Village of Lombard urges responsible recycling

Residents in the village of Lombard are recycling 30 percent of their curbside refuse, according to Dave Gorman, Lombard's Assistant Director of Public Works.

Recyclables may be comingled since they are taken to Waste Management's Recycling Center in Grayslake, where they are separated by machine as well as by hand. The facility employs 85 people and processes 140,000 tons of material annually.

After separating, the materials are shipped to specialized industries to turn into raw materials suitable for industrial reuse. Items accepted are aluminum, glass and iron/steel food and beverage containers; plastics labeled #1 through #6 and cardboard and paper without wax liners.

A large batch of recyclables may be contaminated by inappropriate materials and, thus, it is better to treat any questionable items as refuse instead of recycling. Items that are not accepted and cause contamination include plastics labeled #7 or unnumbered, including plastic bags; tempered glass (mirrors, windows, cooking glassware and light bulbs); ceramics and porcelain and tempered steel (including coat hangers, pots, pans and household appliances).

Contact the Department of Public Works at (630) 620-5740 or visit www.villageoflombard.org for more information.