers, computers and 15 other electronic devices from disposal into landfills.

For 2017, Lake County residents should continue to use the four collection sites located in Highland Park, Grayslake, Grant Township and Cuba Township. Information on the location and hours for the collection sites can be found on the website, www.swalco.org.

SWALCO will continue to evaluate its options to sustain this very successful recycling program, and do its best to keep the public informed about the status of the program.